Healthy Twists

Crock-Pot Mulligatawny Soup
Adapted from an Emeril recipe from Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter 1 T olive oil, 1/2 T butter
• 1 1/2 pounds diced boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt salt to taste at the end
• 2 cups 1/2 cup small diced onions
• 1/2 cup small diced carrots
• 1/2 cup small diced celery
• 1 small diced shallot
• 2 chopped jalapenos, seeds and all
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 cups peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced medium butternut squash
• 1 cup peeled and large diced sweet potatoes
• 1 cup dried red lentils (I have these but I wasn’t sure how they’d fare in a crock pot).
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef stock
• 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup 1 diced zucchini
• 3/4 cup diced yellow squash
• 1 cup tightly packed baby spinach
• 1can unsweetened coconut milk (I used the light kind, and only about 2/3 of the can)
• 1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (1 14 oz can, drained)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups steamed white basmati rice
• 1/2 cup toasted, finely ground cashews
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions (My edits in italics, again)

1. Set a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil/butter. With a fork, skim off the butter solids that surface.
2. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with the garam masala. Add add the chicken and cook, turning often, until golden brown and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool. Pour off the excess oil/grease and spray the pan with cooking spray.
3. While the chicken is cooling, add the onions, carrots, shallots and celery to the hot pan and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and apples to the pan and sauté until the apples are caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat to cool a little.
5. Add the veggies, squash, sweet potatoes, broth and chicken to the crock-pot, along with 4 cups of the chicken stock.
6. Cook on high for one hour.
7. Add salt to taste, the pepper, about 1 cup water, zucchini, and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook another 4 hours.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the cider vinegar and the coconut milk. Dig out the chicken, shred with two forks, and return to pot. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
9. Serve soup as desired, with naan or rice. Garnish with cilantro