Create warm and happy kitchen vibes with the comfort of soup and the satisfaction of incredible flavor. Perfect to enjoy during this last round of cold weather for the season.
Many times, I’ve talked about my time at Tallahan’s Café, where I worked as a server and dining room manager. The food at Tallahan’s was California Cuisine with a lot of international influence and fusion. Kathleen, the part owner and chef, used to make an incredible Indian chicken and apple soup called, mulligatawny. One day, many moons later (we’re talking I’m vegan, Kathleen’s unfortunately no longer with us, and Tallahan’s has long since closed), I got the itch to not only recreate, but veganize the soup.
Knowing mulligatawny wasn’t originally Kathleen’s creation, I first looked up a recipe. This gave me a start for the spice blend. I do use “chicken”-flavored vegetable broth, but I didn’t want to add faux chicken to the soup. The first time I made this, I used solely vegetables without any protein.
My second time making my veganized, recreation, of this outstanding soup, I didn’t have all the ingredients I worked with the first time, and simply went with the veggies I had in my fridge. This is how I incorporated eggplant into this dish, and the hatch chilies which adds some nice spice. I also decided I’d like to add a protein. I still didn’t want to add any processed “meats,” and while I considered tofu, decided against it since I use it quite often, but I had some sprouted green lentils in my pantry, and these sounded like the perfect pairing.
Traditionally, I believe mulligatawny uses basmati rice. My first time recreating it I was on a low-carb kick so simply used cauliflower rice. Since then, I’ve been using Thai Ricerberry, because it is my new favorite carb and use it in place of almost all rice. This rice is my fave because while it has similar flavor to black rice, which I LOVE (specifically forbidden rice), it’s way easier and quicker to cook. I simply add one cup rinsed rice with one and three-fourths cups water to my rice cooker, and use the white rice setting, done in an hour!
The other changes I’ve made from the original recipe was upping the spice content, adding coriander, and adding a little agave. The agave I make optional, and though it is delicious without it, I feel it helps accentuate the apple.
Now that I’ve explained where this recipe came from, and the changes I’ve made, maybe you can understand why I’m not simply calling it Vegan Mulligatawny, which was my original plan. I thought I’d changed the recipe to a point where if people were to try and compare, they may not consider them the same. I will tell you I love this soup just the same, if not more! I’ve been craving it again and again since the first time I made it!
If you’re loving this Vegan Apple & Curry Soup too, please let me know! Add a comment below, or tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis.
Vegan Apple & Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan ghee or sub coconut oil
- 1 cup small diced yellow onion
- 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
- 1/4 cup roasted hatch chilies, peeled, deseeded, and diced small fresh are preferred, but if you must used canned, drain very well, and if desired for heat, add minced jalepeño or Thai chili(es) — fresh roasted Hatch should add heat without extra chilies
- 2 cups large diced Granny Smith apples, peeled
- 1 3/4 cups medium diced eggplant, peeled
- 1 cup sliced carrot, 1/4” slice
- 1 large celery, 1/4” sliced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) “chicken”-flavored vegetable broth You can use broth or bullion
- 3/4 cup green lentils I use sprouted green lentils
- 1 cup trimmed green beans cut in half
- 1 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp kuzu whisked together with 1 cup filtered water, or sub cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp blue agave syrup (optional) or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice I use Thai Ricebery, use your choice of preferred rice — Basmati for more traditional or cauliflower for grain-free
Instructions
- Melt the ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion. Cover the pot and sweat until onions are soft.
- Turn the heat back up to medium and add the ginger, garlic, chilies to the onion and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Toss the apples into the pot and sauté for two minutes. Add the eggplant, reduce the heat, and cover the pot once more. Keep covered until both are soft (about 10 minutes), check and stir periodically. During this time, measure out your spices into a ramekin or small bowl.
- Add the carrots and celery to the pot, increase heat to medium and sauté five minutes, then mix in the spices. Once fragrant, add the broth and lentils.
- Bring the broth to a bowl, then reduce slightly and simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the green beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk along with the kuzu and water slurry.
- If using, stir in the agave, then add the rice. Once the rice is thoroughly heated (if it wasn’t hot when added), the soup is ready to serve.