Mulligatawny soup

Mulligatawny soup is something I've been intrigued about since the infamous soup episode of Seinfeld many years ago. I recently decided it was time to do a little research and give this intriguing sounding soup a try. 

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I learned that Mulligatawny is an English soup based on an Indian soup. I read a lot of recipes and not one was the same... some used chicken, some used lentils, some used cream, some used coconut milk... but a lot of the basics were the same - onions, carrots, celery, apples, curry powder, bay, and something creamy. 

The soup turned our terrific. My only complaint is that it was terrible to photograph. All the apples floated to the top and all the other stuff fell to the bottom. So, it just looks like a curry broth of apples! But trust me, there are a lot of other goodies hiding and swimming below the rich curried broth. 

This is a soup absolutely fit for a chilly fall or winter evening. It will serve about four people.

Mulligatawny soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 bay leaves
about 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken stock
1 can (13-14 oz.) coconut milk
1/3 cup Basmati rice
1 large tart apple, cored and chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon

In a large soup/stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When warm, stir in the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the red pepper flakes, curry powder, and bay leaves.

Push the vegetables off to the side of the pot and add the chicken. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is browned and then turn and cook until the second side is browned. Then stir in the stock and coconut milk. Let the soup come to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. 

Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool a bit. Stir the Basmati rice into the soup. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot along with the apple. Continue to simmer the soup, uncovered, until the apple is softened and the rice is cooked. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice just before serving.