Healthy Veggie Tacos with Squash and Potatoes
Sneak Preview: Healthy Veggie Tacos are packed with pan-fried green and yellow squash, potatoes, and tomatoes. Along with shredded cheese, they make a colorful and enticing soft taco. OR, make the same recipe and use it as a tasty vegetarian side dish.
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When do you crave real food? For me, it’s when I’ve been on vacation for a while. After several days of fast food, I will crave something fresh from a garden.
Bring on the vegetables! Salad! Color! Anything but fried food and sandwiches, right?
Squash and potatoes made into soft veggie tacos are just what the doctor ordered for such cravings.
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When I see yellow squash, zucchini, and sweet corn in the store, I start salivating for “
Feel free to play fast and loose with the traditional ingredients and seasoning. I’m not thinking most people put potatoes in their “calabacitas,” but I love the texture.
No good tomatoes at the store? Leave ’em out. Got a few mushrooms in the produce drawer? Add them to the potatoes. Don’t like spicy? Leave out the green chilies. Like garlic? Go ahead. You get the idea.
Kitchen secret for getting fresh corn off the cob in chunks
Do you want to know how to get the corn off the cob in little chunks? After you have cooked it, drop the whole cob into ice water for a few minutes. The corn will fall off in beautiful little chunks if you don’t get in a hurry while slicing.
What else can I do with these vegetarian tacos?
Besides filling a soft taco, try this veggie mixture in a quesadilla. Sandwich the veggie mixture between two flour tortillas with cheese on both the bottom and top of the veggie mixture.
When this filling is waiting in the fridge, it makes me wish the clock hands would hurry up and move to 12:00 noon so I can eat.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Healthy Vegetarian Tacos with Squash and Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 3 ears fresh corn - husks and silks removed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 medium potatoes - diced (peeled or not)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen chopped onion
- 3 medium yellow or zucchini squash - diced
- 1-2 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 small Roma tomatoes - diced
- ¼ cup green chilies - chopped (canned or fresh roasted)
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano - chopped OR 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro OR basil, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar or goat cheese - optional
- 6 flour tortillas
Instructions
- Wrap corn ears in plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes. Plunge cooked ears into cold water for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, proceed to step two.
- Preheat a large skillet. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add diced potatoes. Stir occasionally to brown all sides. Cover and cook until just tender. Add onion and saute until soft but not brown.
- Slice squash in quarters longways. Slice quarters crossways 3/4-1 inch thick. Add to skillet along with garlic, cover, and cook until slightly soft, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and green chilies, cover, and cook 1 more minute. Season with salt, pepper, and your choice of spices.
- Slice corn off cob trying, to preserve large chunks. Very gently stir into other vegetables in skillet. Remove from heat and add cheese if desired.
- Serve in soft flour tortillas sprinkled with Cheddar or Jackcheese.
Notes
- Watching your carbs? Leave the potatoes out or replace them with mushrooms.
- I love the look of chunks of corn so it’s worth it to me to use fresh, but frozen corn can be used instead.
- Sometimes I add about 1 cup of fresh or frozen sliced okra along with the squash. Changes the character a bit, but it’s oh so delicious!
Essentials
Nutrition
This post was originally posted in 2010 but has since been updated, edited, and republished in February 2019.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.