Slow Cooker Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

Servings:  8

 (From Cook’s Country)

What is mulligatawny soup anyway?  I had my first taste while on a foodie tour in Hilton Head Island, SC.  This tour took us to a number of dining establishments where we enjoyed samples of their signature dishes... and wines!  One of my favorites was the mulligatawny soup at Bomboras Grille.  As it was a cool and rainy weekend and I was craving soup, I finally I made it and it was well worth the wait... and will be a frequent addition to our Sunday supper table! 

Mulligatawny, pronounced mull-eh-gah-TAH-nee, literally means pepper water.  The origins seem unclear, but this culinary delight may have been brought back by the Brits who worked in India in the late 18^th century. 

You may even recall this soup from Seinfeld… It’s one of the soup Nazi soups that Kramer loved!

In doing research for a recipe, I discovered that there are a variety of Mulligatawny soup recipes!  Some contain lentils, rice or potatoes; some are vegetarian; but traditionally it includes chicken.  Most recipes called for cream, coconut milk or yogurt.  Some recipes included apples, others tomato.  All contained a number spices to include curry.   You can make it as a mild curried soup or have it live up to its “pepper water” name!  I chose the recipe from Cook's Country because their recipes never disappoint as they do a lot of research and trials to get it right.  This recipe is a keeper.

INGREDIENTS:
3 T unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery rib, minced
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T tomato paste
1 T curry powder
2 tsp garam masala*
Salt and pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
Plain yogurt
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Cooked rice (optional - I like to serve this soup, Bomboras style,  over a little rice)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are softened and just beginning to brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, 1 tsp salt, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, and lentils.

2. Cover and cook until chicken and lentils are tender, 4 to 5 hours on low. Let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Using a large spoon, skim fat from surface of soup. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls (or if you're serving it atop rice, first add a couple of spoonfuls of rice to your soup bowl). 

Garnish with yogurt and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

*if you don’t have garam masala or can’t find it in your grocery store, here’s a recipe:

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom

1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

*Variation: to make a vegetarian version, add ½ cup more lentils and a can of drained chick peas and omit the chicken; you can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.