Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

Mulligatawny soup, a traditional curry soup from India, is fragrant, rich and creamy, just what’s needed to warm you up on a cold winter night.

Have you ever tried mulligatawny soup? There are plenty of recipes online to peruse, however, I came up with my own version (and I’m not claiming it’s classic or authentic – but it’s delicious). I tried it out on my family, not really expecting a great review since my hubby isn’t normally a big fan of curry, and mulligatawny is a curry soup.

So I was somewhat surprised when he loved it. Maybe he was extra hungry that day or maybe he’s getting used to curry. I test everything out on my family and lately, it’s been curry this and curry that: , pumpkin curry soup, and squash soup (this one is a Panera copycat). I have a few more curry recipes coming up so keep your eyes peeled for those.

And what’s not to like about this soup? It’s thick and creamy, almost like a stew. The seasoning is fragrant and spicy, in a warm and satisfying way, not in your face at all. It’s loaded with healthy lean chicken and good-for-you vegetables, too. This recipe is a winner and I really hope you like it as well as we do!

About This Recipe

One of the things you’ll love about this soup is that you can have it on the table in less than 45 minutes. It’s a pretty uncomplicated recipe. There’s the extra step of making a white sauce but that’s easy and you can do it as the soup cooks so it doesn’t take any extra time.

Incidentally, if you are looking for a non-dairy or vegetarian soup, you’ll find some ideas for adapting the recipe in the Make It Your Own section and on the recipe card.

Speaking of the recipe card, it’s located near the end of the post. I’ll get you started on the recipe here and give you some extra tips and helpful information. For specific measurements and instructions, refer to the recipe card.

What You’ll Need

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: A good source of lean protein, boneless skinless chicken breasts are diced into bite-sized pieces that cook quickly. If you prefer dark meat, use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
• Onion, Celery, Green Bell Pepper: Sometimes called the “holy trinity”, this trio of savory vegetables is popular in many cultures and is often added to soups and stews to provide a solid flavor base.
• Granny Smith Apple: This variety is firm, tart, and bright green in color. It adds a bit of fruity sweetness, sort of a surprise ingredient in this soup. If you are unable to find Granny Smith apples, good substitutes are Mutsu (Crispin), Braeburn, Rome, or Jonathan.
• Garlic: Add fresh garlic to taste. The recipe calls for two cloves.
• Curry Powder: There are many different blends of curry powder, in fact, you can easily make your own curry powder. Choose your favorite, either hot or mild.
• Red Pepper Flakes: These dried flakes add spicy heat to this recipe. Mulligatawny soup traditionally is a pepper soup but this recipe is not mouth-tingling hot. If you prefer a milder flavor, use less red pepper flakes.
• Stock or Broth: Look for low or no salt broth to reduce the level of sodium.
• Long Grain White Rice: A long grain rice is best for the soup. Shorter grain rice tends to get too mushy and disintegrates.
• Butter, Flour, Milk: To make the soup creamy, you’ll stir up an easy white sauce to add near the end of the cooking time.
• Fresh Parsley, optional: A handful of fresh herbs is always a welcome addition to soup.

How to make it

You’ll need a large soup pan or Dutch oven, and also a smaller saucepan for the white sauce.

Prep the ingredients before you get started. Begin by chopping the onions, celery, and bell pepper. Peel the apple and chop it into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Set all of that aside for a minute, and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Let’s get cooking! Heat up a little oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken, vegetables, and apple.

Add a dash of salt to the pan and cook the chicken and veggies, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about five minutes.

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and curry powder.

Cook and stir for a minute or so, until the garlic smells wonderful and the seasonings coat the vegetables and chicken.

Pour in the chicken stock, a can of tomatoes (undrained), and rice. Stir well and bring the contents of the pan to a simmer. Turn the heat down and simmer the soup until the rice is tender and cooked, about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, make a white sauce in a separate pan. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter, add the flour, and stir over low heat until the mixture is smooth and a bit bubbly.

Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring pretty much constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil. It will be thick and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

When the rice is tender, stir the white sauce into the soup.

Doesn’t that look so yummy? Take a moment to check the seasonings. Add a bit of salt, if necessary, or stir in more curry powder, if you like.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with warm naan bread. If you like homemade bread, try making your own flatbread. The recipe is really pretty uncomplicated and the bread is so good.

FAQs

Make It Your Own

• Make the soup nondairy and gluten-free. Eliminate the white sauce that is added at the end of the cooking time (flour, butter, milk). The soup is excellent without it. Another option is to replace the white sauce with a can of coconut milk.
• Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. If desired, add a half cup of dried red or yellow lentils with the rice.
• Not sure about curry? Try creamy chicken rice soup or slow cooker creamy chicken and wild rice soup. Another recipe we love is Instant Pot chicken and rice soup which is loaded with vegetables and isn’t creamy.

Make-Ahead Ideas

While this is a pretty easy recipe to make, you can save some time if you prep the veggies and apple ahead. They can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for at least a day.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Leftover soup should be refrigerated promptly in a covered container. It will keep for three to four days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave or heat in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming hot.

Note: Creamy soups generally do not freeze well. If you would like to freeze this soup, either omit the white sauce or add it after thawing the soup.