Mulligatawny Soup

Don't you think this is a weird recipe to be posting in July? Seems more like a cozy, winter soup to warm your bones. And normally it is. But with our weird climate change, I was sweltering in Delta like heat and humidity yesterday, and today I had to turn off the A/C and put the furnace on to try to warm up. Our temperature went from "can't step outside for the heat" to "can't step outside for the cold" in less than 5 hours. And I must say, I've never made Mulligatawny soup ever in July. It's depressing is what it is. I used to blame Mother Nature for the foibles in our weather patterns. But I no longer do. She has no control over the stupid and irreversible damage we've done to our own planet. So now I treasure Mother Nature as I would an ageing grandmother and try as best I can to deal with Climate Change. It's a disgrace and I take my personal share of the blame.

Now this is a very easy recipe. Quick and tons of flavour. Not to mention so easy. Especially if you have one of those little electric choppers and you're in a hurry. So I did the hurry up version of it today since it's a weekday. But on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a snowstorm blowing outside, I like to chop everything bigger and let it slow simmer all afternoon. And when I do the slow simmer, I usually use lamb instead of chicken. The flavour of the lamb is so much richer. But I'm not even sure if that's still Mulligatawny. But it's worth giving it a try next winter.

So you'll need:
1 small chopped onion
2 stalks of diced celery
1 large diced carrot
butter enough to sauté the vegetables (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons of flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder (I use mild, but use medium if you love a curry heat)
1 box of organic chicken broth (homemade is better if you have it)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of long grain white rice
a splash of olive oil to brown the chicken
1/2 tsp of dried thyme or 2 sprigs of fresh
1 or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of cream to add just before you serve

Brown your chicken (or lamb if you're taking that route) in the olive oil and set aside
Saute the onion, carrot and celery in the butter until soft then add the flour and the curry powder and stir it all around for 3 or 4 minutes.
Add the chicken and stir it for another couple of minutes to let it absorb the flavour of the curry
And the broth, apple and rice and thyme and cover and let it simmer for about 35 - 40 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Whisk in the cream and serve with warm Naan bread.

So easy and so awesome! I'm actually glad that the weather went south on me today so I could enjoy this again without having to wait till I come in from shovelling snow. Enjoy friends!
(Just of note, this could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the meat and using vegetable broth and you'd still enjoy just as much flavour)