Every culture has their perfect soup for cold and flu season. Mostly, your story is probably like mine since every mom knows soup is the best remedy for what ails you. I actually can’t remember a time that my mom ever made homemade chicken noodle soup. We were never that typical all-American family. Instead, my family always opted for something a bit more exotic. My family’s soup for the soul was mulligatawny soup. Even before the internet was booming with information about turmeric, we knew there was something magical about this soup. We yearned for the sinus clearing curry broth with the perfect blend of sweet and sour.
My mom was rarely the bake-a-cake for the neighbors type mom, but when she heard someone was sick, she was always the first to jump into action! This soup has been and always will be the magic soup. Want to rid yourself of your cold within the week? Mulligatawny soup is it. In fact, sometimes I think I’m well by the time I’m done slurping every last delicious drop from my bowl. Maybe some of the magic can be attributed to the flavor. But I must say some of the magic was also my mom.
To this day, this magic soup holds the #1 slot for the most favorite meal for my Mr. Wonderful. It was the ice-breaking soup for his world of carrots and celery, the spice that made him fall in love with my cooking, and the first Indian dish he had ever had (that he remembers). Needless to say, he now loves Indian food. As long as there is curry. He prefers the burn-your-insides curry. This picture makes me laugh so I decided to post it…and it’s about 7 years old.
I remember the first time my husband got sick and I asked my mom how to make this recipe. Watch her direct how to make a recipe and you’ll know she’s my mom. “Just dice a mirepoix, brown it with your protein, then pour some broth on it with some curry…” I wish I could give you guys recipes like that sometimes! My life would be easier. The dad-in-law recently suggested I video myself in the kitchen because I was exclaiming my worst fault as a chef: I tend to follow the taste and add as I go method of cooking. Problem: What did I add and how much? One of the things I’m loving about this new way of doing posts is I actually am having the freedom to teach you how to take liberties too! This perfect soup for the cold and flu season will become a recipe you no longer need a recipe for. And your neighbors will thank you for it.
Next Week: The Tools and Ingredients
In the meantime…tell me!
- What did your mom make for you when you were sick?
- Do you have a secret cold & flu weapon?
- Have you ever heard of mulligatawny soup?
- Have you made mulligatawny soup before?
