This green mulligatawny soup recipe is the one I've been chasing for over fifty years — the green Mulligatawny soup I first tasted at The Taj Mahal in Streatham in the late 1960s. Rick Stein got me close when he visited The Madras Club in India. A flooded kitchen destroyed my first written version. This is my latest attempt — and the closest I've got.

The story behind this recipe spans more than fifty years. Read how it started with a bowl of green soup at The Taj Mahal in Streatham in 1968, and how Rick Stein's India finally pointed me in the right direction.

It is green. Properly green. That's the point.

This green mulligatawny soup gets its colour from a generous handful of fresh coriander and mint, added at the last moment and blended immediately.

Green Mulligatawny Soup Recipe: Ingredients (serves 2-4)

2 chicken thighs, bone-in
1 litre chicken stock
400ml coconut milk
2 leeks, sliced
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
6-8 curry leaves (fresh or dried)
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp black peppercorns
2 limes, juice only
Large bunch fresh coriander
Large bunch fresh mint
Cooked basmati rice (to serve)
Salt to taste

How to Make Green Mulligatawny Soup — Rick Stein Inspired

1. Place the chicken thighs in a pan with the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Remove the chicken, shred the meat and discard the bones. Reserve the stock.
2. In a separate large pan, warm a little oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, curry leaves and peppercorns. Stir for one minute until fragrant.
3. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes until softened.
4. Add the turmeric, then pour in the reserved chicken stock and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Add the fresh coriander and mint — be generous, this is where the green comes from. Stir through and immediately blend until smooth.
6. Return to the heat, add the shredded chicken and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Serve with a few grains of basmati rice and a slice of lemon in the bottom of the bowl — just as they did at The Taj Mahal in Streatham.

This is a starting point — you'll want to test it and tweak to taste. The key to the green colour is adding the coriander and mint at the end and blending immediately — cooking them kills the colour.

The original recipe was lost in a kitchen flood in 2022. Read the full story — and the rescued list of ingredients that helped rebuild it.

This green mulligatawny soup recipe is still not quite Streatham 1968. But getting closer. If you crack it before I do, let me know.

This green mulligatawny soup recipe is part of my Soup Recipes Hub — a complete collection of soups from chilled gazpacho to hearty broths and Asian-inspired bowls.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper soup, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef