Ever heard of Chicken Mulligatawny Soup before? Well, this delicious and flavorful curry soup features chicken, vegetables, apples, and rice to make a filling and comforting meal for the entire family.
Not only will you learn how to create this easy and satisfying dish at home, but you’ll also find out the fascinating history behind it. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What Is Mulligatawny Soup?
Mulligatawny soup is a creamy curry soup that dates back several centuries. It is believed to have been prepared by Indian cooks for British colonists in the days of the British Raj.
Over the years, the soup has evolved as it’s been handed down from generation to generation. Today, we know it as a moreish chicken soup with curry powder, apples, rice, and vegetables.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- butter
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- carrots
- celery stalks
- bay leaves
- curry powder
- chicken thigh
- cold water
- chicken broth
- salt
- uncooked white rice
- Granny Smith apples
- heavy cream
- plain yogurt
- chopped chives
How to Make Mulligatawny Soup
- In a large (4 to 5 quart) thick-bottomed pot, heat the butter and oil on medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the vegetables are just starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the bay leaves and the curry powder, tossing to coat.
- Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat in the curry mixture. Add water, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover the pot and leave to cook for 20 minutes.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through and remove from the pot. Place on a cutting board and allow to cool.
- Next, add the rice and apples to the soup and increase the heat to high. Simmer on a high heat and then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
- While the rice cooks, shred the chicken, taking care to discard any gristle or tough bits. When the rice is done, add the chicken and heat for 5 minutes. To thicken this soup slightly, you can add the cream at this point.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and place a dollop of yogurt in each. Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy!
What’s in Chicken Mulligatawny Soup?
Several versions exist, but in essence, it is a curry soup made with chicken, vegetables, apples, and rice. Read below to find out how you can make other variations of this versatile and tasty dish.
Does Mulligatawny Soup Contain Meat?
The most common version of this soup contains chicken, but you can make it any way that you like. You can make it strictly vegetarian, or you can include chicken to make it a little meatier.
Mulligatawny Soup Substitutions
- Vegetarian: Substitute chicken with chickpeas and use oil instead of butter.
- Dairy-free: Substitute butter with oil and use coconut milk instead of cream.
- Other substitutions include: Using potatoes or turnips instead of apples and using lentils instead of rice.
How to Store This Soup
Store the soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Note: The rice will absorb some of the liquid, so when you reheat it, you may have to add a little broth or water.
If you make this soup in advance, you can also cook the rice separately and add it when warming up the soup again.
The soup can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months, but we recommend leaving out the rice and cream before you do so. Add them later when you reheat the soup.
Chicken Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 boneless skinless chicken thigh
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream optional
Garnishes
- plain yogurt
- chopped chives
Instructions
- In a large (4 to 5 quart) thick-bottomed pot, heat the butter and oil on medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the vegetables are just starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the bay leaves and the curry powder, tossing to coat.
- Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat in the curry mixture. Add water, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover the pot and leave to cook for 20 minutes.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through and remove from the pot. Place on a cutting board and allow to cool.
- Next, add the rice and apples to the soup and increase the heat to high. Simmer on a high heat and then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
- While the rice cooks, shred the chicken, taking care to discard any gristle or tough bits. When the rice is done, add the chicken and heat for 5 minutes. To thicken this soup slightly, you can add the cream at this point.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and place a dollop of yogurt in each. Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy!
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