Smooth yellow soup topped with chopped coriander in a brass-handled metal bowl on a white plate with an orange napkin and spoon. — Photo: GeoTrinity · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Indian & South Asian · Lunch · Dinner

Mulligatawny Soup

Name: Mulligatawny Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Indian & South Asian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large onion, diced; 2 medium carrots, diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated; 2 tbsp mild curry powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 2 medium skinless chicken breasts; 1 cup red lentils, rinsed; 1 medium apple, peeled and diced; 1 cup canned diced tomatoes; 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 1/2 cup light coconut milk; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped

Mulligatawny

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we make recipes

A warming Anglo-Indian soup of red lentils, tender shredded chicken and sweet apple, gently spiced with curry powder and ginger and finished with a splash of light coconut milk and lemon. Hearty enough for a meal on its own.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
Serves: 4

Easy
Dairy Free
High protein

23%

Per serving467kcal23% of a 2,000 kcal day

43gProtein

53gCarbs

11gFat

11gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 44% · Fat 21% · Protein 35%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

1 tbsp14 gvegetable oil
1 large150 gonion, diced
2 medium120 gcarrots, diced
2 stalks80 gcelery, diced
3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
1 tbsp6 gfresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp12 gmild curry powder
1 tspground cumin
1/2 tspground turmeric
2 medium400 gskinless chicken breasts
1 cup190 gred lentils, rinsed
1 medium180 gapple, peeled and diced
1 cup240 gcanned diced tomatoes
5 cups1,200 glow-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup120 glight coconut milk
2 tbsp30 glemon juice
1/2 tspsalt
1/4 tspblack pepper
1/4 cupfresh coriander, chopped (optional)

Steps

1
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2
Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for about 6 minutes until softened.
3
Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4
Add the red lentils, apple, diced tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
5
Lower the chicken breasts whole into the pot, cover and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the chicken reaches 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part.
6
Lift out the chicken and shred it with two forks.
7
Blend about half of the soup with a stick blender so it is thick but still has some texture.
8
Return the shredded chicken to the pot, stir in the coconut milk and heat for 2–3 minutes without boiling.
9
Season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
10
Ladle into bowls and scatter with chopped coriander if using.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

For a vegetarian version, leave out the chicken, use vegetable stock and add a can of drained chickpeas with the coconut milk.
Swap the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer richer, juicier meat, simmering until they reach 74 °C / 165 °F.
Use a ripe pear instead of the apple if that is what you have on hand.
For a lighter finish, replace the light coconut milk with an extra splash of stock.

Storage

Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot and adding a splash of stock or water since the lentils thicken it as it sits. It can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months, though the coconut milk may separate slightly, so stir well when reheating.

Make ahead

Dice the onion, carrots and celery up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. You can also make the whole soup a day in advance, stopping before the lemon juice and coriander, then reheat until steaming hot and finish just before serving.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: CeleryMustard

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (690 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	467 kcal	68 kcal
Protein	42.5 g	6.2 g
Carbohydrates	53.1 g	7.7 g
of which sugars	11.2 g	1.6 g
Fiber	11 g	1.6 g
Fat	11.2 g	1.6 g
of which saturated	3.2 g	0.5 g
Sodium	541 mg	78 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.