Enjoy a comforting bowl of mutton soup, a soothing Pakistani bone broth made by slowly simmering tender mutton with aromatics and whole spices.
What is Mutton Soup Made From?
- Ghee: Sauté onions and aromatics in ghee to develop a nutty, flavorful base for the Pakistani mutton soup.
- Onion: Soften yellow onions to deepen the broth’s flavor.
- Garlic: Add savoriness with four garlic cloves.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger warms the soup.
- Green Chili Pepper: Use 2-3 whole green chilies—jalapeño, serrano, or Thai peppers—or chop them up for more heat.
- Mutton: Opt for bone-in goat or lamb for the best flavor.
- Spices: Season the soup with a cinnamon stick, black cloves, black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, star anise, dried bay leaves, and kosher salt.
How to Make Mutton Soup
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm the ghee in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until they soften. Stir in the garlic, ginger, green chilies, and cinnamon stick. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 2: Gather the whole spices in a spice ball and set it aside.
Step 3: Rinse the mutton and add it to the Instant Pot. Sear in sauté mode until the meat changes color.
Step 4: Cover the meat with water, add salt, and nestle the spice ball into the pot. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 40 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release.
What does natural release mean?
Natural release on the Instant Pot means allowing the pressure inside the pot to gradually decrease on its own after cooking finishes, without manually opening the pressure release valve. This process takes 10–30 minutes, depending on the amount of liquid inside the pot.
As the pressure decreases, the float valve will drop, signaling that it’s safe to open the lid. Natural release is ideal for soups, stews, or liquid-heavy recipes to prevent splattering.
Step 5: Remove the spice ball and pour the mutton stock into a serving bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Pick the mutton pieces out of the strainer and return them to the clear both to serve.
How to Cook Mutton Soup on the Stovetop
No Instant Pot or pressure cooker? You can still make a piping-hot bowl of savory soup in a Dutch oven or stockpot.
1. Warm the ghee in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions and soften for 8-10 minutes, then stir in the aromatics and cook for one minute.
2. Rinse the mutton and add it to the pot. Sear until the meat color changes.
3. Cover the meat with water, add salt, and nestle a spice ball with the whole spices into the pot. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 3-4 hours.
Expert Tips
- Bone-in mutton is a must. While you can substitute for boneless mutton in other recipes, this is not one of them. You need bone-in mutton for a silky, flavorful broth.
- Use fresh spices. Spices lose their flavor over time, so start with fresh whole spices for the best results. It may seem small, but it makes a huge difference.
- Strain the broth. I keep the spices in a spice ball for easy retrieval. However, I recommend straining the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove aromatics, loose spices, and impurities for a smooth, clear broth.
If you enjoy mutton soup, try more bone broth recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Spoon savory mutton soup into your favorite bowl or mug and top it with julienne ginger, chopped cilantro, and lemon wedges. Complete the meal with warm bread like chapati, roti, or sourdough discard naan. You can also serve it with fragrant basmati rice or flavorful jeera rice.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover soup in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Freeze: Let the soup cool completely and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Mutton soup freezes for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight for the best results.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop, prepare fresh toppings, and enjoy!
- Repurpose: Use some of the leftover broth to make mutton yakhni pulao. You can also use the broth as a base for other soups and stews. You can also use the broth as a base for soup or stew recipes like chicken noodle soup, Instant Pot arroz caldo, chicken and dumpling soup, or Instant Pot tortellini soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mutton?
In many South Asian countries, mutton refers to meat from an adult goat, lamb, or sheep. It’s a common ingredient for curries like karahi gosht and bhuna gosht, mutton stew, biryani, and boti kabobs.
More Pakistani Recipes:
Mutton Soup
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 –inch knob of ginger, julienne
- 2-3 green chili peppers, slit lengthwise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 black cloves
- 4 black cardamom pods
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 2-3 pounds bone-in mutton, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
- Warm the ghee in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until they soften. Stir in the garlic, ginger, green chilies, and cinnamon stick. Cook for 1 minute.
- Gather the whole spices in a spice ball and set it aside.
- Rinse the mutton and add it to the Instant Pot. Sear in sauté mode until the meat changes color.
- Cover the meat with water, add salt, and nestle the spice ball into the pot. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 40 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release.
- Remove the spice ball and pour the mutton stock into a serving bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Pick the mutton pieces out of the strainer and return them to the clear both to serve.
- Bone-in mutton is a must. While you can substitute for boneless mutton in other recipes, this is not one of them. You need bone-in mutton for a silky, flavorful broth.
- Use fresh spices. Spices lose their flavor over time, so start with fresh whole spices for the best results. It may seem small, but it makes a huge difference.
- Strain the broth. I keep the spices in a spice ball for easy retrieval. However, I recommend straining the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove aromatics, loose spices, and impurities for a smooth, clear broth.
Ambalika
Saturday 12th of July 2025
What is the quantity of mutton to be used for this much spices?
Tressa Jamil
Saturday 12th of July 2025
About 2-3 pounds :)
Ali Raza
Friday 26th of May 2023
Great satisfying soup. Very filling and delicious.
Sara
Friday 26th of May 2023
This mutton soup is pure comfort in a bowl! The tender mutton, fragrant herbs, and spices create a flavor explosion that warms both body and soul. It's the ultimate comfort food for chilly evenings. Highly recommended!