Stunned By Soup

It is September 17th, and it snowed last night. This year has been really off. We've had rain for a week, and now we're heading into snow...already. My sister has called and asked if she could come be a guest critic in my kitchen tonight (oh, these sly people and their sneaky ways of getting invited for dinner). So we're attempting soup. I guess in my mind, snow + sisters = soup.
I remember as a young-adult watching an episode of a popular television show that introduced the world to the soup-nazi. The term "Nazi" is used as an exaggeration of the excessively strict regimentation he constantly demands of his patrons otherwise they would hear the words, "No Soup For You!" The soup was described as stunning. You can't eat it standing up, your knees will buckle. It was on this episode that I first heard of a soup called, "Mulligatawny". I had no idea what it was, or what it comprised of, but I knew that all the characters in the show were going nuts over it. As I was perusing a recipe website last week I came across a recipe for Mulligatawny, and I recalled my ignorance to this soup as I watched that TV show. So I decided to check it out. Turns out, it's pretty straight forward (at least in it's description) and sounds rather tasty. Basically an Indian Chicken Soup...with rice instead of noodles. Chicken, veggies and rice in a curry broth. So tonight, this kitchen is serving up Mulligatawny...and although I will probably hear the younger critics saying things like "No Soup For Me!" I'm hoping all will be satisfied.

Recipe:

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
1/2 cup flour
2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
5 cups chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
Salt and pepper
2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions
1.Melt the butter, or heat the oil, in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, green pepper, apple, and chicken, and sauté for about 15 minutes. Turn the heat to low.
2.In a small bowl, mix together the flour and curry powder. Add the mixture to the pot, then stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Partially cover the pot and simmer the soup for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
3.To serve, place about 1/4 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle the soup over the rice. Makes about 8 cups.

NEXT!