Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny soup is an Indo-British curry soup loaded with chicken, vegetables, lentils and apples. Thick, creamy and comforting, this soup will drive away the chill of late fall and winter days. Made in 30 minutes in the instant pot!

Nothing like soup to beat the chill in the air. Isn’t there something totally satisfying about setting a pot of soup to cook and then slurping it all up with some warm crusty bread on the side?  And if it’s a chunky Mulligatawny soup with curry powder and dollops of coconut cream stirred into it? I can’t seem to get enough of it!

There is another soup recipe on the blog that you can check out if you like the combination of chicken and vegetables in soups. Unlike Mulligatawny soup, this Instant Pot Chicken and Vegetable Soup is smooth as silk and and you can literally drink it from a mug if you’re so inclined!

What is Mulligatawny soup?

Mulligatawny soup has its origins in South Indian cuisine, and the name comes from two Tamil words meaning pepper water. The original mulligatawny was thin and made with vegetables, Madras curry and coconut. It became fashionable when the British took a fancy to it during the days of colonial rule in India. They made several modifications to it, one of them being the addition of meat. In its present avatar, therefore, mulligatawny is a fusion soup of sorts. I find the history utterly fascinating!

Mulligatawny soup in the instant pot: an easy recipe

I’ve used my trusty instant pot to make this recipe. It can, of course, be made in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, but I find it very convenient to make soups in the instant pot. No watching over the pot while the soup is cooking and no fear that the contents will boil over or run out of liquid and burn.

Plus you don’t have to wait for hours before you get to eat it. It’s made in exactly 30 minutes with absolutely no compromise in taste. What’s not to love?

Ingredients

• Butter
• White onion, chopped
• Garlic, chopped
• Carrots, chopped
• Boneless chicken breast meat, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• Red lentils, rinsed
• Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• Curry powder
• Black pepper, ground
• Chicken or vegetable broth
• Coconut cream
• Fresh parsley, for garnishing
• Dried oregano, for garnishing
• Crushed red chilli flakes, for garnishing (optional)
• Lemon juice, optional
• Sea salt, to taste

Note: exact quantities of these ingredients are given in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

How to make Mulligatawny soup in the instant pot

Preparation

1. Chop all the vegetables and fruit – onion, carrots, garlic, apples (core and peel apples before chopping them).

2. Cut the chicken breasts into small bite-sized pieces.

Cooking

1. Press saute on your instant pot and melt the butter. Add onion, garlic and carrots. Fry these veggies for 2 or 3 minutes until they are slightly soft and fragrant.

2. Add chicken, red lentils, curry powder, black pepper powder and salt. Saute for 2 or 3 minutes until the chicken loses its raw, pink color and turns white. Don’t worry, it will be fully cooked later, we are just stir frying it a bit to seal in the juices. Add a few splashes of water if you find that the chicken is sticking to the pot. 

3. Add chicken or vegetable broth and finally the apples. Pressure cook for 10 minutes and release pressure after 10 minutes.

4. Open the pot and stir in the coconut cream. If the soup appears to be a bit thin, simmer it on saute (normal) for 5 minutes.

5. Take it out in bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, fresh chilli flakes and oregano. Squeeze some lemon juice as well if you want an extra kick in your soup. Serve with warm, crusty bread on the side.

What makes this recipe work

1. Mulligatawny soup is incredibly creamy, rich and flavorful thanks to the unique combination of ingredients. Chicken, carrots, apples, lentils, broth, coconut cream and spices come together in a beautiful medley to make one hearty and filling soup.

2. The name is long but the cooking steps are not! Even novice cooks can make this easy, 30-minute recipe quite painlessly.

3. It’s a healthy, nourishing kinda soup. Again, take a look at the ingredient list. Need I say more?

Mulligatawny Soup

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

Mulligatawny soup is a thick and creamy Indo-British curry soup loaded with chicken and vegetables.

• Author: Saima
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Pressure cooking
• Cuisine: Indo-British

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 2 small apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp black pepper, ground
• 500 ml or 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 sprig parsley, for garnishing
• 1 tsp oregano, for garnishing
• ½ tsp fresh red chilli flakes (optional), for garnishing
• Juice of half a lemon, optional
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

Preparation

1. Chop all the vegetables and fruit – onion, carrots, garlic, and apples (core and peel apples before chopping).
2. Cut the chicken breasts into small bite-sized pieces.

Cooking

1. Press saute on your instant pot and melt the butter. Add onion, garlic and carrots. Fry the vegetables for 2 or 3 minutes until they are slightly soft and fragrant.
2. Add chicken, red lentils, curry powder, black pepper powder and salt. Saute for 2 or 3 minutes until the chicken loses its raw, pink color and turns white. Add a few splashes of water if you find that the chicken is sticking to the pot.
3. Add chicken or vegetable broth and finally the apples. Cancel saute and close the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is sealed. Hit pressure cooking (high) for 10 minutes. When the timer beeps, wait for 10 minutes and release pressure.
4. Open the pot and stir in the coconut cream. If the soup appears to be a bit thin, simmer it on saute (normal) for 5 minutes.
5. Take it out in bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, fresh chilli flakes and oregano. Squeeze some lemon juice as well if you want an extra kick in your soup. Serve with warm, crusty bread on the side.

Notes

1. If you cannot find coconut cream, you can use 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk also.
2. Use chicken or vegetable broth, depending on what you have available. I have used both at different times and the results are good with either.
3. Curry powder adds color and warmth to the soup, so don’t skip it. It can be found easily in most supermarkets these days.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 159.1
• Sugar: 4.5
• Sodium: 518.2
• Fat: 9.6
• Saturated Fat: 6.3
• Unsaturated Fat: 2.0
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 13.1
• Fiber: 2.8
• Protein: 5.5
• Cholesterol: 21.2

Keywords: mulligatawny soup, chicken soup

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!