Mulligatawny Soup

If chicken soup is your comfort food, Mulligatawny Soup is about to change everything. This creamy, coconut milk curry soup is packed with spiced chicken thighs, fluffy rice, and just a hint of sweet-tart apple that adds the most unexpected and delightful depth. My reader-favorite version is inspired by the beloved British-Indian tradition, and is easy enough for a weeknight meal but impressive enough for company.

I’d like to introduce you to my favorite chicken soup in the whole wide world. Yes, the top-of-the-tops. The chicken soup recipe I would pick if I were forced to choose just one soup to eat for the rest of my life. This is the one: Mulligatawny. If you’ve never had it before, be prepared to have your soup world turned upside-down.

A soup with a nebulous and largely unconfirmed history, mulligatawny is pure comfort food, full of flavor, both exotic and familiar at the same time. Literally “pepper water,” mulligatawny is sometimes credited to Indian cuisine, but its modern iteration can be traced to the Brits, whose love of curries is legendary at this point.

Of course, you might recognize the name from the famous Seinfeld episode, where Kramer orders the soup from the cranky “Soup Nazi.” It’s where I first heard of it and, over time (and episode repeats), I was finally compelled to research just what it was all about. It’s one of the oldest soups here on my blog (originally published in 2009) and still one of the most loved.

If you’re a big fan of unique and super flavorful chicken soups, you might also want to check out my Cold-Fighting Couscous Chicken Soup, my Cordon Bleu Tortellini Soup, and my Jalapeño Popper Chicken Soup. They’re so much more than your run-of-the-mill chicken soups!

Key Ingredients

Chicken — Fresh chicken thighs are coated in a tantalizing blend of spices and then seared to lock in flavor.

Aromatics — Like most great soups, Mulligatawny starts with a base of fragrant base of onions, celery, carrots, and garlic that sautes in the fond left by the chicken for extra flavor.

Spices — Curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and a little cayenne season the chicken and the soup as it simmers.

White rice — Rice adds body, thickening the soup with its starchy goodness. I prefer long-grain rice, but you can substitute jasmine or basmati.

Grated apple — The surprise ingredient of this soup is a tart apple, grated right over the pot to catch all of the juices. The tartness perfectly balances the soup’s warm spices and creamy coconut milk-enhanced broth. Don’t skip the apple!

Coconut milk — Coconut milk adds a rich, creamy touch that edges the soup almost up into stew territory, but without being heavy or cloying. Unsweetened, whole-fat, canned coconut milk works best here.

Featured Comment

“I found this soup on Pinterest the other week and OMG, it’s just about the best thing I’ve ever had. You know it’s a hit when the kids eat it down to the bottom of the bowl without complaining about something!”
~ Annie

How to Make Mulligatawny Soup

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through and summary of making the soup.

Season and cook the chicken

Toss the chicken thigh strips with the spices and flour to coat, then add to the pot and cook until seared. Remove to a bowl and set aside. There might be bits of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pot. That’s okay — that’s the yummy fond.

Sauté and season the aromatics

Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot and saute until softened. Stir frequently while scraping the bottom to loosen the bits of fond. Scootch the vegetables to one side and pour a blop of oil into the cleared space. Add the garlic, garam masala, curry powder, and flour to the oil, and stir to create a paste. Then mix the paste into the vegetables, along with a splash of chicken broth to smooth things out.

Cook the rice in the soup

Add the remaining chicken broth to the pot, along with the rice. Give everything a stir, and cover. Cook for 20 minutes (or the time indicated on your rice’s packaging).

Assemble the soup

At the end of the rice’s cooking time, return the cooked chicken to the pot, and grate the peeled apple, using the large holes of a box grater. Do this over the pot to catch all of the shreds and juices.

Finish the soup

Pour in the coconut milk, stirring well, and top with flavorful garnishes, such as minced cilantro, sliced green onions, and roasted chickpeas.

Recipe FAQs

There’s a reason Mulligatawny Soup has remained popular for almost 20 years here on SoupAddict. The combination of juicy chicken thighs, warming spices, creamy coconut milk, and rice creates a bowl that’s both comforting and full of character. If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Mulligatawny Soup

by Karen Gibson

4.93 from 41 votes

Mulligatawny Soup is a creamy British-Indian chicken soup made with coconut milk, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, coriander, white rice, and a sweet-tart apple. Tender strips of curried chicken and hearty vegetables make it a rich, meal-worthy soup perfect for weeknight dinners.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

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For the chicken

• 1 pound boneless chicken thighs sliced into short, thin strips
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon flour

For the soup

• 3 tablespoons olive, avocado, or coconut oil, (divided usage)
• 1 small/medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (mild or hot, your choice)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 sweet-tart apple, peel (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
• 14 ounce unsweetened canned coconut milk, well shaken
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

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• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-5 qt stock pot or Dutch oven over medium until shimmering.
• Toss chicken pieces with the seasonings and flour and add to pot. Brown chicken on all sides — cooking through completely — and remove to a plate or bowl and set aside.
• Add another 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot (still on medium heat). When shimmering, add the onions, celery, and carrots, and saute until softened.
• Push the vegetables to one side, and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the bare spot, heating briefly. Sprinkle the garam masala, curry powder, flour and a generous pinch of salt over the oil, along with the garlic, and stir to form a fragrant paste. Mix into the vegetables, cooking briefly to bloom the spices. Add a splash of the chicken stock and stir to smooth out any lumps formed by the flour and spices.
• Pour the remaining chicken stock into the pot and turn the heat to high. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, add the rice, and reduce heat to maintain an active bubbling. Partially cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes (or the time indicated on the rice's packaging).
• At the end of the rice's cooking time, reduce heat to low, and add the cooked chicken to the soup. Grate the apple directly over the pot (to catch all the juices). Cook for 5 minutes more. Taste and add salt as necessary.
• Add the coconut milk, stirring to mix thoroughly, and let warm through with the residual heat of the soup. Do one final tasting, adding salt and pepper to suit.

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Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal

Keyword mulligatawny soup

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This recipe was originally published on December 21, 2009, one of my earliest — and most-made — soups here on the blog! I’ve updated the post with additional cooking information and new photos for a better recipe-making experience.