Today we are awaiting the arrival of a ground blizzard and in my house that means time to get cozy. One of my favorite soups to get cozy with is Mulligatawny. It’s a warm, spicy, sweet, thick soup that is sure to warm you from head to toe. There are many different variations of this soup, but they always have the same basic theme…..the soup is spiced with curry and made with carrots, apples, chicken (optional), and rice or lentils. I prefer to use both rice and lentils in my soup because I feel it gives a nice texture to the soup. For those of you that prefer a vegetarian soup, simply leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock. It’s delicious both ways! (you could add some extra lentils if desired)
When I first made this, I wasn’t sure how my family would feel about it, so I toasted a little coconut flake to garnish the soup with and help pull out the coconut milk and sweet apple flavors from the soup. My 8-year-old took down 3 bowls, so I think its safe to declare this one a hit!
Please note that this makes a large batch. It will serve 16. Feel free to cut this recipe in half. I like to make my soup in large batches and freeze the extras for use in the next week or two!
Mulligatawy Soup
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups diced onion
2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced celery
2 cups apple, peeled and diced (I used gala apples)
3 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced (about 6 cloves)
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked
3 tablespoons curry powder
6 quarts chicken stock (more or less as desired….I like mine on the thicker stew-like side)
2 – 15-ounce cans coconut milk
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (I use jasmine rice)
1 cup uncooked red lentils
2-3 cups cooked shredded chicken
Directions:
In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat and sweat the onions, carrots, and celery until tender and onions are translucent. Add apples, ginger, garlic. salt, pepper, and curry powder and saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock, coconut milk, rice, lentils, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until rice and lentils are cooked through. You will need to stir the soup occasionally to keep the rice and lentils from sticking to the pot.
Serve. Garnish with cream, greek yogurt, toasted coconut flakes, and fresh cilantro if desired
For more recipes visit wineandhotdish.com!
