Mulligatawny soup is one of the most popular soup that you will find on the menu of any Indian restaurant. Vegan version of this soup is absolutely delish!! One pot meal for anytime of the day. Freezer friendly too. Gluten free and kid friendly.
2teaspooncooking oil(use vegetable broth for oil free cooking)
2.5cupslow sodium vegetable broth
½cupred lentil*
¼cupwhite rice of choicelike ( jasmine/ basmati/ sona masoori , white quinoa)*
2carrots roughly cubed
2celery sticks roughly chopped
2roma tomatoeschopped
1medium size applecubed
½cuponionschopped
4clovesgarlicgrated/ minced or use 1.5 teaspoon paste
Spices used
1whole clove
1bay leaf
1small cinnamon stick
¼teaspoonturmeric
¼teaspoonpaprika / cayenne
¼teaspoonground cumin powder
¼teaspoonground coriander powder
¼teaspoonground black pepperor as desired
1can 400 ml/ 13.5 oz Full fat Coconut milk *
Garnish*
Coconut milk for swirls
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Chili flakes
Instructions
Wash lentil and rice together under cold tap water 3-4 times , drain and keep aside.
Switch on Instant Pot on Saute mode . Add in oil or broth if going oil free.
Once warm add in the onions and saute for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add in garlic and sautee for 30 seconds . Add in broth, spices and everything else called for except COCONUT MILK.
Press Cancel on the IP.
Now secure the INSTANT POT with its lid.
Turn the black knob to sealing position .
Press Manual HIGH for 5 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally (NPR) or quick release after 15 minutes.
Once the silver pin drops down it is safe to open the IP. Turn knob to VENT and then carefully open the lid.
Stir in the coconut milk. Blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth.
You may let the mixture cool down and blend in a pot blender too.
Adjust the consistency as per your liking – thick stew like or thin by adding more broth if desired.
Taste test and adjust seasoning to your liking as well.
Notes
For making this soup in stovetop pressure cooker or open pot on the stove refer to instructions below notes.
Making soup using pantry ingredients -
Skip celery if unavailable.Use veggies that have a longer shelf life like carrots, potatoes, yam, pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes.Substitute Roma tomatoes with ⅓rd cup canned tomato puree or sauce.Substitute fresh apple with ½ cup Apple Sauce.Use freezer dried garlic, garlic paste or garlic powder.Add spices to your preference.
Other Substitutes -
You may use approximately 2 teaspoon CURRY POWDER (more if desired later) instead of all dry spices called for except bay leaf & cinnamon as it is not included in curry powder (please not garam masala ) .Curry powder has salt too. So add additional salt responsibly.Spices can be adjusted later to suit your taste. So do not PANIC!!!Red lentil can be substituted with only split yellow moong dal to avoid altering the look.I have used short grain rice- sona masoori rice.Arborio or sticky rice is not preferred.Last year I tried Mulligatawny soup once with white quinoa instead of rice and it was fantastic too.Pumpkin season is here so you may replace carrots with pumpkin, butternut squash or acorn squash .Garnish is completely optional. You may top with fresh herbs like parsley , cilantro, lemon wedge, croutons.Storage for the soup.Soup will thicken considerably after cooling because of lentil and rice and gets more thicker the next day.If you are not eating it sooner then I suggest adding 1 cup more water/ broth . Soup consistency can always be adjusted later too!Soup stays well in the fridge upto 3 days and in the freezer for 2 months. Freeze soup in one time use freezer bags/ containers.Thaw in the fridge or counter top for a couple hours. After thawing this soup will have to be revived by adding some water/ broth .The texture isn’t silky smooth after freezing .But after adding some liquid to thin the soup and warming it, I blend this soup with immersion blender that helps to get the same texture as before.