Chayote Soup

I made this soup tonight and it came out great. This was my first time ever cooking a chayote - they are pretty weird when you cut them, but then they turn normal once they are cooked.

• 2 large chayotes, peeled and sliced into 2 inch thick pieces
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced. I used a semi-sweet hybrid potato from Berkeley Bowl.
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Simmer chayote slices and potato slices in 2 cups salted water in a medium saucepan until tender, about 15 minutes. Puree chayote and potato in cuisinart, then add 1 cup of the cooking water and continue blending until smooth.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in the butter in a large saucepan until the onion is soft. Pour in the chayote/potato mixture, and add more water until the soup is at desired thickness. At this point, chicken or vegetable broth could be substituted for water - this would make it better than the soup I made.

Season soup w/ salt and pepper. Serve in bowls with a plate of garnishes on the side to put into the soup. Garnish plate should include: chopped cilantro, finely chopped scallion, sliced fresh tomatoes and wedges of lime to squeeze. The soup would probably also be very good cold.

Overall, I was amazed at how easy this was to make (especially cause I semi-invented it) and it was quick and delicious.

DMP