This Creamy Chayote Soup is flavorful, healthy, and comforting. The creamy base is made with onions, corn, poblano peppers & crema. The chayote is added in chunks to give the soup extra consistency.
This Chayote Soup recipe is flavorful and easy to throw together on whim with simple ingredients. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner. By the way, this soup is easy to adapt. Make it vegetarian, dairy-free or vegan (see the ingredients substitutes below).
If you are looking for a brothy vegetable soup, try my Sopa De Verduras made with lots of veggies and a light broth.
What is chayote?
Chayote squash is a green, pear-shaped vegetable with a mild flavor makes that makes it a versatile addition to a variety of dishes.
This squash is part of the gourd family with a green, bumpy and thin-skinned firm appearance. It’s native from central Mexico but now is also grown in some parts of Latin America and other parts of the world. Also known as mirliton squash, chuchu or chocho.
The scientific name is Sechium edule, and in Mexico it’s also known in Nahuatl as “chayotli”. This name came from the Aztecs as it was very popular in their diet. The tender chayote is called “chayoselik”.
Not only are they popular in Mexico and Latin America, they’re very popular in Portugal as well. Lucky me!
Ingredients
Make this restaurant-worthy creamy chayote soup in the comfort of your own kitchen.
- Chayote squash: You can’t have chayote soup without chayote! Choose them firm but with a little give.
- Onion (white or yellow): Like so many great soups, this recipe starts with onions. The onion adds complexity and depth of flavor.
- Other vegetables: You’ll need Poblano pepper, corn kernels and garlic cloves:
- Mexican crema: (substitute with heavy cream). Get extra to drizzle the soup when serving it.
- Substitute: To make it dairy free use plant based yogurt or cream.
- Cholula hot sauce: this adds an extra kick and adds the perfect balance to the creamy taste. To make it less spicy add one tablespoon instead of two. Or skip it for a mild soup.
- Chicken broth: this is the liquid base for this soup.
- Substitute: For a vegetarian/vegan option, substitute with vegetable broth.
- Kosher or sea salt: this type of salt is the perfect finishing touch.
- For garnish: Chopped cilantro, crema and more cholula.
Save to Pinterest to make later ?
How To Make Chayote Soup
You can make this creamy chayote soup recipe in about a half an hour, so it’s the perfect choice for busy weeknights. You can print the full recipe below, but here are the step by step photos of how to make it:
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium to large pot. Heat over medium high heat and add the diced chayote.
- Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chayote to a bowl and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the other 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion, poblano, corn and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the veggies are nicely aromatic but not brown.
- Add the cream, chicken stock, salt and cholula to the pot. Cover pot and simmer gently, stirring from time to time. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or regular blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.
- After it has blended to reach the desired consistency, add the chayote.
- Simmer the Crema De Chayote for 5 minutes or until the diced chayote is tender.
Serve hot. Drizzle with more crema, sprinkle chopped cilantro and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Chef’s Tips and Notes
- This is a spicy soup due to the cholula. To make it medium spicy only add 1 tablespoon. To make it mild, skip the cholula.
- You can’t find chayotes but the flavors intrigue you? Make it with potatoes!
- This is one of those veggies that can be eaten before they are fully ripe. The chayote is one of the few plants that are eaten in its entirety (including the seed!). They can be eaten raw and peeled and used in salads. With them you can prepare sweet and sour preserves and even sweets.
You can remove the seed easily just like you do when cutting an apple.
How to Store
Fridge: Once the chayote soup has cooled down, you can refrigerate the soup glass jar with a lid or an airtight storage container. It will keep for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Place in freezer-safe plastic bags or an airtight storage containers for up to 3 months. Be sure not to overfill the container as the soup will expand as it freezes. Leave about an inch of space between the soup and the top of the container.
To reheat: Defrost in refrigerator or microwave in defrost setting.
On the stove: Place the creamy soup in a heavy bottom saucepan and heat through just until hot over medium heat. About five minutes.
MORE delicious…
Mexican Soups For You To Try
I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Creamy Chayote Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (divided 2 & 1)
- 3 cups chayote squash diced in ½-inch cubes.
- 1 cup onion (white or yellow) chopped
- 1 cup poblano pepper chopped
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 cups Mexican crema (substitute with heavy cream) plus more for serving Dairy free: use plant based yogurt or cream.
- 2 teaspoons cholula hot sauce To make it less spicy add one tablespoon instead of two. Or skip it for a mild soup.
- 2 cups chicken stock For a vegetarian/vegan option, substitute with vegetable broth.
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Chopped cilantro, crema and more cholula.
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium to large pot. Heat over medium high heat and add the diced chayote.
- Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chayote to a bowl and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the other 1 tablespoon of oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion, poblano, corn and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the veggies are nicely aromatic but not brown.
- Add the cream, chicken stock, salt and cholula to the pot. Cover pot and simmer gently, stirring from time to time. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or regular blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.
- Place the puree into the pot and add the chayote.
- Simmer the Crema De Chayote for 5 minutes or until the diced chayote is tender.
- Serve hot. Drizzle with more crema, sprinkle chopped cilantro and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Muy Delish Notes:
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Chayote Health Benefits
Chayote is loaded with an array of nutrients and antioxidant compounds that provide many potential health benefits. This healthy vegetable is also low in calories, fat, sodium, and total carbs.
- High in antioxidant content.
- High in flavonoids and fiber. This boost various functions of your digestive tract, including healthy gut bacteria and bowel regularity.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B9 (folate)
- Manganese.
Chayote is relatively low in carbohydrates and relatively high in fiber, a nutritional combination that can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels according to Webmd.
Creamy Chayote soup was amazing!
I added a small amount of potatoes, a little Ghee for flavor and 2 hand fulls of pan sautéed chopped green beans at the end.
Garnishment was as suggested.
Oh. And I tripled recipe for enjoyment again and again.
Thanks!
Sooooooo good! I had a small potato and added it in as well. This is an easy and delicious recipe.
Que ricamalena
Simply delicious. My family loved it. Serve with bread and a salad for a complete meal.
Great to hear this! Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
This soup is so cozy and flavorful, perfect for the cold rainy weather we’ve been having! It was easy to make with vegan broth and vegan cream. Looking forward to making this again soon!
Thank you! This recipe is yummy! 👍 I made a half portion, I only had one chayote in the fridge.
OMG Anna! This soup is AMAZING!!!! So easy and so delish! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Please allow us to add this recipe to our International Chayote Recipe page: https://www.mirliton.org/international-mirliton-chayote-recipes/
Definitely! Thanks so much!
Muy antojable!!!
Gracias Malena! Si esta sopa esta riquisima!
This recipe is delicious and full of flavors. I paired it with quesadillas and it was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Cecy! Thanks for stopping by 🙂