A recipe for a Mulligatawny Soup that's spicy, comforting, delicious, healthy and perfect for this time of year. Red lentils and seasonal veggies like fennel and carrots blend into a pepper-spice and ginger-garlic flavored broth. A splash of coconut milk adds a creamy finishing touch.

If there's only one soup I could make and eat all winter, it would be a Mulligatawny Soup. This soup, which Indian chefs first created for British colonizers, is really the perfect dish for any time of year but especially for winter when there's always someone around the home who has the sniffles. It doesn't hurt that it is also absolutely delicious and easy to make, with seasonal ingredients that make it even healthier.
Table of Contents
What is a mulligatawny soup?
Mulligatawny, in the grand tradition of British colonizers mispronouncing vernacular words and then setting them as the standard, comes from the Tamil "milagu thanni" or "pepper water," with the pepper here being black pepper. Its origins perhaps lie in another delicious south Indian dal soup, the rasam, and there are anecdotes about early versions including tamarind water, like rasam, although cooks also added meat like chicken and mutton to the concoction to please the British palate.
Over time, and through various iterations, the mulligatawny veered farther and farther from the rasam, and today it bears just a passing resemblance to this classic south Indian dish. But it is just as delicious in its own right, and well worth making and eating.

Why you'll love this mulligatawny soup
- It's delicious. Creamy and smoky at once, this soup will awaken every tastebud and make your belly sing.
- It's healthy. The ingredients here, including black pepper, ginger, garlic and spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, are all known for their ability to keep the human body healthy, including the respiratory system. They also are great immunity boosters. And there's nothing else in this soup, from the veggies to the lentils to the coconut milk, that's not absolutely great for you.
- It's easy. A mulligatawny is one of the easiest soup recipes you will ever make. There's not much that can go wrong here, just make sure you follow instructions and let the lentils and veggies cook thoroughly before you blend them.
- It's everyone-friendly. The soup is soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan. If you are low-carb, drop the potatoes. You'll still get a delicious soup with fewer carbs.
Expert tips
- You need black peppercorns for this recipe--they are, after all, the star ingredient. I add about half a tablespoon and that's enough for a nice kick, but if you are sensitive to heat, cut it down up to a teaspoon. I wouldn't skip the black peppercorns--you need them to get the right, authentic flavor of a mulligatawny.
- There are "sweet" vegetables in this recipe to tamp down the fire from the pepper and other spices. Some cooks use apples, along with the onions and carrots, but I like to use a fennel bulb. Fennel seeds are used by some Indo-British cooks in mulligatawny and the fennel bulb replaces those -- and the apples -- nicely. This is also a great veggie to eat in the winter, when it's seasonal. If you absolutely can't use fennel, replace it with one green apple.
- The potato adds a nice creaminess to the soup, and helps thicken it, so use it if you can. If you are low-carb, however, you can leave it out.
- The coconut milk adds a nice, creamy touch but you can leave it out if you want to cut down on the fat in the recipe. The soup is creamy enough without it.
- Make sure your mulligatawny is soupy, not thick and gloppy. And blend it so you don't have chunky veggies floating around in it. The consistency of a mulligatawny should be on the watery side (pepper water, remember?). The veggies and a spot of chickpea flour or besan added to the soup will ensure that it is full-bodied.
- Although this is not traditional, I like topping the soup with some lemon zest and even squirting on some lemon juice over the soup in the bowl while serving. The lemon gives an added vitamin C boost to protect from colds and viruses, helps mellow the heat down a bit more, and tastes wonderful.

Ingredients
- Spices: 4 cloves, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom pods, ½ tablespoon black peppercorns (use less if sensitive to heat), and 2 bay leaves. If you don't have the individual spices you can replace this with 1 tablespoon garam masala, but add the garam masala later in the recipe, just before you add the coconut milk. You can also use curry powder for a slightly different flavor.
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 4 cloves garlic + 1-inch knob ginger. Or use 1 heaping tablespoon of ginger garlic paste.
- Powdered spices: ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (use less if sensitive to heat, or skip. You can also use paprika, which is milder), ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ tablespoons besan or chickpea flour
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 small potato
- 1 fennel bulb (can replace with one apple)
- ½ cup red lentils (masoor dal)
- 4-5 cups vegetable stock (or use water with 2 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon)
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon cilantro for garnish
- Salt to taste
- Zest and juice of a lemon (optional)
How to make mulligatawny soup
- Soak the lentils in water before you begin the rest of the cooking. This is not absolutely necessary but it speeds up the time needed to tenderize the lentils a bit. Drain the lentils before you add them to the rest of the soup.
- Heat the coconut oil. Add the curry leaves followed by the whole spices--cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and peppercorns. Saute for a couple of minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
- Stir in the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until they soften but don't brown.


- Add the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.
- Add the powdered spices: cayenne, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Stir to mix.


- Stir in the besan or chickpea flour and saute for a minute so it toasts.
- Add the vegetables to the pot--carrot, potato and fennel. Add a dash of salt and mix well. Saute for a couple of minutes.


- Add the lentils to the pot along with three cups of vegetable stock. I don't add all five cups of veg stock at once because it is a pain to get all that soupy stock into the blender. Instead, I add a cup or two more of stock while blending, which also helps cool down the soup a bit when added to the blender.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover with a tight lid, and cook 10-15 minutes until all the veggies are tender and the lentils have cooked.


- Carefully, working in batches if needed, transfer the soup to a blender. You can also just use an immersion blender. Add a cup of stock and puree until very smooth.
- At this point some would strain the soup, but I prefer to just use it as is. Pour the soup back into the pot. Add up to a cup more water if needed--I add it as I like my mulligatawny on the soupy side. Bring to a boil, then stir in the coconut milk.


- Warm through without bringing to a boil. Turn off the heat and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with rice, a bit of chopped cilantro and lemon zest and spritz on some lemon juice if you like.

What to serve with mulligatawny soup
The soup by itself is a complete meal--you have lentils and veggies and topped with rice it makes for a nutritious and well-balanced meal. If you want to, you can serve a fresh salad on the side for added health and deliciousness.
Storage and freezing
This mulligatawny soup will keep nicely in the fridge for up to four days. For longer storage place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
More yummy soup recipes


Mulligatawny Soup
Equipment
- 1 large pot or Dutch oven with lid
- Blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 cloves
- 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tablespoon black peppercorns (reduce to up to a teaspoon if sensitive to heat, but don't skip)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 4 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
- 1-inch knob ginger (finely chopped or crushed. You can replace the ginger and garlic above with 1 heaping tablespoon of ginger garlic paste)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (use less if sensitive to heat, or skip)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1½ tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
- 1 medium carrot (chopped in ½-inch pieces or rings)
- 1 small potato (diced in ½-inch cubes)
- 1 fennel bulb (or apple. Chopped)
- ½ cup red lentils
- 4-5 cups vegetable stock (or water with 2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon)
- ½ cup coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (for garnish)
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
For serving
- White or brown rice
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in water before you begin the rest of the cooking. This is not absolutely necessary but it speeds up the time needed to tenderize the lentils a bit. Drain the lentils before you add them to the rest of the soup.
- Heat the coconut oil. Add the curry leaves followed by the whole spices--cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and peppercorns. Saute for a couple of minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
- Stir in the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until they soften but don't brown. Add the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.
- Add the powdered spices: cayenne, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Stir to mix.
- Stir in the besan or chickpea flour and saute for a minute so it toasts.
- Add the vegetables to the pot--carrot, potato and fennel. Add a dash of salt and mix well. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add the lentils to the pot along with three cups of vegetable stock. I don't add all five cups of veg stock at once because it is a pain to get all that soupy stock into the blender. Instead, I add a cup or two more of stock while blending, which also helps cool down the soup a bit when added to the blender.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover with a tight lid, and cook 10-15 minutes until all the veggies are tender and the lentils have cooked.
- Carefully, working in batches if needed, transfer the soup to a blender. You can also just use an immersion blender. Add a cup of stock and puree until very smooth.
- At this point you can strain the soup for an even silkier texture, but I prefer to just use it as is. Pour the soup back into the pot. Add up to a cup more water if needed--I add it as I like my mulligatawny on the soupy side. Bring to a boil, then stir in the coconut milk.
- Warm through without bringing to a boil. Turn off the heat and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with rice, a bit of chopped cilantro and lemon zest and spritz on some lemon juice if you like.
Recipe notes
- If you don't have the whole spices, use garam masala instead. Add it to the pot just before you stir in the coconut milk.
- This soup has just 13 grams of net carbs per serving. If you are eating low-carb, skip the potato, which will bring down the net carbs to 10 grams. Instead of rice, serve the soup with cauliflower rice.
- Peppercorns are the star ingredient in this recipe, so don't skip them. If you need to cut down on the heat, you can go as low as 1 teaspoon or even ½ tsp.
- You need the sweetness of the carrots and fennel to tamp down some of the heat from the spices. You can replace the fennel with an apple, if that's what you have.
- The coconut milk adds a nice, creamy touch but you can leave it out if you want to cut down on the fat in the recipe. The soup is creamy enough without it.
- Make sure your mulligatawny is soupy, not thick and gloppy. And be sure to blend it so you don't have chunky veggies floating around in it. The consistency of a mulligatawny should be on the thin side (pepper water, remember?). The veggies and a spot of chickpea flour or besan added to the soup will ensure that it is full-bodied and not watery.
- Although this is not traditional, I like topping the soup with some lemon zest and even squirting on some lemon juice over the soup in the bowl while serving. The lemon gives an added vitamin C boost to protect from colds and viruses, helps mellow the heat down a bit more, and tastes wonderful.
Julie Fish
I am curious if you take out the leaves and cinnamon stick before you blend it. I see you can leave in the curry leaves, but not sure about the rest. I haven't tasted mine yet, but it smells delicious! Unfortunately I only put in about six curry leaves since I didn't know how much a sprig was. Next time!
Vaishali
Hi Julie, you should leave them in for the best flavor!
Lexi
I made this on the weekend and it is so delicious! It's so flavoursome and has quite a kick! I wasn't sure when to add the curry leaves in so I put them in when I added the lentils and stock and left them in there for blending. This is going to be a new staple in my household - thanks for sharing! 🙂
Vaishali
Hi Lexi, the curry leaves go in right after the onions! Sorry about that oversight which has been corrected now, and so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Julie in Asbury Park
How many curry leaves is a sprig - 3 or 4? I keep mine in the freezer off the stem. I don't see them mentioned in the recipe. Do you take them out before you puree it?
Thank you - can't wait to try it!
Vaishali
Hi Julie, it's about 16 leaves approx per sprig. Use 24-32 individual leaves in all. You can eat curry leaves--they are great for you and they blend nicely into the soup.
Let me know how it goes!
LisaH
This soup is excellent! Extremely easy to put together but packed with flavor and a bit of a kick with the spices (I used tellicherry peppercorns which gave the soup a bit more complexity). I actually had all the ingredients on hand in my kitchen. Wish I had the fennel bulb, but I did have an apple.
Vaishali
Hi Lisa, so happy you made it! I love Telicherry peppercorns--Costco used to carry them but I haven't been able to find them for a while now. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the soup!
LisaH
Yes, the peppercorns have been more difficult to find lately. I bought mine from https://thespiceway.com/collections/all They also sell decorticated green cardamom, which comes in handy.
LisaH
My husband enjoyed this soup so much I made it again, but with the fennel bulb this time. Definitely prefer it with the fennel bulb. I to freeze some to have on hand for later, but we keep eating the leftovers! He prefers it without the coconut milk and I used some leftover plain unsweetened almond milk.
Bruce
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it tonight and it was delicious.
Vaishali
Hi Bruce, so glad you made the soup! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂