I had my first cold of summer.  Any cold stinks, but summertime colds can really get you down. The last thing anyone wants to do is have to stay inside when the weather is right for outdoor fun.   

One thing that always makes me feel better is soup.  Late one night, Eric, my husband, and I were watching the Food Network and a chef was making Mulligatawny soup. In my dazed and confused state, I was inspired. It sounded like just what I needed to kick this summer cold.

The next morning I did some research on Mulligatawny soup.  I would be lying if I said there was one recipe to follow. There were about 70 different versions that I saw – some with chicken, beef, lamb or vegetarian. From what I gathered, the soup always has rice and lots of spice. It’s literal translation is "peppered water."

When it comes to cooking, I am a purist.  I almost always make my own stocks.  I totally understand that this is not necessarily practical with today’s busy lifestyle. Any low-sodium, gluten-free stock is certainly another way to make this delicicous soup.

I highly recommend you use it if you don’t have the time to make your own stock. I eat gluten free now, so this recipe is gluten free, which just means that I use rice flour and potato starch (instead of wheat flour) to help the thickening process.

So I share with you, a spicy, creamy, gluten free, satisfying soup that you don’t even need to be sick to enjoy.

Mulligatwany Soup with Homemade Stock

• 1 whole chicken cut up 
• 8 cups of water
• 2 heads of whole garlic
• 4 carrots
• 4 stalks of celery
• 3 large onions, diced
• 1 large finger of ginger, minced
• Pinch of pepper corns whole
• Pinch of coriander seeds whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pinches of kosher salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 ½ tbsp red curry (spicy), 1 tsp (if you prefer mild)
• ½ tsp tumeric
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, cubed
• 4 cups of cooked basmati rice
• 2 tbsp of brown rice flour
• 2 tbsp. of potato starch
• Chopped pistachios
• Lemon wedge 
• 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
• 2  tbsps. of butter or clarified butter
• Chopped cilantro

The first step is to make your stock. I like to use the legs, thighs for the stock and roast the breast on the bone in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about the whole cooking time of the stock; 45-60 mins.  Let it cool. Then cut the breast up into cubes, set aside for later.

I told you I am a purist and I cut the chicken myself, but you can certainly buy it cut up, it will cost you a little bit more.

I use the ends of all the veggies that I am cooking in the soup to help flavor the stock. So clean and scrub the carrots, celery and onions. Then throw all the skin ends and scraps of veggies into about 8 cups of water, along with the chicken legs nd thighs. Add two heads of whole garlic (skins and all) and a finger or two of ginger (rough chop with the skin on).

Bring to a boil and cover for about an 1:15 mins. Have a big bowl and a spider ladle to scoop out most of the ingredients and the chicken from the stock.  Then using a small gauge strainer and another big empty pot, strain the stock. Set your chicken thighs to the side to cool off. You should have 8 cups of stock, which you set aside.

The next order of business is to make the Mulligatwany soup.

On a medium-low heat add the extra virgin olive oil and butter to a pot. Add diced carrots and celery. Coat with the oil and butter and let soften for about 3 mins. Then add diced onions. When the onions are a little clear, add minced ginger, chopped garlic, all the spices, and the rice flour.

Bringing heat to the spices help bring our their flavors so then they can bloom to their fullest intensity in the stock. The rice flour gets cooked, too. Once you smell the ginger and garlic, pour your stock into the pot as well.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a steady simmer without the lid. By this time your chicken thighs and legs should be cooled off enough to pull the meat from the bones and set aside with your cubed chicken breast.

After about 40 minutes, the soup has cooked and reduced enough to add cubed chicken into the soup. Add the cubed Granny Smith apples. Mix in the potato starch to the two cans of coconut milk, then add to the soup. Mix in well.

Keep simmering for another 30 mins. till apples have softened. The longer you cook this the better it will taste. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Add a scoop of the cooked rice in the bottom of the bowl, ladle the soup over the rice. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over each bowl of soup.

This obviously can be omitted if you don’t like cilantro. I like to offer the curry powder on the side for those who like even spicier flavor.

Remember that we have lots  of local organic choices around town to find the best freshest veggies and meat.

• The first Sunday of the month the Hyde Park Village Farmers Market and the 2^nd Sunday of the month the Seminole Heights Farmers Market, both offer a nice selection of fresh locally grown and organic produce. For more information, check out the Tampa Bay Market web site.
• For a fun day trip across the Bay, check out the St. Pete Saturday Farmers Market.

Have a great week! Namaste!