Healthy Veggie Tacos with Squash and Potatoes

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.

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 be craving 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.

When I see yellow squash, zucchini, and sweet corn in the store, I start salivating for “calabacitas.” That’s Spanish for “little squash.” Although these gorgeous colors and fresh flavors used to be the staples of summer, seasonality no longer seems to matter.

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 with the potatoes. Don’t like spicy? Leave out the green chilies. Like garlic? Go ahead. You get the idea.

Kitchen secret about getting fresh corn off the cob in chunks

Want to know how to get the corn to come 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.

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Yield: 6 servings

Healthy Vegetarian Tacos

Print

Yellow squash, zucchini, peppers, and corn with cheese on top make the most delicious and colorful soft-taco filling ever.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 medium potatoes, diced (peeled or not)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped onion
• 3 yellow and/or zucchini squash, diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 small Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 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
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or goat cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Serve in soft flour tortillas sprinkled with Cheddar or Jackcheese.

Notes

1. Watching your carbs? Leave the potatoes out or replace them with mushrooms.
2. 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.
3. 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!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 203Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 8g

Nutritionals do not include the flour tortillas.

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This post was originally posted in 2010 but has since been updated, edited, and republished in February 2019.