Soups & StewsEasyFree

Chayote Squash Soup

Name: Chayote Squash Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cloves garlic; 1200 ml chicken stock; 0.5 white onion; 4 chayote squash; 4 tbsp soured cream; 2 sprigs epazote; 1 to taste salt

35 min (10 prep + 25 cook) Easy 4 servings Centro

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 3 Jun 2026

Creamy chayote squash soup with fresh herbs, mild and deeply comforting.

About this recipe

A delicate, creamy soup made with chayote, the cucurbit native to Mexico that the Aztecs called chayotli. Its mild, vegetal flavour allows the chicken stock and fresh herbs to shine. With its velvety texture and pale green colour, this is a soup of quiet comfort: nourishing, easy to prepare and deeply soothing.

History & Origin

Chayote - whose scientific name is Sechium edule - originates from Mexico and Central America, where it was cultivated by the Maya and Aztecs before the Spanish arrival. Its name comes from the Nahuatl 'chayotli' and it was one of the first Mesoamerican plants to reach Europe, where it adapted successfully in southern Spain, France and Italy. In Mexico, chayote is the quintessential rainy-season vegetable: between August and October, markets fill with these fruits in white, green and spiny varieties. Chayote soup is home cooking passed from mothers to daughters without a written recipe, adjusted to whatever is in the larder. Its simplicity is its virtue: in the balance between chayote and chicken stock, all the magic of everyday Mexican cooking is revealed.

Estimated cost

£13.63

Total cost

£3.41

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

150

Calories

Protein

15g

Carbohydrates

10g

Fat

Fibre

500mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Peel the chayotes, remove the central stone and cut into medium cubes. Chop the onion and garlic.
💡 Peeling raw chayote can release a sticky sap; wear kitchen gloves if you have sensitive skin.
2
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the onion and garlic until translucent (3–4 minutes).
3
Add the chayote cubes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Pour in the hot chicken stock and add the epazote or parsley. Bring to the boil.
4
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the chayote is very tender when pierced with a fork.
5
Blend the soup in batches until completely smooth. Adjust the salt. Serve with a swirl of soured cream and chopped parsley.
💡 For a more rustic texture, mash the chayote with a fork instead of blending.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.