Dan wants to dub this coming winter “The Winter of Soups” and just eat that until Spring comes around. I say, yay. Making soup at home is so fun, so easy and provides many portions of leftovers for deliciously warming lunches.
So, we got a head start on winter with today’s soup: Mulligatawny. Mulliga-what? I hear you ask. That’s what I said. According to my main man Mark (Bittmann), this just means Spicy Indian Vegetable Soup. How could I resist, considering my mad love of Indian food? I could not…
Mulligatawny (Spicy Indian Vegetable Soup)
The brilliant thing about this soup is that you could totally make it non-spicy and non-Indian by omitting the cumin, turmeric, and curry powder and substituting the cilantro for parsley. Serving it up with fresh Parmesan would take it a million miles away from this spicy dish but if you ask me, this way’s a winner!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (grape seed or corn)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon tumeric
- 2 cups hard vegetables (I used potatoes and parsnips, cut into smaller than 1/4 inch cubes)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth (I like to use low-sodium)
- 1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato
- 2 cups soft vegetables (I used zucchini and green beans), cut into smaller than 1/2 inch dice
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Put 3 tablespoons of the oil into a large, deep pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, cumin, and turmeric. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about five minutes.
- Add the hard vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the stock and tomato; bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the vegetables are fairly soft, about 15 minutes.
- Add the soft vegetables, cilantro and curry powder and adjust the heat once again so the mixture simmers. Cook until all the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and serve.
We had some crusty white bread on the side, with butter and cheddar cheese, mainly because I cannot resist it, but naan bread would be delicious with this soup. And red wine, of course.
Soups are genuinely one of my favourite aspects of Autumn and Winter. I love how versatile soup can be and how many many variations there are – it really can be whatever you want it to be.
Since Dan has dubbed the coming season, the Winter of Soups, expect to see some more coming!
What is your favourite soup to make at home? Feel free to share recipes!
