Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

Blending Indian and British cuisines, traditional mulligatawny soup is a curry-spiced soup made with meat, lentils, and vegetables, then enriched with coconut milk or cream. With all the amazing flavors of a good curry, I knew I had to try my hand at this mouthwatering dish to prepare for cozy soup season!

I made my mulligatawny soup with shredded chicken for convenience, while focusing on all the other delicious ingredients. Apples add a subtle touch of sweetness to this lentil soup, which beautifully balances the bold flavors of curry powder, paprika, turmeric, cumin, thyme, cardamom, and cinnamon. I partially blend my soup to make it a little thicker and more stew-like, then I finish with a splash of coconut milk to add creaminess.

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or ghee)
• 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 1 large carrot (peeled and diced)
• 1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 medium apple (peeled, cored, and diced)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup dried red lentils (rinsed)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

• roasted cashews
• chopped fresh cilantro