Sopa de Chayote

Sopa de chayote

The word chayote derives from the Nahuatl word chayohtll and refers to an edible plant from the gourd family. Originally from Mesoamerica, this fruit is also grown in other countries such as Brazil and Australia. It was one of the many foods introduced to Europe by early explorers. Mostly, it is cooked (boiled, fried, or baked), but it can also be eaten raw in salads. Its tuberous, edible root is called chinchayote in Mexico and can be fried just like potatoes. Recipe Servings: Serves 4 to 6

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Total Time

15 minutes

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

4 chayotes
4 qt (4 l) chicken stock
1 smoke-dried jalapeño
2 epazote (wormseed) leaves
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
salt to taste

Directions

Peel the chayotes and cut into small cubes.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, pour the chicken stock and add the chayotes, onions, garlic, wormseed leaves, and smoke-dried jalapeño.
Add salt to taste. Boil until the chayote pieces are tender (about 10 minutes).
Serve hot.

Notes

Some recipes add milk to make a cream soup. In oriental dishes (from the Philippines, China, or Thailand), chayote is stir-fried with other vegetables or is part of chop-suey. In Brazil, it can be breaded and fried, and in India, its fruit, roots, and shoots are used for curries.