Chicken Mulligatawny Soup Is a Comforting Anglo-Indian Treat (2024)

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This mulligatawny is more than soup—it's the ultimate one-bowl meal.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated March 07, 2024

52 Ratings

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Have you ever had mulligatawny? Best soup ever!

It's basically a curry soup, most often made with chicken, vegetables, apples, and rice. Not only is it absolutely delicious, it's the perfect example of how one culture acquires food from another and adapts it to their own taste.

What Is Mulligatawny Soup?

Mulligatawny is the ultimate "fusion" food, invented centuries before anyone would even know what that meant. It hails from the early days of the British Raj in India.

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup Is a Comforting Anglo-Indian Treat (3)

According to Lizzie Collingham in A Tale of Cooks & Conquerors, the colonialists, wanting a first course for their dinner, requested of their Indian cooks to make them soup. The cooks obliged with what most approximated soup in their repertoire, a light tonic broth made with peppers, tamarind, and water ("molo tunny" in Tamil), dressed up with some vegetables and meat.

Over the centuries the soup evolved to what we know today—a creamy curry chicken soup with apples, rice, and vegetables. It's a simple, wholesome soup, and a classic in Anglo-Indian cuisine.

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup Is a Comforting Anglo-Indian Treat (4)

Substitutions To Try With Mulligatawny Soup

For vegetarian mulligatawny soup, use chickpeas instead of chicken and oil instead of butter.
For dairy free mulligatawny soup, use coconut milk instead of cream and oil instead of butter.
Use potatoes or turnips instead of apples.
Use lentils instead of rice.

How To Store and Freeze This Soup

Store the soup in a covered container for up to 5 days. The rice will absorb broth as it's stored, so you may need to add a little more chicken broth or water when you reheat it. If you're making the soup ahead of time, you can cook it without the rice and add it when you're reheating the soup.

Freeze the soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze it without the rice and cream, adding them when you're reheating the soup.

How to Freeze Soup, Beans, and BrothREAD MORE:

Indian-Inspired Recipes To Try Next

Naan
Indian Chicken Biryani
Chicken Tikka Masala
Vegetable Samosas With Mint Cilantro Chutney
Lamb Curry

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time65 mins

Servings4to 6 servings

The recipe calls for tart apples. Try these varieties: Granny Smith, Cripps Pink, Winesap, Braeburn, or Courtland.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 bay leaves
4 teaspoons curry powder
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1 1/4 pound (570g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat
2 cups (475 ml)chicken stock
2 cups (475 ml) water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon sea salt)
1/4 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 tart apples, cored, peeled, and chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) plain yogurt, for garnish
1 tablespoon minced chives, for garnish

Method

Sauté the aromatics:
Heat butter and olive oil on medium high heat in a large (4 to 5 quart), thick-bottomed pot. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes until just starting to soften. Add the bay leaves. Add the curry powder and mix to coat.
Add the chicken, stock, and salt:
Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat with the curry mixture. Add the stock and water to the pot. Add the salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken, let cool to touch:
Remove the chicken pieces from the pot. (They should be just cooked through. If not, return them to the pot for another 5 minutes or so, until they are cooked through.) Place on a cutting board and allow to cool to the touch.
Add the rice and apples:
Add the rice and the chopped apples to the soup. Return to a simmer on high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
Shred the chicken, return it to the soup, and add cream:
While the apples and rice are cooking in the soup, shred the chicken, discarding any tough bits. Once the rice and apples in the soup are cooked, add the chicken back to the pot. Heat for 5 minutes more. Then stir in the cream.
Serve:
Serve with yogurt and chives.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!

Chicken Soups
Comfort Food
Gluten-Free Dinners
Winter Soups
Chicken Thighs

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
356	Calories
18g	Fat
24g	Carbs
26g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	356
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g	23%
Saturated Fat 8g	38%
Cholesterol 131mg	44%
Sodium 666mg	29%
Total Carbohydrate 24g	9%
Dietary Fiber 4g	13%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 4mg	22%
Calcium 72mg	6%
Iron 2mg	10%
Potassium 613mg	13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.