We’re just 2 weeks away from our Jamaican Pop-Up Event at Ezras Israel Congregation in Chicago! If you haven’t registered yet, here is the link!
Since Daniel and I are cooking delicious Jamaican Caribbean food at this upcoming event, here’s a sneak peek at one of the menu items – Chayote Squash Slaw.
What is Chayote Squash?
Chayote Squash is very popular in Jamaican cuisine (a.k.a. “Cho Cho”), found all other Latin America, but originating in Mexico. The fruit is a member of the gourd family and it looks like a large pear, with a more wrinkly bottom. There are so many great health benefits to chayote squash too. It’s high in antioxidants, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin K and B6. It can also help improve blood sugar and studies have found that the chayote can help lower cholesterol levels too.
Chayote squash is a great addition to this slaw because the skin is so thin that you don’t need to peel it and it can be eaten raw. I just sliced it like a pear, removing the inner seed(s) and slicing it thin. Of course, if you want to cook it (not for this slaw) you can treat it just like a summer squash – roasted or grilled would be delicious. It tastes similar to jicama, or even as tart as a green apple. Can’t find chayote squash for this recipe? Substitute it for zucchini!
Spicy, Tangy, Sweet, Crunchy & Herbaceous
I love a good dish that brings together lots of flavor combinations and this slaw certainly hits the mark. The dressing is so simple. Mustard (I used yellow), honey (or for a shortcut, use honey mustard), lime zest and juice, salt, dried thyme. I never knew until my research that thyme is a popular herb in Jamaican cuisine! The slaw combines all of these flavor bombs, The jalapenos bring the heat and spice, mustard for tang, sweet from the bit of honey, tart from the lime, veggies from crunch and thyme and cilantro bring herby flavors!
Can’t wait to devour this slaw, either on its own or piled into a sandwich – YUM!
Hope to see you all soon at our pop-up event!
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- 1 8 oz. bag Shredded Red Cabbage Feel free to use a coleslaw mix or green cabbage
- 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 Chayote Squash, seeds removed, sliced thin
- 1 cup Cilantro, chopped Don't throw away the cilantro stems! That's where all the flavor is, so chop them up and add them to the slaw too.
- 1-2 Jalapenos or other hot peppers I used a mix of home-grown small jalapenos and banana peppers (which are more mild) for color
- 3 tbsp. Mustard (I used yellow mustard for an extra tang, but really, any kind would be delish) Or just use honey mustard instead
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Honey Omit if using honey mustard
- 2 Limes, zest & juice
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
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Mix all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl or serving dish
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In a bowl or mason jar, add the mustard, honey, zest and juice of both limes, salt and dried thyme. Shake or mix well and pour over slaw
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Mix well and serve immediately. The salt will draw out moisture from the veggies so it's best served same-day, however, leftovers are still good in the fridge for about 1-2 days
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