Chicken Mulligatawny Soup
Apples, rice, and curry… who would have known they would combine to create such a simple, delicious soup.
This is usually one of the first soups I make in the fall, when the air just starts to turn crisp, and you make that trip to the apple orchards and wonder what you’re supposed to do with pounds of apples. It’s warm and hearty but but still a lighter, brothier soup.
A few notes:
First, the recipe calls for chicken thighs, which are fattier and tend to be a little softer when shredded, but you can just as easily use chicken breasts or a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
Second, the recipe calls for cream. If you are planning to serve this dish all at once, feel free to add the cream directly to the pot. But if you, like me, tend to have leftovers or want to freeze, it is better to add a splash of cream to each individual bowl. Read my blog about storing dairy-based soups.
Third: You can use any type of rice, though basmati is a common rice used with curry dishes. I will use this opportunity make a plug for Trader Joe’s Basmati Rice Medley, which is my favorite.
*yields 3-4 servingsIngredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 bay leaves
4 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 tart apples, cored, peeled, and chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
1 tablespoon minced chives for garnish (optional)
Directions
Chop veggies: Chop onion, carrots, and celery. Or use a pre-chopped package.
Sauté and spice: Heat butter and olive oil on medium high heat in a large pot. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until just starting to soften. Add the bay leaves. Add the curry powder and mix to coat.
Cook soup: Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat with the curry mixture. Add the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove chicken: Remove the chicken pieces from the pot. They should be cooked through. If not, return them to the pot for another 5 minutes or so, until they are cooked through. Place on a cutting board and allow to cool to the touch.
Add apples and rice: While the chicken is cooling, peel and chop the apples. Add the apples and rice to the soup. Return to a simmer on high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
Shred chicken: While the apples and rice are cooking in the soup, shred the chicken. Once the rice and apples in the soup are cooked, add the chicken back to the pot. Heat for 5 minutes more.
Finish and serve: Add the cream (optional) and garnish with chives.
