Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

We made this hearty, warming soup in the Spenlow kitchen in St. Albans on a cold, rainy and grey Tuesday – just the antidote to such dreadful weather. Simple ingredients, very straightforward to make and gluten and dairy free – what’s not to love? This soup would make the perfect lunch or light supper on a chilly day.

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 leftover roast chicken, cooked and shredded 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cut into 1.5cm/⅝in cubes 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp tumeric 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp fenugreek 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp mustard powder 1 tsp allspice 1 tsp cayenne pepper Handful of raisins and sultanas 2 litre hot chicken stock 100g basmati and wild rice to serve fresh coriander with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

M E T H O D

Add a couple of glugs of olive oil to a large saucepan or le creuset and stir in the diced onion. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the onion softens and browns lightly. Stir in the garlic and apple pieces and sprinkle over the spices. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the cooked chicken and stir until coated in the spice and onion mix. Next add the rice and again, stir well until this rice is coated in the mix.

Pour into the chicken stock into the pan and add the handful of raisins and sultanas if you have them. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with sprigs of coriander if you like. We like a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a good shake of salt and pepper to season at the end.