This Vegan Mulligatawny Soup recipe is so comforting yet easy to make in less than 30 minutes. It is a richly flavoured lentil soup loaded with hearty root vegetables, apples, red lentils and curry powder.
My take on the classic Anglo-Indian Mulligatawny curry soup can be laid on the table in no time, especially when using the Instant Pot. Stovetop method provided.
What is the origin of Mulligatawny Soup?
Pronounced [muhl-ee-guh-taw-nee]
Mulligatawny soup is a classic Anglo-Indian soup that was prepared during early days of the British Raj.
According to the early English cookbooks, Indian style Mulligatawny soup was very popular amongst the Britishers in India during the British Raj.
It's conception was due to British soldiers who required soup with their meals. Local Indian cooks prepared a recipe that satisfied their palate.
The word mulligatawny originates from the TAMIL words MILAGAY (chilli) OR MILAGU (pepper) and TANNI (water or broth)
The traditional Indian version of Mulligatawny soup is thin and prepared with Indian spices and ingredients such as tamarind, curry leaves, mustard seeds, red chillies, peppercorn and onion.
No meat was originally part of the recipe. This pepper water or broth from Sri Lanka (in South Indian cuisine is known as Rasam) is eaten with rice.
By 1800s, the British version of the recipe began to appear in the English cookbooks.
References are also mentioned in Curry: A Take of Cooks and Conquerors, a book by Lizzie Collingham: “mulligatawny soup was one of the earliest dishes to emerge from the new hybrid cuisine which the British developed in India, combining British concepts of how food should be presented … and Indian recipes”
The Anglo-Indian mulligatawny soup from colonial times would be made with meat however this vegetarian version is prepared with red lentils.
In this vegetarian mulligatawny soup recipe, instead of tamarind, apples are added for the tanginess and meat and English vegetables are added as a variety for the British.
Luckily a vegan version of this soup now exists so the delicious flavours of both cuisines can be enjoyed in one bowl.
Ingredients:
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list with measurements
Apples - You can use any firm and tart variety apple. I like to use Granny Smith. If you have sweet apples, use a drop or two of lemon juice or lime juice for tartness.
Carrots and parsnips - I have used fresh carrots and parsnips. If fresh are not available, use frozen or canned.
You can add swede or regular potato if parsnip is not available.
Sweet potatoes - as an alternative, you can use butternut squash if you have it to hand.
Onion and garlic - I have used one large white onion and a few cloves garlic.
Red chilli and ginger - use fresh red chillies where possible. If you cannot find red chillies, use cayenne pepper or red chilli powder when adding the spices.
Leave out chillies if you do not like them. Note that the soup will not be spicy even with the chillies, the chilli simply adds flavour not heat.
Tomatoes - I have used fresh tomatoes. You can also add in a squeeze of tomato paste to intensify the tomato flavour but I prefer it without.
Red lentils - lentils are common in Indian food. You can easily find split red lentils in supermarkets and in Indian shops where they are sold as Masoor ki Daal.
Curry Powder - do not miss out this ingredient - after all this is Mulligatawny soup! We have used homemade Indian curry masala powder but you can use store-bought madras curry powder too.
In the 1800s, curry powder was added to Indian dishes by the British as a ready-made ingredient.
Olive oil - you can also use vegan butter or another flavourless oil.
Full-fat coconut milk to make the soup extra creamy and rich. You can use lite coconut milk if you wish
Spices and herbs - Along with curry powder, I have used freshly ground black pepper and fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (coriander)
Vegetable stock or broth - fresh or store-bought.
Nuts - roasted cashew nuts for crunch.
Tips
- Use fresh ingredients where possible as they are more tender and have fresh flavours.
- While sautéing the onion and garlic, be vigilant not to burn or brown them as burnt onion and garlic give a bitter taste.
- Work fast when adding the ingredients or else the food at the bottom will begin to burn. Ideally, it should all be prepped and ready beforehand.
- Be cautious in adding spices - too much spice will overwhelm the soup.
- Note that garam masala is not a direct substitute for curry powder - they both have different tastes.
- Garnish your soup with finely chopped herbs and pour over a little vegan milk or coconut cream.
Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup
I have always made my soups in pressure cookers, even before I owned an instant pot.
The plus point of using pressure cookers is that the time taken to cook the lentils and soup is greatly reduced. You also preserve the nutrients when pressure cooking.
The red lentils do not need soaking before hand but do wash them prior to adding to the soup.
If you want to keep the soup chunky, cut the veggies evenly in size. If you are going to blend the soup smooth, then it doesn't matter too much.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Select Sauté mode and pour oil into the inner pot. Tip in roughly chopped onions, garlic, red chillies and ginger.
Sauté for a few minutes or until the onions have softened. Take care not to burn the ingredients. Keep deglazing the pan if needed.
Tip in the chopped vegetables and apples.
Mix and add washed split red lentils.
Cover the lentils by adding in around 2 cups vegetable broth. Add curry powder, a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.
Give everything a really good stir. Cancel the Sauté function.
Close the lid and select High Pressure for 7 minutes. I like to allow Natural Pressure Release.
You can leave the soup chunky or blend it until smooth using an immersion blender or hand blender.
Pour in a splash of coconut milk. Once the soup is plated, garnish with some coriander leaves and chopped cashew nuts.
stovetop
In a large pan or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add the ingredients as stated in the Instant Pot method.
Cover the pan with a lid and allow the soup to cook until the lentils are mushy and the vegetables tender. Keep checking to see if you need to top up with veggie stock.
Blend or keep chunky.
Serving
The best way to serve soup is piping hot.
Serve it in a ceramic bowl, top it up with coconut or almond milk, a heap of freshly chopped herbs such as coriander and freshly ground black pepper or red chilli flakes.
Serve Mulligatawny soup with either crusty bread like Tiger Rolls or this Sundried Tomato Soda Bread for a classic British hearty meal.
These Vegan White Bean Bruschetta or Vegan Thyme Oatcakes would make a unique but delicious accompaniment to make a complete meal.
Why not try enjoying it the traditional way with some boiled rice? If you're carb conscious then cauliflower rice or quinoa is a good alternative.
The best time of year to serve soup is in the Autumn and Winter.
Some Indian restaurants will serve mulligatawny as a soup course or starter.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Vegan Mulligatawny Soup
Equipment
- Instant pot
- Blender
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 white onion medium onion roughly chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1 red chilli medium hot, fresh, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 apple roughly chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 sweet potato peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 parsnip peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 75 grams red lentils cleaned and washed
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 250 ml coconut milk
Garnish/Topping
- 2 tablespoon coconut milk optional
- 2-3 tablespoon cilantro freshly chopped
- 4 tablespoon cashew nuts lightly toasted (optional)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes optional
Instructions
- Place stainless steel liner in the instant pot, select the SAUTE function.
- Add oil and allow to heat.2 tablespoon oil
- Add onion, ginger, garlic and chilli1 white onion, 3-4 garlic cloves, 1 red chilli, 1 tablespoon ginger
- Sauté the mixture for another minute or so then add all the vegetables, apples and red lentils.1 apple, 2 carrots, 1 sweet potato, 1 parsnip, 1 tomato, 75 grams red lentils
- Cancel the SAUTE function.
- Add stock and spice powders and season.500 ml vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Close the lid and select the HIGH PRESSURE function for 7 minutes.
- Once done, NPR 10 minutes then carefully open the lid.
- Blend the soup, add coconut milk.250 ml coconut milk
- Serve piping hot in a bowl and top it up with extra coconut milk, cashews and red chilli flakes.2 tablespoon coconut milk, 2-3 tablespoon cilantro, 4 tablespoon cashew nuts, ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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