The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Craving Tasty (2024)

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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!

The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Craving Tasty (1)

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.

The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Craving Tasty (2)

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.

The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Craving Tasty (3)

The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Craving Tasty (4)

The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe

4.85 from 32 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, European

Keyword: mulligatawny soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 692kcal

Author: Victor

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

Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 282mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 1018mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 6824IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg

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

The Best Mulligatawny Soup Recipe - Craving Tasty (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to soup? ›

7 Tips for Successful Soup Making
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. It is worth investing in a heavy pot with a thick bottom to use for making soup. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

How to make soup really flavorful? ›

7 Easy Ways to Make Any Soup Better
  1. Brown or Sear the Meat.
  2. Roast the the Veggies.
  3. Mix up the Texture.
  4. Use Homemade Stock Whenever Possible.
  5. Put Your Cheese Rinds to Work.
  6. Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples.
  7. Add Fresh Herbs or Dairy When Serving.
  8. Recipes Pictured.

What makes a bowl of soup more flavorful? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

What is the key to flavor soups? ›

Aromatics, which include garlic, onion, leeks, carrots and celery, are the basic flavor-building blocks of most soup recipes. Sauteing these vegetables in oil or butter is the first step to boosting your soup's flavor.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

Take stock of your stock. When it comes to making clear, brothy soups, the stock that you use is the most important ingredient. Poorly flavoured stock will ruin the entire pot of soup. For clear soups, homemade broth is always the best choice.

What not to do when making soup? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  1. Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  2. Not using enough salt. ...
  3. Ignoring water. ...
  4. Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  6. Neglecting to garnish. ...
  7. Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

Why is my soup not tasty? ›

Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper. Too little salt means your soup's flavours' will remain hidden. When you know your soup is salty enough, move on to other seasonings like herbs and spices.

What can I add to soup broth to make it taste better? ›

Soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, or chili paste can quickly and efficiently flavor store-bought broth — a little bit goes along way with these ingredients. We often add a few drops of fish sauce to chicken broth before making wonton soup.

What can be added to soups to brighten its flavor? ›

While we love using dried herbs during the cooking process, the bright and "green" flavor of fresh herbs really livens up soup… or any hot plate of food, really. The key here is using the right herbs. Choose tender, leafy herbs for topping soup, like parsley (flat leaf or curly), cilantro, chives, or even mint.

What ingredient can be added to a soup to make it thicker and richer? ›

Add flour or cornflour

You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.

What veggies to put in soup? ›

Veggies That Make Healthy, Tasty Soups
  • Cucumber. 1/14. This nutritious veggie is one of the ingredients in the cold soup called gazpacho. ...
  • Butternut Squash. 2/14. ...
  • Lentils. 3/14. ...
  • Broccoli. 4/14. ...
  • Potatoes. 5/14. ...
  • Mushrooms. 6/14. ...
  • Fresh Spring Peas. 7/14. ...
  • Dried Split Peas. 8/14.

Does soup taste better the longer you cook it? ›

Not only that, but any liquid that remains in slow-cooked dishes is likely to be soaked up by any starchy ingredients, creating more nuanced, developed flavors.

What are the 5 basic principles to be followed in making delicious soup? ›

The document provides 5 basic principles of preparing soup: 1) Starting with cold water. 2) Cutting vegetables to an appropriate size. 3) Selecting a protein such as beef, chicken, pork, or fish. 4) Simmering the soup for 4 hours.

When to add lemon juice to soup? ›

So simple, right? But wait—there are some guidelines to squeezing the lemon. The time to add lemon juice to your soup is just before eating and not a moment sooner.

What goes first in soup? ›

The base of your flavor in a soup comes from the vegetables and other ingredients you add at the beginning, called aromatics. The traditional flavor base in French and American soups is called mirepoix, a mix of diced onions, carrots, and celery in 2:1:1 proportion (twice as much onion as carrot or celery).

What are three qualities of a good soup? ›

A soup's quality is determined by its flavor, appearance and texture. A good soup should be full-flavored, with no off or sour tastes. Flavors from each of the soup's ingre- dients should blend and complement, with no one flavor overpowering another.

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.

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