I love curried soups. They’re warm and comforting which is just what I, and many others, are looking for right now- a post election balm. In times of stress, the simple act of making soup can be a soothing distraction from the news feed. So, as we prepare ourselves for a bumpy ride ahead, I offer this multicultural soup to warm and nourish you, whatever state you’re in.
Mulligatawny is a British version of an Indian dish, whose name is derived from the Tamil words for “pepper water”. There are many versions of Mulligatawny- this particular one is a mashup, I make it differently every time. Some recipes are vegetarian, some use coconut and different spice combinations, but curry is always the dominant flavor and you can go as easy or as heavy as you like with it.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 medium onion, chopped into ½ inch dice
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into ½ dice
- 3 celery stalks, chopped into ½ inch dice
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½ inch dice
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 1 inch dice
- 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- ¾ cup red lentils
- 1 8 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander (optional)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 6 cups chicken broth, heated
- ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
- ⅓ cup cashews, chopped, for garnish
- In a large, heavy bottom soup pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the curry powder. Place the chicken in the pot and cook until golden on one side. When chicken no longer sticks to the pan and can be moved, turn over and cook on the other side until golden and just cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool.
- Over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrots, celery and sweet potato to the pot and sauté, stirring until the onion is translucent and the veggies are soft. Add the garlic, apple and ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in the lentils, diced tomatoes, remaining curry powder, coriander and turmeric. Add the chicken broth, half the chopped cilantro and stir.
- Chop the reserved chicken into bite sized pieces and return to the soup, along with any accumulated juices. Stir, bring soup to a simmer and cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes. If soup is too thick, add enough water to bring to desired consistency.
- Serve, garnished with cilantro and cashews.
