Veggie-Loaded Mexican Calabacitas Recipe

Mexico offers many vegetable-forward traditional recipes and one of their standout dishes brimming with fresh produce is Mexican calabacitas. Calabacitas, which means "little squash" in Spanish, is deeply rooted in the country's culinary heritage and holds a special place on the tables of Mexican households. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for veggie-loaded Mexican calabacitas and says, "I love this recipe because it's packed full of flavorful vegetables. The combination of tender sauteed squash and sweet corn kernels mingling with aromatic spices and herbs is absolutely delicious. All of the vegetables in the squash family offer many health benefits, are low in calories, and are neutral enough to take on the flavors of the ingredients they are cooked with." 

Calabacitas can be served as a side dish alongside burritos, tacos, or fajitas. Or you can use it as the filling for tacos and burritos. Read on to learn how to make this versatile dish in 40 minutes

To make this recipe you're, of course, going to need lots of veggies. Head to the produce aisle of your favorite store and grab poblano peppers, jalapeno, onion, garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, corn, and cilantro. 

"The poblano peppers are key here as you're going to roast them to bring some smoky flavor to this dish. If you can't find them, Anaheim peppers will also work. I like using fresh corn cut right off the cob because it is sweeter and remains a little crunchy in the final dish," Hahn shares. 

Additionally, you'll need some avocado oil, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and cotija cheese. "Mexican oregano has a slightly citrusy flavor and is a nice addition to this dish. I usually find it in a cellophane bag in the Mexican food aisle or by the hot peppers at the grocery store," Hahn explains. 

If you can't find Mexican oregano, use regular oregano or dried marjoram instead. You can also use feta cheese as a substitute or dairy-free feta (if you want to make this dish vegan) for cotija.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 F. Place the whole poblano peppers on a baking sheet and pop them in for 30 minutes, giving them a flip halfway through the cooking time. You're looking for blackened skins here. While those are cooking, you've got some chopping to do! Pull out a large chef's knife and a cutting board and chop the jalapeno, onion, garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and cilantro. Cut the corn off of the corn cobs.

When the poblano peppers are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. "I like to chop off the stem and make a cut down the middle of the pepper to help them cool quicker," says Hahn. Start by peeling and discarding the skin. It should come off very easily. Then remove the seeds and discard those as well. Finish by chopping the peppers to get them ready to add to our mix of veggies.

Now that everything is chopped and ready to go, add the oil to a large skillet and bring the heat to medium-high. You're going to be cooking the items in stages so that nothing is overcooked. Start with the jalapeno, onions, and garlic, and cook these for 5 minutes. 

Then add the zucchini, yellow squash, cumin, oregano, and salt, and cook them for 3 minutes. "Be sure and keep a close eye on the time here and only cook these for 3 minutes. You want the zucchini and yellow squash to still have some crunch," Hahn explains. 

Now add the tomatoes and corn and cook for 2 minutes more. After that, remove the pan from the heat and top everything with the cilantro and cheese. Your calabacitas are ready to serve. Pair them with some ground beef street tacos and you've got a fabulous dinner with Mexican culture in mind!