Mulligatawny Soup is a classic gluten-free, vegan, one-pot creamy lentil soup. It has rice, pink lentil, vegetables, spices, and my favorite coconut milk. All these fulfilling ingredients make this 10 minute instant pot soup a perfect weeknight dinner.
Story Of Mulligatawny Soup…
Mulligatawny has its roots in Tamil Nadu, India. The words ‘miḷagu’ means pepper, and ‘taṇṇi’ means water and that is how the soup got its name.
This spicy lentil soup recipe became widely popular among the British residents during the stay of East India Company.
The marriage between the two cuisines (Indian and British) gave birth to famous Anglo Indian Cuisine, which is inherently Indian dishes with an English twist. And mulligatawny is one of the beloved Ango Indian dishes.
Traditionally, mulligatawny was a vegetarian soup. It was made with lots of vegetables, lentils, and a dash of coconut milk to signify the southern coastal cuisine.
Today, this lentil soup sees many variations but the classic recipe remains a favorite.
Ingredients Required
One could start a debate over what actually tastes best in a mulligatawny.
Like many other soup recipes, everyone has a favorite way of making it, and I have mine. You can adapt this soup recipe or add some tweaks and make it your own.
Mulligatawny is one of those rare soup recipes that include both rice and lentils in it – it’s more of a lentil stew than soup in that regard.
Here are the ingredients required and their substitutes:
Pink or Red Lentil (Masoor Dal)
White Rice or brown rice
Ginger, Garlic, Celery, Onion
Apple – you can use any variety of apple tasting from slightly sour to sweet.
Carrot – you can use zucchini, green beans, potatoes or peas
Curry Powder – if not available use red chili powder
Vegetable or Chicken Stock
Turmeric Powder, Salt, Dried Oregano, Bay Leaf
Coconut Milk – you can replace it with any kind of nut milk
Olive Oil or use coconut oil
Step-By-Step Instant Pot Method
Mulligatawny takes only 10 minutes to get cooked in an instant pot or pressure cooker.
Can you imagine, serving a hearty, wholesome homemade lentil soup for dinner in 15 minutes?
FAQ’s Related To Lentil Soup
Can I add chicken to the lentil soup?
Yes, you can add boneless chicken thighs or breasts while pressure cooking the soup. Before serving, remove the cooked chicken and shred it using a fork and mix in the soup.
Can I cook lentil soup on a stovetop?
Yes, you can. Cooking time will be around 30 minutes as lentils and rice take time to get cooked. You can use Indian pressure cooker as well to make this lentil soup.
Is lentil soup healthy?
Lentil Soup is a healthy, wholesome, fulfilling soup with only 290 calories per serving. It has vegan protein, carbohydrates, veggies, and fiber. Making it a perfect low-calorie dinner.
More Soup Recipes For You…
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Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup pink lentil (masoor dal)
- 1/4 Cup white rice
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped celery
- 1/2 Cup chopped onion
- 1/2 Cup finely chopped carrot
- 1/4 Cup finely chopped apple (remove the skin and seeds)
- 3 Cup vegetable stock or broth
- 1 Cup coconut milk
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (see recipe)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Prep Work For Soup:
- Start with preparing and chopping all the vegetables. Set aside.
- Rinse and soak the rice and lentil in two separate bowls in 1 cup of water each for 10 – 15 minutes.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup:
- Set instant pot to saute mode for 5 minutes. Next, add oil, bay leaf, ginger, garlic, celery, and onion. Saute for a minute or till the aroma of herbs is released.
- Add the diced carrots, soaked lentil, and rice without any water. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Next, add coconut milk, warm stock, chopped apple, salt, curry powder, oregano, and turmeric powder. Stir to combine. Cancel the saute mode.
- Seal the lid of the instant pot. Pressure Cook the soup for 5 minutes at normal heat.
- After 5 minutes, release the steam and open the lid of the instant pot. Add chopped coriander leaves, taste, and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Gently mash the soup using the back of the ladle.
- Ladle the soup into deep bowls and top each with a spoonful of chopped coriander.
- Drizzle lemon juice. Serve Mulligatawny Soup warm.
Recipe Notes:
- You can make this lentil soup on a stovetop as well. It usually takes 30 – 40 minutes on a stovetop.Â
- One can add diced potatoes, zuchinni, green peas, or shredded chicken in this lentil soup.Â
- Many recipes suggest adding tomatoes in the mulligatawny. I prefer adding apples for tartness then tomatoes.Â
- If after cooking soup seems too thick, get the desired consistency by adding more coconut milk or vegetable broth/stock.Â
- Mulligatawny Soup is easy to reheat on a microwave or stovetop and can be stored in fridge for a week easily.Â
14 comments
Fantastic recipe, was a hit with my book club ladies. Recipe perfect as written.
My new go–to recipe – I’ve made this several times for the family. Thank you!
I am so glad to know that. Thank you.
Super delicious! We made it on the stovetop and boiled the soup until the rice and lentils were cooked. It was perfect. Thank you!
I am so glad it came out well on the stovetop too. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
Delicious!! Quite a bit of prep but very simple once you put it together. Smmoth and creamy. We really enjoyed this soup. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Thank you for your valuable feedback. I am so glad you like it!
This soup is delicious! I doubled the recipe (same cook time in IP) and added the meat from one rotisserie chicken.
I too make it sometimes with shredded chicken. So happy you like it. Thanks for your feedback.
We made this, and it was amazing! We’ve recently gone vegan and this will definitely be a recipe that we will make over and over! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
Thank you for taking the time out and sharing your feedback. This is a fantastic instant pot recipe if you are a vegan or following a GF diet.
This soup was quick and easy and very delicious. It helps to chop the vegetables first and have everything ready before starting to cook. The only problem I had was that the coconut milk curdled a bit. Not sure how to prevent that.
Usually curdling of coconut milk doesn’t happen. IN case, it does, try adding salt once the soup is cooked. It might help.
Wow! I am stymied by the Instant Pot and thought I’d give it another shot, and this was the recipe I chose. It was delicious! Husband had two bowlfuls, and my daughter, who is picky about legume textures, also liked it. I might try making it on the stove where I’m back in my comfort zone. 😉
I am so glad your family loved this soup. Ohh yes, you can try making it in a heavy-duty casserole on the stovetop.