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

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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

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? ›

Vinegar – A spoonful of vinegar is a quick fix when you find yourself with a bowl of dull, flat-tasting soup. Just a small amount of acid will brighten up the flavors. 2. Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is another item that's ideal for brightening up and adding depth of flavor to an otherwise dull soup.

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

What is mulligatawny soup made of? ›

It's basically a curry soup, most often made with chicken, vegetables, apples, and rice.

Why is my soup so tasteless? ›

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Start with the basics. Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper.

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

You can extract a clean, strong broth from a combination of water and several pantry ingredients. It's all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parmesan rind, and, of course, kosher salt.

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

Does soup taste better the longer you cook it? ›

Just know the longer you cook it, the more flavor that will come out of the food and into the soup. Think of marinara sauce. Though it's not a soup, it's the same concept. Allowing it to cook for awhile marries all the flavors together.

Can you put Worcestershire sauce in soup? ›

Soups and Chilis

Worcestershire sauce in soup? Trust me on this one. Just a little goes a long way; it helps cut through the richness in chilis and thick soups.

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 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 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.

Why is mulligatawny called mulligatawny? ›

Mulligatawny (/ˌmʌlɪɡəˈtɔːni/) is a soup which originated from South Indian cuisine. The name originates from the Tamil words miḷagu (மிளகு 'black pepper'), and taṇṇi (தண்ணி, 'water'); literally, "pepper-water". It is related to the dish rasam.

What nationality is mulligatawny soup? ›

Although considered an Indian soup, Mulligatawny Mughlai soup is part Indian and part British. This soup got invented during colonial rule when the British kept requesting the soup as the first course. Originally this soup was just a thin sauce. But it bulks with vegetables and meat to suit British taste over time.

What is Heinz mulligatawny soup? ›

Heinz Mulligatawny Soup has been made to our own special recipe and with a blend of the finest ingredients. Enjoy a quick and delicious meal with Heinz Mulligatawny Soup. Packed with beef and peppered with fragrant curry spices and rice - this is one recipe that is an exciting combination of our finest ingredients.

What spices add flavor to soup? ›

To season it, we recommend starting with our Vegetable Soup Mix. It contains celery salt, parsley flakes, garlic powder, sea salt, summer savory, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, turmeric and sage, which are all excellent with root vegetables, so you can incorporate things like carrots or potatoes into the soup.

How do you spice up boring soup? ›

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. Skip the woody herbs, like rosemary and thyme — or add them in the beginning of the cooking process — otherwise they will dull, rather than brighten, the flavor.

Does soup get more flavor the longer it simmers? ›

Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. The longer the stock cooks, the more flavorful your soup will be.

What other ingredients can be added to give taste to the soup? ›

The best part, most are already in your fridge or pantry.
  1. Lemon Juice. Acidity in a soup can really make a difference because it adds a high back-note. ...
  2. Wine. Wine is the perfect liquid to unstick the brown stuff from the bottom of your pan. ...
  3. Fish Sauce. ...
  4. Worcestershire Sauce. ...
  5. Sesame Oil. ...
  6. Yogurt. ...
  7. Pesto. ...
  8. Beer.
Feb 16, 2024

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