How about some Lauki or bottle gourd soup, a light, comforting and healthy soup that can be whipped up in just 20 minutes? Paired with a slice of crusty bread, toasted or not and maybe a salad, it is sure to fill you up any time!
There is a nip in the air and cool and windy days are upon us! How does soup sound?
Soups are enjoyed on most nights in our house and lauki soup is on top of the list. Once you decide to make it, it takes just a few ingredients like onions, ginger and cloves and the light and flavorful soup comes together in less than 30 minutes!
Bottle gourd or lauki as they call in India, is a powerhouse of nutrition with amazing benefits; they help in digestion, is useful to reduce any inflammation; are useful to treat urinary tract infections and Ayurveda recommends drinking a glass of lauki juice every morning!
Every beauty tip that you can search for will surely have consuming lauki juice as one of the habits you need to have to have glowing and healthy skin!!
In our house, we normally try to have this juice as often as possible. Mixed with some black salt and pepper powder, the bland taste of this juice makes it tasty and comforting. You must try this; you will love it.
As a vegetable, although not very popular because of its bland taste, it is used in Indian cooking in various curries, koftas, halwas and fritters. We Indians love our halwas and my favorite is lauki halwa! I have even made a delicious and rich lauki kofta curry with this amazing vegetable!
So, hop on to this easy recipe and enjoy light, creamy and healthy lauki or bottle gourd soup this winter!
Other simple and light soups you can slurp on this winter are:
Celery Soup with Cumin and Ginger (in a pressure cooker)
Vegetable Manchow Soup (Indo-Chinese)
Moroccon spiced Cauliflower soup
How to make Lauki Soup:
- In a pressure pot, heat butter or oil (if vegan) and once hot, add onions, ginger, cloves, green chilies and chopped bottle gourd and sauté on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add water to cover the vegetables and cook on high pressure for one whistle.
- Once the pressure has dropped, drain the cooked vegetables and remove the cloves, ginger pieces and green chilli pieces.
- Blend the drained vegetables to a fine paste and transfer to a saucepan along with the strained broth.
- Add salt to taste along with a single crushed cube of seasoning (optional).
- Mix well, bring to a boil and reduce heat.
- Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning. Heat ghee in a small saucepan and once melted, add pepper powder and fry for a few seconds.
- Tip this into the hot simmering soup and mix well.
- Serve hot, light and soothing lauki or bottle gourd soup with toasted bread and maybe a salad on the side.
- Enjoy!!
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Light and healthy bottle gourd/lauki soup with minimal spices; a simple soup to enjoy this winter!
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and chopped lauki/bottle gourd
- 1/4 cup chopped onions (red or white)
- 1-inch piece ginger cut into 2 to 3 pieces
- 2 green chilies/jalapenos, slit
- 3 cloves
- 2 tbsp butter/oil
- 1 vegetable seasoning cube (I have used Maggi brand); optional
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp ghee/butter for seasoning
- Black pepper powder
Instructions
- In a pressure pot, heat butter or oil and once hot, add onions, ginger, cloves, green chilies and chopped bottle gourd and sauté on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add water to cover the vegetables and cook on high pressure for one whistle.
- Once the pressure has dropped, drain the cooked vegetables and remove the cloves, ginger pieces and green chilli pieces.
- Blend the drained vegetables to a fine paste and transfer to a saucepan along with the strained broth.
- Add salt to taste along with a single crushed cube of seasoning.
- Mix well, bring to a boil and reduce heat.
- Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning. Heat ghee in a small saucepan and once melted, add pepper powder and fry for a few seconds.
- Tip this into the hot simmering soup and mix well.
- Serve hot, light and soothing lauki or bottle gourd soup with toasted bread on the side.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Use garlic if you like the flavor; it will give a different flavor dimension to the soup.
The same recipe can be used to make cabbage, carrot, spinach, pumpkin, squash, zucchini soup etc.
While choosing bottle gourd, choose the small and tender varieties.
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I am sharing this with #FiestaFriday along with co hosts Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau | #RecipeoftheWeek
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Healthy and delicious!
Thanks so much Vidya 🙂 🙂