Mulligatawny Soup II

The Ultimate Soup Cookbook, p. 55

1 large red onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced (leaves included)

1 carrot, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp curry powder

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp clove

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp white pepper

32 oz chicken stock

1 cup red lentils

1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Chippity-chop catharsis!

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium hot. Saute the onion, celery and carrot in the olive oil until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, clove, turmeric and white pepper to the pot and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the stock, lentils and diced apple to the pot and bring to a simmer. Once the soup reaches a simmer cover the pot, turn heat to low and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are done. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream. 

This isn't a dairy deluge - it's just a simple little thickener.

Garnish with fresh cilantro. This goes well served with rice but can be eaten on its own, too.

Or bread and butter, if you're like me and have a fridge full of Western food you need to eat up.

My Rating: 4/5 "What a great combination of stuff! I loved the complexity of the spice mixture and the unity it gave everything else. The texture wasn't quite what I had imagined, but like who cares, really. The flavor is what seals the deal."