My version of mulligatawny soup includes all the flavors of the original with a few shortcuts. It is quick comfort food.
If you like this recipe, check out my Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup next!
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What is mulligatawny soup? Simply put it is Indian and British fusion. The name translated is ‘pepper water’. Typically this creamy soup combines chicken and rice (sometimes red lentils) with Indian spices like curry, turmeric, garam masala for a silky broth that is packed with flavor. But also still palatable for tastebuds that might be used to less spicy cuisine. It also contains a chopped apple – sweetness to temper the spice. Which I swapped out for applesauce, among a few other “secrets” I use for streamlining this classic recipe.
More recipes using rotisserie chicken
Key ingredients for mulligatawny soup
- Rotisserie Chicken – For most soups, I always start with pre-cooked chicken. It’s a time saving step that doesn’t affect the flavor of the final product. I have a popular recipe for how to cook frozen chicken breast in the crock-pot that is helpful for dinner planning as well.
- Spices – This is my version of a mulligatawny soup, not necessarily “authentic” but it is for sure delicious thanks to this mix of spices. Curry powder, garam masala, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon and of course salt. Feel free to add a pinch cayenne pepper if you like more heat.
- Mirepoix Mix – Another favorite time saving step in my recipes is using a frozen mirepoix blend. You can by all means choose to chop up a fresh onion, carrot and stalks celery instead. But I love being able to just open a bag.
- Applesauce – Most recipes for this classic soup call for chopping a fresh apple, often a granny smith variety. When thinking about this, I wanted the apple flavor to be subtle and fully integrated into the soup. Applesauce made perfect sense to me to use instead.
- Tomato Paste – Salt, fat, acid and heat combine to make a delicious profile in your favorite foods. Here the acidic component is tomato paste.
- Rice – Use your favorite type of rice. You’ll simmer the soup for as long as the rice needs to cook. I chose to use a wild rice blend, which took 45 minutes. But for even quicker preparation, you can use white basmati rice.
- Chicken Broth – This happens to be my favorite brand that I use in my soup recipes often.
- Butter and Sour Cream – The fat element, to both help bloom the flavor in the spices and to make the broth ultra silky smooth.
Instructions
The ingredients are mostly prepared already. So making this soup is mainly about layering and building flavor. Start with melting the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Then add the spices, stirring until fragrant. Then add the tomato paste again, stirring to heat and build flavor.
Then add the mirepoix, cover the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes to soften the veggies. Stir in the rice and chicken. Then pour in the chicken broth and applesauce. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for as long as it takes the rice to become tender.
Once ready to serve, stir in the sour cream and garnish with cilantro (or parsley). Keep scrolling to the bottom of this post for my free printable recipe card with a ‘Start Cooking’ button (no ads).
Serving suggestions
Warm, buttered garlic naan bread would be a classic accompaniment to this Indian style soup. Or here’s some of my own recipe suggestions to make this into a complete meal –
Storage directions
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh in refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or in the freezer for up to one month.
Kitchen tools
- This is a soup pot with glass lid similar to what I used to test this recipe
- My favorite set of magnetic measuring spoons
Mulligatawny Soup
Equipment
- 1 Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 12 oz frozen mirepoix chopped onion, carrot, celery
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large soup pot melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the spices and salt and stir, cooking for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined.
- Add the frozen mirepoix, give it a good stir and cover the pot. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
- Stir in the applesauce, rice and chicken. Pour in the chicken broth.
- Bring the soup to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for as long as your rice takes to be cooked through. If you are using white rice this will take about 20 minutes. If you are using a wild rice blend, it will take up to 45 minutes.
- Taste the soup, to be sure the rice is tender. Off heat stir in the sour cream and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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