The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe

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If you like mulligatawny soup, or even if you don't like it that much, or you've never tried it, you have to try this recipe. This is the best mulligatawny soup recipe out there. Period.It's that good!

Being a Seinfeld fan I've known about mulligatawny soup for a long while... Right, I learned about it from 'The Soup Nazi' episode, like millions of others I suppose. Remember the dialogue between Kramer and Elaine?

ELAINE: Do you need anything?

KRAMER: Well, a bowl of mulligatawny would hit the spot.

ELAINE: Mulligatawny?

KRAMER: Yeah. It's an Indian soup. It's simmered to perfection by one ofthe great soup artisansin the modern era.

Contrary to what I learned from the show and what stuck with me for years, mulligatawny is not an Indian soup. It's a purely English soup made after an Indian recipe. The name roughly translates from Tamil as 'pepper water'. The original Indian recipe is not even a soup, it's a sauce that is served with rice.

According to Wikipedia, the original version of mulligatawnysouprecipe consisted of a broth from lentils, fried onions and curry powder. Today it typically describes athickened soup that is strongly spiced with curry powder and nutmeg. Often you will also see vegetables, nuts and rice added. Some recipes make use of port wine.

So, this incredibly delicious soup is a Western invention, but it comes with wonderful Indian flavors. This is one of my two most favorite soup recipes.

Curry powder

At the local spice store I can buy freshly prepared mild, medium and hot curry powder. I prefer mild hands down. Just my personal preference. If you like your soup spicier, substitute mild curry powder for medium or hot.

An evenbetter alternative would be to make your own curry powder to suit your own taste.

Meat

I've used chicken breast, ready-to-eat smoked bacon, chicken thighs and beef meat in this recipe. The winner for me is beef. Followed closely by chicken thighs. Then followed by chicken breast. Chicken breast is good and is an excellent option for calorie conscious people. However, chicken thighs definitely add a lot of flavor and taste juicier.

Sous vide chicken breast and slow roasted chicken breast are both great options if you want tender and very juicy white chicken meat in your soup. Good quality stewing beef or beef chuck is an excellent option as well.

If you have leftover smoked meat (chuck, brisket, pulled pork, pork loin, pork chops, short rib, or kielbasa), use it, it works wonderfully with this soup, lending it a smoky flavor.

If you are using chicken thighs or beef, you can brown them about 1 minute per side over a fairly high heat. Browning chicken breast is a bad idea as it will become dry and rubbery later on, based on my experiments.

Vegetarian mulligatawny soup version

For the vegetarian option, instead of using meat, try adding sauteed oyster or other mushrooms with some onions toward the end of cooking. Satisfaction guaranteed! Don't forget to substitute butter for olive oil and use vegetable broth.

Cream

Based on my research, it's customary to add heavy cream to mulligatawny soup when serving, but I think the cream takes away from the depth of flavors in this amazing soup. My family loves it with the cream added though. I personally don't. You decide for yourself.

4.85 from 32 votes

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs (about 1 lb total, skinless, boneless, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; see notes for substitutions)
1/2 cup yellow onions chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2 small carrots diced
1 leek thinly sliced (white part only)
1/2 stick butter (unsalted)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp mild curry powder or medium / hot for more burn in your mouth
5 cups chicken stock (or chicken broth)
1/2 apple cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup white rice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp dried thyme

For serving/garnish

1 cup heavy cream heated (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Saute onions, celery, leek, carrots, and butter in a large pot over medium heat until they start to soften, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the flour and the curry, and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes.
Add the chicken broth, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, nutmeg and thyme. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is done.
When serving, add heated cream (optionally) and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Substitute chicken thighs for about 2 chicken medium size breasts, about 1 lb in total.

If you prefer beef, use about 1 lb beef chuck or stewing beef, stewed to full doneness prior as it takes longer to cook than chicken.

For a meatless version, use 3 cups sauteed mushrooms instead of meat or chicken.

Nutrition

If you are looking for more cool Seinfeld recipes, check outThe Best SEINFELD Recipes, Crafts, Printables & More!on Bomb Shell Bling.