Mulligatawny Soup: Spiced Red Lentil, Chicken and Apple Soup with Coconut Milk

Warm the ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden at the edges.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 200 g red lentils, rinsed
• 1 tart apple (Granny Smith), peeled and diced
• 1.2 litres chicken stock
• 400 ml can coconut milk
• 300 g cooked chicken, shredded
• Juice of 1 lime, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro to serve

Instructions

1. Warm the ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the curry powder, cumin and turmeric and toast in the fat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so the spices bloom without scorching.
3. Add the rinsed red lentils and diced apple, stirring to coat them in the spiced base.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have collapsed and thickened the soup.
5. Use an immersion blender to blitz about half the soup directly in the pot for a creamy but still textured consistency, or leave it chunky if you prefer.
6. Stir in the coconut milk and shredded chicken and simmer gently for 5 minutes until the chicken is heated through. Add a splash of water if the soup is thicker than you like.
7. Season generously with salt and pepper and finish with the lime juice. Ladle into bowls and scatter with cilantro, serving with warm naan or crusty bread.
8. Mulligatawny takes its name from the Tamil words for 'pepper water', a thin spiced broth that British officers in colonial Madras asked their cooks to thicken with lentils, meat and apple into something closer to a hearty English soup. The result became a fixture of Anglo-Indian kitchens and Victorian dinner tables, and its warming curry spice and sweet-tart apple make it a natural choice for a chilly autumn lunch.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 395 kcal
• Protein: 28g
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Fiber: 8g
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 720mg