Summer Veggie Tacos - Recipes full

In this recipe

Ingredients for veggie tacos
Tips for great tacos
Great add-ins
Make-ahead tips

30 vegetarian recipes to stay meatless all month

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Why I didn’t think of this earlier in the summer when my zucchini plant was producing two zukes a day, I don’t know. But here it is, a veggie taco that combines the best of summer produce and can be made in about 20 minutes!

Basic ingredients for vegetarian tacos

I’ve been making these right away for lunch for the last three days with summer squash, green chiles, tomatoes, and jalapeños from our garden.

You can improvise with the veggies, some fresh corn would go well with this, or some cooked beans too. We have fresh chilies so I added them, you can always add some salsa or jalapeño pickles to taste.

Two tips for great tacos

Key to the overall flavor is the addition of cotija cheese, a Mexican cheese that’s salty and crumbly, similar to Greek feta.

Remember, unless you just made your tortillas fresh, packaged corn tortillas must first be heated and softened before using them for tacos.

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Check out this refreshing summer recipe for veggie tacos

Great add-ins for veggie tacos

If you want to add other ingredients or toppings to these veggie tacos, here are some suggestions to make the recipe your own!

Black beans or pinto beans (canned or freshly cooked)
Mushrooms
Boiled sweet potatoes
paprika
Poblano peppers
spring onions
Fresh Parsley
salsa
rice
Your favorite cheeses
Picked jalapeños
Additional herbs and/or spices (paprika, chili powder, dried coriander, etc.)

Make-ahead tips

Prepare a large batch of vegetables ahead of time and heat them up in a skillet or microwave for quick meals throughout the week. Beyond these tacos, use your stash of prepped veggies in frittatas, pasta, quesadillas, and more.

More taco recipes to try

Don’t stop at veggie tacos! Try these other delicious taco recipes.

Easy Fish Tacos
Breakfast tacos with chorizo and eggs
Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Ranch Sauce
Tacos with sweet potatoes and black beans
BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Tacos

Summery vegetarian tacos

preparation time
10 mins

cooking time
15 minutes

total time
25 minutes

portions
2 servings

Packaged corn tortillas vary in quality. Look for a thick tortilla, it will hold up better while cooking. Otherwise, if your tortillas are more fragile, you may need to double them – 2 per taco.

Extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup roughly chopped zucchini or summer squash (1 to 2 zucchini or squash, depending on size)
1/2 Middle Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 big fresh mild green chili (Anaheim or Hatch), seeds and stems discarded, chopped
1/2 fresh Jalapeño Chili PepperSeeds and stems discarded, shredded (or more if you want more spiciness)
prize kosher Saltmore to taste
prize floor cumin
prize ground oregano
1 small to medium Tomato, chopped
4 Corn Tortillas
4 slices Cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup crumbled mexican Cotija cheese (a salty, crumbly cheese or feta substitute)
Little branches fresh corianderchopped (OK to include the stalks if they are small)

Fry the vegetables:

Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onions, garlic, green chiles, and jalapeño to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir to brush the vegetables with the oil in the pan.

Scatter the vegetables in the pan, stirring only occasionally, until lightly browned.

Mix in the chopped tomatoes and oregano, reduce the heat. Let it simmer for a few minutes while you prepare the tortillas.
Soften the tortillas:

You should reheat the tortillas twice, first to soften them and then to melt the cheese.

There are two basic ways to do this. One option is on the stovetop, preferably in a cast-iron skillet. Another option is to use the microwave. Both methods work in batches. (A third option is to use fresh homemade corn tortillas, which is a great option if you’re up for it.)
To make tortillas on the stovetop or in the microwave:

For the stove: Heat a dollop of olive oil (or other vegetable oil) in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, toss it a little and turn it over so it spreads out around the oil. Heat the tortilla until small air bubbles form.

Then place a piece of cheese on one side of the tortilla and use a metal spatula to fold the other side of the tortilla over the cheese. Heat until cheese has melted, then remove from pan.

Note that if you have a large enough pan, you can flip one tortilla over while another tortilla does its initial heating.

In the microwave: Place a paper towel (or half a paper towel) on the heating surface of your microwave. Spread 2 tortillas on the paper towels.

Cook on high heat for 20 seconds per tortilla, 40 seconds for 2 tortillas. The tortillas should develop air pockets. (Note that every microwave is a little different, and corn tortillas are different too, so you may need to adjust the times for your particular setup.)

Then place a slice of cheese on one side of each tortilla and fold the tortillas over the cheese. Cook an additional 10 seconds per tortilla (20 seconds for 2 tortillas) or until cheese is melted.
Add the roasted vegetables to the tacos:

Open the tacos and spoon in some of the cooked vegetable filling.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve immediately.