Having always had an affinity for Mulligatawny Soup, this one intrigued me because of the addition of garam masala and the other various vegetables.
I’ve posted a couple of Mulligatawny Soups during the 18 years I’ve been posting recipes on my blog. The first one, back in 2008, was my go-to for several decades of my home cooking routine. Then I had one made at a cooking class, different, have never made it since, so I guess it didn’t hit any marks. How I came across this recipe, I don’t recall, but it’s an Emeril Legasse recipe, and it’s on the Food Network site, so perhaps Emeril prepared it back in the day when he had a show there.
- Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Indian soup. It is regarded as the national soup of India. A literal translation from Tamil “pepper water” (‘Millagu’ is pepper and ‘Thanni’ is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call “pepper water” is closer to Tamilian rasam than mulligatawny. Variations differ very much. Sometimes, the soup has a turmeric-like yellow color and is garnished with parsley and chicken meat, and is more soupy, which takes on its Anglo-Indian adaptation to be a thick, spicy meat soup.
I posted that blurb above, before, about the origin of Mulligatawny. Obviously, it’s an adaptable kind of soup – maybe rice or noodles, maybe turmeric, maybe curry (which is in my original recipe), usually chicken, almost always with some apple and rice, spicy somehow and with veggies. This one adds garam masala, that Indian mixed spice. Emeril tossed the chicken in it, then browned it in a big Dutch oven. Because I love garam masala, I added in more at the end, which is also very common in Indian cooking – it heightens the garam masala flavors to add more just before serving. I really liked how it tasted done that way.
This is a soup with many ingredients and a variety of flavors. The apple is very common, and it’s one of the things I love about Mulligatawny. I suppose it’s the “sweet note” it adds with almost every bite. Lentils are common also, but because I don’t eat many carbs, I reduced the amount in the version I made, although I included the half cup in the recipe below. I also didn’t include potatoes or the rice for the same reason. I did include the sweet potato (because it’s a resistant starch). Add more broth as needed, or less, just so the vegetables are covered with liquid. Adding spinach is a new ingredient, perhaps not at all common to this soup. But I liked it. Except for the peeling and chopping, the soup comes together in a jiffy. And it makes a goodly portion, so now I have a package of it in the freezer and lunch for some days to come. Love that!
What’s GOOD: this is a really delicious chicken and veggie soup/stew kind of thing. Love the Indian flavors with the garam masala, but the soup itself is very complex even with no other seasonings except salt and pepper. Hearty, filling. This may be my new go-to Mulligatawny.
What’s NOT: only that it takes a bit of time to peel and chop all the veggies that go into this. But that’s what makes it taste so good – the variety of textures and flavors.
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Mulligatawny Soup ala Emeril
Recipe: Adapted from an Emeril Legasse recipe on Food Network
Servings: 8
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs — boneless, skinless, diced
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups onions — small diced
1/2 cup carrots — small diced
1/2 cup celery — small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons minced ginger
1 cup apple — peeled, cored, diced (Granny Smith preferably)
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes — diced (optional)
1 cup sweet potatoes — peeled, diced
1/2 cup lentils
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup zucchini — diced
3/4 cup yellow squash — diced
2 cups baby spinach — tightly packed
14 ounces coconut milk — unsweetened
1 cup tomato — seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons garam masala — added at the end steamed
white basmati rice for serving (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, whole — chopped fresh for garnish
1. Set a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter and oil. Season the chicken with the garam masala and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Once the fat is hot, add the chicken and cook, turning often, until golden brown and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. Add onions, carrots and celery to the hot pan and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and apples to the pan and sauté until the apples are caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and lentils to the pan, along with 4 cups of the chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the reserved chicken, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, remaining 2 cups of chicken stock if you want the soup to be a thinner consistency, zucchini, squash, spinach, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Continue to cook the soup at a simmer until the lentils and chicken are both tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the garam masala and cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If using rice, place 1/4 cup of the rice in a warmed bowl, and pour 8 ounces of the soup over the rice, and garnish with cilantro.
Per Serving: 537 Calories; 32g Fat (52.3% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 595mg Sodium; 11g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 127mg Calcium; 5mg Iron; 1137mg Potassium; 351mg Phosphorus.
Pauline McNee
said on April 18th, 2025:
I first tasted Mulligatawmy Soup many years ago and loved it. I really want to try your recipe, it looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
It IS really good. I’ve been enjoying it for lunch the last several days and have found nothing that I don’t like about it. Do note that I corrected the amount of ginger in the recipe – I made a typo and wrote 21 tablespoons of ginger – it should be 1 tablespoon. . . carolyn t