Mulligatawny Soup
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 632kcal
Mulligatawny Soup is a traditional Indian soup with vegetables and lentils in a creamy coconut broth. Ready in under an hour, this is a great make-ahead weeknight meal!
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste substitute 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato cubed
- 1 medium Granny Smith apple peeled, cored, and cubed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups red lentils rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 13.5-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop and sizzle, about 30 seconds.
- Add onion and celery, season with salt, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add turmeric, curry powder, red pepper flakes, and cumin and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add carrots, potato, and apple. Cook until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring constantly to coat all ingredients and prevent lumps, for 2 minutes.
- Add red lentils and vegetable broth. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer for 15-20 minutes more, until carrots and potato are tender, soup is creamy, and lentils have broken down. Adjust salt if needed.
- Remove from heat. Stir in coconut milk and lime juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and extra red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- Add mustard seeds to hot oil first—they need direct contact with hot oil to pop and release flavor
- Simmer slowly to allow flavors to meld and create a luscious texture
- Stir flour constantly to prevent lumps
- Red lentils (masoor dal) break down completely, creating the soup's creamy body
- Variations:
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free flour instead of regular flour as a thickening agent (1:1 blends, tapioca flour and corn starch all work!)
- I personally prefer tart Granny Smith apples. However, if you want to use a sweeter variety, you can use Gala or Fuji apples.
- Add in some beans or chickpeas for added protein
Nutrition
Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1586mg | Potassium: 1395mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 6045IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 10mg