Chayote soup

I have recently discovered this wonderful vegetable. It is actually a member of the squash family. It grows on vines, and they harvest it when it is still quite tender, about the size of your palm.


For a long time I eyed it with suspicion, until one day I read that its taste is not unlike that of kohlrabies. I LOVE kohlrabi, particularly in the form of kohlrabi soup. So when I ventured to give chayotes a try, I made a nice soup out of them.

Chayote soup

2 chayotes, peeled, seed removed, chopped
a handful of parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups or more of stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
salt, pepper to taste

Prepare the chayote, chop the parsley, then heat the butter in a saucepan. Throw in the parsley and saute it for a minute to release the flavour.


Add the chopped chayote, sprinkle the sugar over it and saute until some of the pieces start to develop a golden edge. Pour the stock in, cover the pot and let it cook gently for some 10 minutes. Doesn't need much time, it becomes tender very quickly.


When it is crisp tender, make a paste using the flour and a little milk. Stir it until smooth, then dilute it with the rest of the milk and add it to the soup. Adjust the saltiness of the soup, and let it simmer few minutes longer.


That's it!

The resulting soup lacks the robustness of kohlrabies, I still prefer those instead of the chayote version. Not that it is not enjoyable, because it is. But I will look around for other ways to make use of these. Actually I very much enjoy eating chayote raw, as is. I did not try the salad recipes I saw on the net.

All in all, chayotes now joined my culinary repertoire.