Healthy Mulligatawny Soup
Healthy Mulligatawny Soup Recipe – Our lighter Mulligatawny recipe is made with coconut milk and vibrant spices for a rich, bold, and healthier chicken curry soup!
What is Mulligatawny Soup?
Incredibly vibrant but not too heavy, Healthy Mulligatawny Soup has the bright flavors and many of the same ingredients of traditional Indian curry, but is enjoyed as a lighter, creamy soup that is perfect for the spring and summer.
It is a British soup with roots in southern India, and it literally means “Pepper Water” in Tamil. My friend and now former houseguest, Bethany, made us a lovely rich version with cream, but after researching this soup a bit, I discovered there are many varieties. Some are brothy, and some thick. Colors also vary from recipe to recipe. But the key ingredients are veggies, rice, protein, and curry powder.
I took my friend’s chicken Mulligatawny soup recipe and tweaked it a bit, substituting lite coconut milk for the traditional heavy cream. I also added a few extra ingredients to compensate for the thinner texture.
The spices, coconut milk, green apples, and fresh ginger create a wealth of fragrance and flavor usually only found in a curry that has cooked down all day – BUT our recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make… So it’s a wonderfully quick midweek dinner and tastes just as good, if not better, on days two and three!
Ingredients You Need
- Butter – or oil for dairy-free
- Onion – chopped
- Celery – chopped
- Carrots – chopped
- Apples – peeled and chopped
- Ginger – freshly grated
- All-Purpose Flour – or potato starch for a gluten-free version
- Spices – madras curry powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper
- Chicken Stock – low sodium, if you like
- Rice – white basmati rice is best
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – or boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- Light Coconut Milk – or full fat if
- Cilantro and Sliced Almonds – to garnish
How to Make Easy Mulligatawny Soup
- In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter in a large pot over medium and sauté the veggies, apple, and ginger for several minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Next, mix in the flour, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. After a few more minutes add in the chicken stock, chopped chicken, and salt.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer. After 15 minutes the rice should be tender and the chicken cooked through.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the light coconut milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Get the Complete (Printable!) Healthy Mulligatawny Soup Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- To make this recipe vegetarian you can use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and canned chickpeas instead of chicken.
- Make a gluten-free mulligatawny soup by swapping all-purpose flour with potato starch.
- To make this chicken curry soup recipe dairy-free, use oil instead of butter.
- You can omit the cayenne pepper for a less spicy soup.
- If you don’t want to use apples, you can use potatoes or turnips instead.
- If you want to omit the rice, you can add in red lentils instead.
Serving Suggestions
Ladle the chicken curry soup into bowls and top with cilantro and sliced almonds, if you like.
If you aren’t worried about carbs I suggest that you serve hot bowls of mulligatawny soup with warm, crusty bread or pieces of naan. The rich coconut broth is delicious for dunking!
Need a low carb option? We’ve got you covered! Try our fabulous “magic mug” low carb bread or cloud bread recipes.
And who doesn’t love a fresh green salad alongside a hearty soup! Toss together your favorite salad mix or this classic Indian kachumber salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store soup leftovers?Leftover chicken curry soup will keep well stored in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Do I use cooked rice or dried rice in mulligatawny soup?Use dried rice… It will cook through as the soup simmers.
Can I freeze soup?Yes, you can! It will last in an airtight container for up to 3 months. For best results, store mulligatawny soup in the freezer without the rice and coconut milk, and add them in when you are reheating.
Looking for More Easy and Healthy Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Light and Creamy Asparagus Soup Recipe
- Healthy Chicken White Bean Soup Recipe
- Tom Yum Soup Recipe (Hot and Sour Soup)
- Chicken Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Chicken Detox Soup Recipe
- Zesty Wor Wonton Soup Recipe
- Sausage and Kale Soup Recipe
- Mexican Sopa de Fideo Recipe (Soup with Noodles)
- Rustic (Vegan) White Bean and Kale Soup Recipe
- Rustic Ribollita Recipe (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
- The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (Stovetop or Crockpot)
- Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- (Better Than) Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Thai Khao Soi Recipe (Coconut Curry Soup)
- Spicy Shrimp Ramen Noodles Recipe
- Traditional Scotch Broth Recipe by The Daring Gourmet
Get the Complete (Printable!) Healthy Mulligatawny Soup Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Healthy Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour (Potato Starch for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup basmati rice (omit if on a Low Carb Diet)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
- ¾ cup light coconut milk
- salt and pepper
- possible Garnishes: Cilantro and sliced almonds
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, apples and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes—stirring occasionally.
- Mix in the flour, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir another 3-5 minutes, then add the chicken stock, rice, chopped chicken, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken has cooked through.
- Add the coconut milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with toasted almonds or cilantro!
Getting ready to make this—do you mean cooked rice or raw? Thanks!
Hi Greer,
Use dried rice… It will cook through as the soup simmers. :)
I made these last week! Absolutely delicious! Thank you , ???
One of my favorite soups that I don’t get nearly enough. Would be amazing today with our wind and rain.
Looks great, though I’ll have to reverse-engineer it to remove the coconut milk. My wife has an allergy.
The first time I had Mulligatawny soup was in RI many years ago. We asked the waitress, She described the soup — said it is traditionally made with squirrel, but that they used chicken. My wife & I both enjoyed it.
This sounds very much like my kind of soup. Yum!
Well done Sommer! The sacrifices we make for our beloveds, huh? Whether it's foregoing the cream or skipping the mushrooms, we have to suffer somehow. :) great job on the soup. It looks fantastic.
Wonderful soup and I like the replacement of cream with coconut milk here. Your dialog about your hubby is too funny :) Fantastic looking soup, and imagine delightfully flavorful…