A Mulligatawny soup is a must-have in your spicy recipe repertoire.
This Indian chicken curry soup is a flavor experience and will warm up your body with comforting flavors.
Whether you warm your self up during cold nights or you just want comforting flavors, a homemade Mulligatawny soup recipe will be your best friend in any case.
This British-Indian soup is a healthy. Easy to recreate, the Indian soup recipe doesn’t have any special rules.
Just throw in all the ingredients, let it cook and submerge yourself into the flavor experience.
Ingredients
The spiced soup recipe is a balanced nutritious dish.
While there are many variations out there, it usually consists of the following ingredients:
Chicken
I use boneless chicken but you can add bone in too.
Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to your dish.
You can skip the chicken all together if you want to make it meatless.
Rice
Rice which thickens the soup and lends a lovely consistency.
I tend to use Basmati Rice but you can use other long-grain rice varieties too.
Lentils
Red Split Lentils add protein and healthy carbs to your soup.
Besides lentils are rich in fibers and you need those for your gut health.
Vegetables
I add some assorted vegetables.
You can add carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, turnips, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, and celery stalks to enrich your soup.
I have picked a few for my stew but feel free to pimp it up your way.
Other ingredients
I also add some aromatic Indian spices to turn the soup into perfection in itself.
AND I love to add an apple as it adds a certain depth of flavor to a mulligatawny dish (just as in my butternut squash soup). Don’t ever skip the apple!
Garnish
My soup is garnished with a dollop of yogurt and sometimes with freshly cut cilantro.
I love a bowl full of Indian Mulligatawny lentil soup recipe with freshly baked homemade 30-minute dinner rolls.
Where did mulligatawny come from?
Mulligatawny soup sounds very Indian and its roots are in India’s past.
The soup was prepared for the British when they ruled the whole Indian subcontinent before the Indian independence in the 1940s.
The name and preparation came from the south Indian Milagu “soup”, which comes from the Tamil meaning pepper Water.
The Mulligatawny recipe is based on Indian cuisine.
The soup is also known as a chicken curry rice soup, an Indian curry soup or some people call it a curried chicken and rice soup.
Soups are not part of the Indian culture, however, dishes such as Pepper water, tomato water, aka rasam soups do make an appearance in the traditional regional cooking.
Mulligatawny is rather unknown in rural India and makes only an appearance in Hotel menus and in the cities as a modern dish.
That again proves that this Indian fusion export is a favorite in the English speaking western world!
Is the soup spicy?
As it is with any Indian based meal, it depends on your spice perspective.
What is spicy to one, might be mild to another.
My mulligatawny chicken curry soup is very mildly spiced from a westerners point of view.
From an Indian perspective, it’s plain bland.
Somebody who has never eaten spice before in his or her life will experience the chicken mulligatawny soup as spicy.
Remember, the amount of chili pepper used in a dish usually creates the heat in a meal.
If you don’t want any heat in your soup, simply skip the green chili pepper.
How to make Mulligatawny soup?
Prepare your own chicken curry soup recipe at home by following the simple straightforward steps to guide you.
Find the complete recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions further below.
Step 1
Sautee your onion, green chili pepper, celery stalk, carrot and potato in olive oil.
Mix in the ginger and garlic as well as the curry powder and stir cook for a minute.
Step 2
And throw in the chicken pieces and season with cumin, coriander, and turmeric.
Continue to pour in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, water and season with salt. Mix it all well over medium heat.
Also add the apple pieces, lentil, rice and bay leave, and mix.
Step 3
Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat until all the ingredients are cooed through and you are left with a delicious soup.
Mulligatawny FAQ
Yes! Just prepare the soup as per recipe instructions and freeze. You can prepare smaller batches and place each in a Tupperware before freezing it.
My mulligatawny recipe is low carb and gluten-free.
I like my soup with a flatbread such as the Indian nan, the chapati, or a middle eastern flatbread such as the Lebanese flatbread. You can serve your mulligatawny stew also with any other regular bread.
Dear Reader, did you try the Recipe?
Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comment section further below!
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Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 small Green Chili Pepper chopped
- 1.8 ounces Celery stalk sliced
- 1 small Carrot sliced
- 1 medium Potato diced
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger + Garlic *see Notes
- 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
- 1 Chicken Breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seed Powder
- 2 Tablespoon Tomato Puree
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 1/2 cups Water
- 2 1/2 cups Chicken stock
- 1 Apple peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 small Bay leaves
- 1/2 cup Red Split Lentils aka Masoor dal
- 1/2 cup Rice
To garnish
- 1 Tablespoon Yogurt
- Cilantro aka fresh Coriander
Instructions
- Heat up a large soup pot with olive oil and sautee your onion, green chili pepper, celery and carrot.
- Continue to add in the potato and stir-fry for a minute.
- Reduce the heat and add in the ginger garlic paste (or finely chopped ginger and garlic) and the curry powder. Mix it all in.
- Add in the cut chicken and stir cook over high heat for a minute.
- Now you can throw in the turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and stir fry again.
- Continue to pour in the tomato puree, salt, and pepper and stir fry the whole content.
- Add the apple to the soup with the bay leave, lentils and rice.
- Mix the whole content well and cook for about 30 minutes over medium heat until the soup thickens and all the ingredients are cooked through.
- Serve hot with some yogurt and chopped cilantro as a garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
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The post, Mulligatawny soup, was first published on the 13th of November 2016 and has been updated with more info ever since.
Catherine Brown says
I’ve never made this soup before…. and I make a lot of soups during the colder months! These flavors sound fantastic together… adding this one to my list to make! 😉
Sarah says
I’ve never made this soup before but I love Indian food! What a great way to try new flavors this winter!
Anne-Marie says
Almost ashamed to admit I never had this before but I always wanted to. You just gave me a delicious reason to try it SOON! Love your step by step pics!
Namrata Cooks says
Love soups..this one looks so comforting and appetizing too. Nice balance of flavors.
Julie says
It’s soup season and this soup sounds like a treat – great flavors and color with plenty of spices.
Nicole says
We love Mulligatawny soup but never tried making the non-veg version, I look forward to trying this!
Elizabeth | The Recipe Revival says
This sounds so warm and comforting! I could eat soup everyday, I’ll have to try this soon 🙂
Sara [Real Balanced] says
Looks so delicious and warming for winter!!!
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
I’ve never heard of Mulligatawny soup, but it sounds delicious. And it looks very easy to make
April says
I have never tried mulligatawny soup before but by looking at the ingredient list I need to try it. It sounds like it’s very flavorful. My kind of soup!
Stephanie says
I love lentils!! And I love putting them in soup 🙂 This looks so yummy and healthful!
Daniela says
This soup sounds like the perfect thing to have on a cold, snowy day. I can’t wait to make it!
Allison hanson says
This looks so warm and satisfying. Perfect for a chilly winter day!
Honey @ The Girl Next Shore says
This sounds so hearty! I’ve only had GREAT mulligatawny soup once and the rest could not compare. Your recipe may be something I’d recreate soon, though!
Elinor Hill aka Beach Hut Cook says
So warming and delicious. I love that it’s got all the veg, protein and carbs needed to be a complete meal in a bowl.
Alisa Infanti says
Wow this soup looks amazing! I have never heard of it but love how it has so many veggies!
Camilla Hawkins says
Mulligatawny soup was always my dad’s favourite and I can see why now, I really must make this as my hubby love curry and spice too:-)
Samantha H. says
This looks great! I’ve been trying to make my favorite Indian dishes at home because it’s really hard for me to eat at restaurants these days, so I appreciate any and all recipes of my takeout favorites.
Alena Brenda says
I am a soup lover and i can’t wait for this new mulligatawny soup recipe.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
I have to give this soup a try. Every time I come across a recipe for this, I am always intrigued by the flavour profile, And the name is fun too. Perfect for the winter months…I need to find time to make this!!
Emily says
I’ve never heard of this soup before but I love everything that’s in it, can’t wait to give it a go!
Swathi says
It has been long time I had Mulligatawny soup. Your soup has lot flavor and layers with veggies and chicken I can have it during cold nights.
Jane says
Great job Helene, this is one of my favourite soups & I reckon you’ve done it proud here! 🙂
Jane x
Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says
I have a friend who swears by this soup. She’d be delighted if I tried a recipe and shared it with her, yum!
Tiffany says
I love soup, especially this time of year. I must give this one a try. It looks delicious and I really like lentils.
Amy says
I love a good soup and this one looks so incredible and full of flavor! I always think of the Seinfeld episode with the Soup Nazi and Elaine saying “mulligatawny!” It’s hilarious, if you haven’t seen it.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
I’ve read about this soup in some of the novels that I read and I’ve always wanted to try it!! The name alone is exotic and thinking of the delicious Indian spices in it makes my mouth water. We do love spicy so this would be right up our alley.
Teri Stephens says
I love every single thing about this recipe and will be making it soon. What a savory and comforting meal. Love it.
Catherine says
It has been quite some time since I’ve had mulligatawny soup but this looks so delicious! Wish I had a cup of it right now.
karyn says
I’ve never made nor tasted mulligatawny soup. It’s something I keep meaning to try, I love your step by step photos.. definitely try this this winter
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
I have not heard of this type of soup before, but it looks so warm and comforting. What a great color broth too!
Carmen says
This soup looks delicious! With the cold weather starting to settle in, I am always looking for soups and stews to warm us up! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I have not made mulligatawny soup with rice and vegetables. This soup looks so hearty and can be a perfect dinner recipe. Love all the soup recipes this time of the year.
Noel Lizotte says
It is getting to be soup season where I live … this is just in time. I love how thick and full of great things it is. Soup that you can make a meal of is my favorite kind of soup!
Veena Azmanov says
I have not had mulligatawny in the last two years. I need to make this soon. My kids use to love this so much. Love the color on this soup
Deepika says
I have never tried this soup before. I always thought it might be too hard to make. But you have explained it so well. Saving this for the cold months.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
I had a hard time pronouncing this when explaining it to my OH (any tips?) We are a huge fan of Indian food but haven’t tried many soups. This sounds delicious.
Adriana Lopez Martin says
Never heard of this recipe but looks fantastic. I am a lentil and Indian food fan I need to make this recipe soon.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
I have always wanted to try this soup. It sounds so delicious. I just know the leftovers would be fantastic. I would have to make a HUGE pot…we all know comfort food tastes better the next day. Perfect for the cold weather season.
Lauren says
Yum! Looks so good. Perfect for the colder months ahead!
Padmajha PJ says
That is one comforting bowl of soup that I don’t mind having right now. It’s been a really long time since I made something similar at home.
Brian Fleming says
Whoa,thought it’s hard but it’s so easy to prepare!I love vegetables and spices,did you know that?
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
Never heard of this soup but based on the ingredients I’m a fan already!
Taylor says
This looks like such a delicious soup! Perfect for cozy days inside!
Kristina says
This soup looks so nourishing.
April J Harris says
I haven’t had Mulligatawny Soup in years – I need to fix that straight away! It’s such a wonderful soup and I love your recipe. You’ve put in so many lovely layers of flavour. I can’t wait to give it a try!
Liz says
Can you believe I’ve never made nor tasted mulligatawny soup? But it’s getting cooler here and a piping hot bowl would sure hit the spot. SO good to see a couple new blog posts from you, Helene! xo
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Love this soup! So many different ways to make Mulligatawny Soup, and I’ve never had a bad version. Particularly like yours — such a nice balance of flavors. Plus I always enjoy using red lentils. Thanks!