Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

An unusual mixture of Indian and British flavors, this chicken mulligatawny soup recipe is incredibly flavorful. It pairs delicious, aromatic spices like curry powder, cloves, and mace with apple and bell peppers for a unique flavor combination that really works!

There’s something so incredibly satisfying about mulligatawany soup! There are many different ways to make it, but they typically all include meat (usually lamb or chicken) with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and apples! It’s delicious served over a bed of baked rice or with a fluffy homemade chapati to soak up every last bite!

What is Mulligatawny Soup?

Mulligatawny Chicken Soup, a soup with tons of flavor, is thought to have originated in Southern India during British rule. Translated from Tamil, mulligatawny means “pepper water.” It’s typically an incredibly flavorful broth-based soup or curry made with various ingredients, including chicken, tomatoes, green peppers, and apples. It’s rich and hearty in all the best ways. If you love curries, you’ll love this British spin on a classic!

Why you’ll love this Mulligatawny Chicken Soup

• Hearty & flavorful - Filled with tender chicken, carrots, peppers, apples, and onions, this soup will stick with you all evening!
• Ready in an hour - This soup recipe starts by making your own broth and cooking an entire chicken in a pot! Even with that, it’s ready in just over an hour. Speed things up using precooked chicken and storebought broth!
• Makes a big batch - One pot of mulligatawny soup will make 8 filling portions, perfect for a big family or lots of leftovers!

Ingredients

• Whole chicken - Use a whole raw chicken to make your own flavorful broth. Aim for around 3 pounds.
• Salt
• Lemon juice - Will add a bright, tangy flavor to the broth.
• Seasonings - Season your soup with curry powder, ground cloves, and ground mace (or nutmeg) for a delicious South Indian flavor.
• Onion - Dice a yellow or white onion into bite-sized pieces.
• Butter
• Carrots - Peel your carrots and slice them into thin rounds.
• Apple - Use a firm, tart Granny Smith apple. Remove the seeds and chop it into pieces.
• Green pepper - Remove the stem and seeds of your pepper and cut it into ½ inch pieces.
• Tomatoes - Use regular canned diced tomatoes. Don’t drain the broth; it will add extra flavor.
• Parsley - Add this as an optional garnish.

Variations

• Semi-homemade - Instead of making everything from scratch, speed up the process by using leftover rotisserie chicken and store-bought or premade chicken stock.
• Add lentils - Some mulligatawny recipes include lentils, which add extra fiber. Drain and rinse a can of cooked lentils, or cook them from scratch if you have extra time.
• Vegan mulligatawny soup - For a much faster and plant-based recipe, skip the chicken and use veggie broth.
• Add rice - For a really filling and satisfying soup, add rice to the broth and let it plump up gradually until nice and tender.

How to Make Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

This recipe was adapted from one found in Betty Crocker's International Cookbook.

1. Heat chicken, water, salt, lemon juice, curry powder, cloves, and mace to boil in a Dutch oven.
2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the thickest parts of the chicken are done (about 45 minutes).
3. Remove chicken from the broth and skim the fat from the broth. Let the chicken cool until you can handle it.
4. Add enough water to the broth to measure 4 cups.
5. Remove broth to a large bowl and set aside.
6. Remove bones and skin from chicken.
7. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
8. Cook and stir onion in oil in the Dutch oven until onion is clear.
9. Gradually stir in the broth.
10. Add chicken, carrot, apple, green pepper and tomatoes.
11. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low.
12. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.

Expert Tips

• Use a whole chicken - It's more economical, has all that good fat in it to make you feel full and satisfied, and when you boil the chicken with the bones, you get the health benefits of the good marrow.
• Add the spices first - The longer you can have the spices in the broth, the more flavorful the broth will become.
• Don’t skip the apple - It can sound unusual, but the tart apple adds another layer of flavor and texture that works well in this soup! Be adventurous. Feel free to try another type of apple if you don’t have tart apples on hand.

Recipe FAQs

What vegetables are in chicken mulligatawny soup?

This soup can contain a variety of different vegetables and ingredients, but since the name translates to “pepper soup,” it’s crucial to include peppers! It’s also great with onions, tomatoes, and carrots. It traditionally contains apples as well, although they aren’t a vegetable!

How long does mulligatawny soup last?

Store leftover mulligatawany soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. It reheats well in a saucepan on the stove. After cooling in the fridge all night, the spice flavors become even more pronounced.

Can you freeze mulligatawany soup?

Mulligatawny freezes well! Be sure to let the soup cool thoroughly first. It can cool at room temperature for an hour or two, then chill in the fridge overnight until fully cooled. Then, store the leftovers in freezer-safe containers for 2-3 months. Let the leftover soup thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Don’t forget to serve it with fresh naan bread or chapati!

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