
Choko, also known as chayote or vegetable pear, is a versatile, mild-flavoured vegetable that is native to South America and has been introduced to Australia. Growing up, there was always a choko vine growing on the back fence, and Mom put them into just about everything. These days, it seems to have gone out of fashion.
Recently I was given a box of them, picked from a friend’s backyard, and while I grew IP with them., I must admit I have no idea what to do with them. I decided to give making choko soup a try, and here’s how it went.
First, I needed to prepare the choko. They don’t have a smooth surface, so peeling would be difficult. They have a seed in the centre, I needed to remove it, and it was hard to cut. I decided to boil them whole. This worked well, as after cooking, the skin peeled off easily, and I was able to cut the cooked and cooled chojo into quarters, like an apple, and remove the centre. Once I had cooked choko, I proceeded to create a soup.

Ingredients
- One kilogram of cooked and chopped choko
- 400 grams of coconut yoghurt. I make my own. See the recipe here.
- One teaspoon of salt
- One teaspoon of cumin powder
- Two tablespoons of turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of chilli
Instructions
- Place the cooked and chopped choko into a food processor and blend till smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, a stick blender will also work.
- Put the choko puree into a pot on the stove and add all the remaining ingredients.
- Add a little water if it is too thick. Mine was perfect the way it was, but this is a matter of personal taste as to thickness.
- Bring to the boil while stirring.
- Remove from the heat and let sit for a minute or two before serving.
This is just too easy. I made so much that I placed the excess into meal-sized jars and popped them in the freezer for later use. These jars are 300 ml, perfect for a meal for one.

I served my soup with some homemade sourdough that I had added grated carrot to, and a little garnish of mixed spices.

Cost
- Choko = Free
- Coconut Yoghurt = $2.60
- Salt and spices = say $.50
- Total: $3.10
I got five jars of soup, which gives me a meal cost of $0.62.
As always, live well.
Valerie