Soup is possibly the oldest form of comfort food. Some may associate ice cream and even fast food like French fries as their particular go-to comfort food.
However, if you truly want to de-stress and would like a feeling of well-being afterward, there is nothing like a steaming hot bowl of soup. The warmth of a broth when you are not feeling well can be just what you need to pick you up. Perhaps you simply desire something light and soothing, look no further.
Although the calendar says late spring, the cooler evenings and even daytimes may have many reaching for something warm and satisfying, which is why I ventured to Shalimar to try their soup.
Several soups are listed on Shalimar Indian Cuisine’s menu and they sound wonderful. Mulligatawny Soup is one of them and probably won’t be found at your typical American restaurant. It is something I’ve always wanted to try. Maybe it was that 1995 episode of Seinfeld mentioning that sought-after Mulligatawny soup that first piqued my interest.
Shalimar’s version of Mulligatawny Soup states that it is “prepared with spices, chicken, lentil, and garnished with rice and lime.”
You may be asking just where did Mulligatawny Soup originate. Well, according to the CS Monitor “The soup probably started out as the South Indian soup known as rasam, but was changed so much in time that present versions bear little resemblance to the traditional rasam. One finds mulligatawny soup on an Indian restaurant menu the same way one always finds buffalo wings or nachos on a bar menu. It just has to be there – if it wasn’t on the menu you just know there’s something wrong with the place.”
The Mulligatawny Soup arrived looking oh so inviting. The deep yellow color made it appear similar to chicken soup, however, it had a slightly thicker consistency.
The flavorful long grain Basmati rice within the soup along with the taste of the seasonings was simply wonderful. The staff stated that Himalayan spices were primarily used to flavor the soup which may consist of salt, garlic, ginger and turmeric, and cumin among others.
The spices did make it flavorful but without the added heat. I loved that I could not actually pick out one spice or herb in particular. They all seemed to work so well together that not one of them stood out.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tasty bits of chicken which the cook stated were seasoned and then baked in a clay oven. The freshly chopped cilantro offered to place on the soup was a welcomed added touch to this rich buttery colored broth.
Although you could select this soup as an appetizer, it certainly makes a filling and satisfying meal.
