Spicy Tomato Cashew Soup

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise, toss them with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and place them cut side up on the baking sheet.
2. Roast the tomatoes for at least 1 hour, but longer if you have time. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. When they are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins.
3. Chop the red onion, and mince the garlic and ginger.
4. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add the red onion. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden-brown.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, coriander, chili powder, cashews, and tomato paste. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly (to avoid burning the spices), until very fragrant.
6. Add the water, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, and roasted tomato halves. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release the brown bits.
7. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pod, and blend the soup using an immersion blender.
9. Temper the yoghurt with a little hot liquid from the soup (just pour some of the hot soup into the yoghurt and mix it around to warm up the yoghurt a bit), then stir the tempered yoghurt back into the soup.
10. Taste the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can garnish with extra cashews or a bit of cilantro if you’d like.
11. Serve hot, preferably with a grilled cheese sandwich!