Mulligatawny Soup

This hearty vegetarian or vegan Mulligatawny soup is a healthy and filling soup that is perfect for those cooler days. Fragrant with curry powder, and rich from coconut milk, this British-Indian soup is made from carrots and lentils and is ready in under an hour. This creamy soup is popular with all the family. It features a slight tartness from apple and tamarind which balances out the rich coconut milk and sweet carrot, along with a richness of fragrant background spices from curry powder and additional spices.

This version was prepared for our Yoga4All Autumnal Equinox campout. It can be served with rice, naan, baguette, or garlic bread.

The instructions for this soup are for an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, but it can be easily prepared on a stovetop just as well. If you want to make it on the stove, the directions are very similar. Just cook the soup to boiling and then simmer covered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 16 or makes 4 quarts of thick soup.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons oil – avocado, coconut, or  ghee
• 2 cups yellow onion diced
• 2 inches ginger peeled and finely grated
• 5 cloves garlic finely chopped or crushed
• 2 cups carrots diced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 1 cup sweet potatoes diced
• 2 cups squash diced
• 2 cups cauliflower chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and diced
• 2 cups lentils – such as Mung and / or Masoor soaked and strained
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 5 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2½ teaspoons paprika
• 2½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• curry leaves, if available, a small handful
• 3 tablespoons flour – sorghum, rice or all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 to 1 ½ cans (13.5 Fl Oz each) coconut milk
• salt to taste
• 1 cup fresh cilantro for garnish
• 2 lemons cut into wedges to serve

Instructions:

1. Wash and soak the lentils in warm water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Drain out the water.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil or ghee into the Instant Pot, set it to “sauté mode” and then sauté the peppercorns and curry leaves for about 30 seconds till sizzling and fragrant.
4. Add ½ cup of the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté on medium-high, stirring occasionally for one minute.
5. Add the chopped vegetables, apple, lentils, and vegetable broth and stir to mix thoroughly.
6. Set the Instant Pot or pressure cooker to “pressure cook high”. Set to cook for 12 minutes. Then release the pressure.
7. Purée with a hand purée mixer or blender until smooth. Add water if desired.
8. Keep blended soup on a low setting to keep warm, or gently simmering.
9. In a separate saucepan, add the remaining oil or ghee, about 4 tablespoons, and heat on medium-high.
10. Add remaining onion, about 1 ½ cups, sautéing till caramel brown about 10 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.
11. Add all the dry spices: curry, cumin, coriander, paprika, and turmeric, plus the flour.
12. Stir for 1 minute.
13. Add to the puréed soup while stirring to avoid any lumps. Simmer till the soup is thickened. About 2 minutes.
14. Add tamarind paste or lemon juice to taste
15. Add coconut milk.
16. Add salt to taste.
17. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with a lemon wedge.

Enjoy! 

~ By Libby Tej Bhagwati