This creamy bottle gourd soup, also called sorakkai soup, uses edamame, coconut milk, and Indian flavors like curry leaves and green chilies. It’s vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free. Add everything to the Instant Pot, cook, blend, and the soup is ready.
Jump to:
Vegan creamy soups
If you can make creamy soups with celery and zucchini, why not bottle gourd? This year, bottle gourd (sorakkai) was a bumper crop in my garden. I already shared a bottle gourd peanut masala with it. One of the gourds was gigantic. It weighed 2.912 kg. Guess what? I made 8 recipes with that one gourd and shared them all on my YouTube channel. I know it’s in Tamil, but I plan to share all of them as reels on Instagram too. So if you’re not following me there yet, do follow.
A few years back, zucchini was the bumper crop, and I shared 11 zucchini recipes on the blog, including a soup. Anyway, little marketing done. Let’s get back to the recipe. For the vegan zucchini soup, I used potato and almond milk, with herbs like thyme and basil for a unique flavor. This one goes the Indian way. Coconut milk makes it creamy, and edamame adds protein. Edamame also makes this soup creamier and naturally thicker than the zucchini soup.
What’s so special about this soup?
- No oil or butter, and no compromise in taste.
- Made in an Instant Pot. It’s an easy dump-and-go soup. You can also make it in a stovetop pressure cooker.
- Freezes really well.
- Pair it with your choice of toast for a complete meal.
Ingredients for bottle gourd soup
The base:
Bottle gourd (sorakkai) — The star ingredient. I used my home-grown ones. Peel, remove the inner pith and hard seeds, and chop into bite-sized cubes. Taste a small raw piece first. If it’s bitter, discard it.
Edamame — Adds protein, thickness, and that beautiful green color. I always get frozen shelled edamame from Whole Foods or ready-to-eat edamame from Trader Joe’s. Both work really well.
Aromatics and herbs:
Shallots and garlic — You can swap the shallots for ½ medium onion.
Curry leaves and cilantro — These give the soup its Indian flavor. If you don’t have curry leaves, just skip them. Don’t look for alternatives.
Green chilies — I used 2 to spice up the soup. Adjust to your liking.
Liquid and creaminess:
Water — No broth, just plain water. This soup is proof that simple ingredients can make a delicious recipe.
Coconut milk — I used canned, full-fat coconut milk. It adds richness and creaminess and balances the flavor really well. I love coconut milk, so I used 1 cup. You can reduce it to ½ to ¾ cup.
Add salt to taste, and pepper if you like. Check the recipe card for exact measurements.
Dietary specifications and storage
This cream of bottle gourd soup is naturally vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and nut-free, so it’s perfect for everyone.
Refrigerate: Keeps for about 3 days. The coconut milk forms a thin layer on top. That’s normal, and it’s fine once you reheat.
Freeze: Freeze in batches. You have two options:
- Add the coconut milk, then freeze.
- Freeze the puree in small portions without coconut milk. When ready to serve, thaw, simmer, and add 2 to 3 tbsp coconut milk per cup of soup.
Serving recommendations
Enjoy it as a starter with breadsticks. Or make it a full meal with toast of your choice. Mushroom toast or avocado toast is a perfect match.
How to make bottle gourd soup
- Add all the ingredients except salt, coconut milk, and 1 tbsp cilantro to the Instant Pot, one by one.
- Close the lid. Make sure the sealing ring is in place and the vent is set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is gone, carefully open the lid. Let it cool for a bit.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the veggies into a smooth puree.
- Switch the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the coconut milk and salt, and mix gently. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Once it comes to a gentle boil, turn it off.
- Optionally, add ground pepper to taste. Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp cilantro and serve warm.
Recipe notes
- Stovetop pressure cooker: Add all the ingredients except salt, coconut milk, and 1 tbsp cilantro. Cook for 3 whistles. Then follow the same steps.
- Use vegetable broth or stock instead of plain water.
- Shallots add a nice flavor, but ½ cup chopped red or yellow onion works too.
- Swap bottle gourd with zucchini, ridge gourd, or any squash.
- Swap edamame with green peas.
- For texture, stir in some mashed edamame.
Frequently asked questions
Sorakkai is the Tamil name for bottle gourd. It’s also called lauki or dudhi.
Yes. Use a stovetop pressure cooker. Cook for 3 whistles and follow the same steps.
Yes. Zucchini, ridge gourd, or any squash works.
Yes. Freeze it with the coconut milk, or freeze the plain puree and add 2 to 3 tbsp coconut milk per cup when you reheat.
I used 1 cup of canned, full-fat coconut milk. You can reduce it to ½ to ¾ cup.
Yes. Use potato or sweet potato along with a nut milk. This version won’t be nut-free.
Pick one that’s firm, light green, and smooth, with no soft spots. Tender ones have softer seeds and less pith.
Always taste a small raw piece before cooking. If it’s bitter, throw the whole gourd away. Don’t cook or eat it. Bitter bottle gourd can make you seriously sick.
Explore Instant Pot soup recipes
Loved this recipe?
If you try this bottle gourd soup, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below — it helps more than you know. Got a question? Drop it in the comments, and I’ll get to it ASAP. Follow me on Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas, and on Instagram for the latest from my kitchen.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Bottle Gourd Soup | Vegan Sorakkai Soup in Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 cup edamame shelled
- 5 shallots approx. 50 grams
- 3 garlic cloves approx. 15 grams
- 3 tbsp cilantro divided
- 2 green chilies
- 1 strand curry leaves approx. 15 leaves
- 500 grams bottle gourd peeled and chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup coconut milk canned, full-fat
- 1.25 tsp salt or to taste
- Ground pepper optional, to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except salt, coconut milk, and 1 tbsp cilantro to the Instant Pot, one by one.
- Close the lid. Make sure the sealing ring is in place and the vent is set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is gone, carefully open the lid. Let it cool for a bit.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the veggies into a smooth puree.
- Switch the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the coconut milk and salt, and mix gently. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Once it comes to a gentle boil, turn it off.
- Optionally, add ground pepper to taste. Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp cilantro and serve warm.
Notes
- Stovetop pressure cooker: Add all the ingredients except salt, coconut milk, and 1 tbsp cilantro. Cook for 3 whistles. Then follow the same steps.
- Use vegetable broth or stock instead of plain water.
- Shallots add a nice flavor, but ½ cup chopped red or yellow onion works too.
- Swap bottle gourd with zucchini, ridge gourd, or any squash.
- Swap edamame with green peas.
- For texture, stir in some mashed edamame.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Leave a Reply