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MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

America's Test Kitchen Live!, Cook’s Illustrated Magazine

Serves 6 to 8

For freshness, puree some of the garlic and ginger with water in a blender, then leave this mixture in the blender while making the soup. The finished soup is pureed in the same blender, where it will pick up a hit of spicy raw garlic and ginger flavor.

• 4 medium garlic cloves, 2 peeled and 2 finely minced
• 1 piece (about 1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, chopped medium
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped coarse
• 1 medium celery rib, chopped coarse
• 1 medium very ripe banana (about 5 ounces), peeled, or 1 small boiling potato (about 5 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves


1. Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of the grated ginger, and the water in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 25 seconds; leave the mixture in the blender jar and set aside. (You will be pureeing the soup right in the blender with the garlic and ginger.)

2. Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced garlic, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and flour; stir until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly and vigorously, gradually add the chicken broth.

3. Add the carrots, celery, and whole banana to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Puree the soup in batches in the blender with the garlic and ginger until very smooth.Wash and dry the pot. Return the pureed soup to the clean pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the soup over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.) Ladle the soup into individual bowls, spoon a dollop of the yogurt over each bowl, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS
MULLIGATAWNY SOUP WITH CHICKEN
Serves 8

Basmati rice makes a good accompaniment to this soup.

Follow the recipe for Mulligatawny Soup, adding 4 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the simmering stock in step 3 just before covering the pot. Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes. With tongs, transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board, cool slightly, and cut crosswise into slices 1/4 inch wide. Continue with the recipe, adding the reserved chicken to the pureed soup in the pot in step 4. Warm over medium heat until the chicken is hot, about 5 minutes. Garnish as directed.