Mulligatawny Soup

My husband came home from work one day telling me about this great soup he had a lunch. The name was familiar, I remembered seeing it one one of my favorite recipe blogs. So, with a few clicks of a mouse, I found it! Thank you Melanie from Mel's Kitchen Cafe! This soup was incredibly good! Of course we love a good curry. This was a bit spicy, it may have been the brand of curry that I used which seems to be spicier than what I usually buy. So, you might want to start with less, and you can always add more. I added a little sugar, a full apple and half and half instead of cream. My family loved this! We ate it with some store bought Naan bread warmed in the oven. Melanie has a recipe for homemade Naan that I can't wait to make!

Mulligatawny Soup adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: this recipe makes use of already cooked rice and chicken so plan accordingly!

*Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots, about 3 large carrots, peeled
1 cup thinly chopped celery, about 3 stalks
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons curry powder or 1 tablespoon hot curry powder
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups cooked rice, white or brown
2 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken, (about 2 chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tbs brown sugar
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups half and half (or 1 cup cream)

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring often, until they are slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the flour and curry and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the broth until well combined and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add the chopped apple, rice, chicken, salt, thyme, and pepper. Simmer 8-10 minutes longer, stirring every now and then to prevent sticking, until the vegetables are tender. Add the half & half and warm the soup through.