Summer veggies shine in these vegetarian Creamy Corn, Zucchini and Poblano Tacos. These tacos are easy to pull together and freezer friendly w/ gluten free and easily vegan options.
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Summer’s Harvest
This time of year, produce wise, is one of my favorites! While most of the country has been enjoying zucchini, corn and peppers, our little corner of the world is just recently enjoying the abundance of these veggies. Heirloom tomatoes are finally in too!
Fresh white sweet corn easily makes it way off the cob and into the freezer. No need for blanching the corn. Simply line a sheet pan with parchment, lay the kernels on it, spreading them out evenly giving the sweet little niblets space so they don’t stick together, then freeze for about an hour. Place the corn in freezer jars or bags for longer storage.
Summer freshness come winter is so satisfying.
Easy Tacos
Vegetarian tacos wiggle their way into our dinner menu just about every week. Planned or unplanned. I find they’re usually quick to make with ingredients I have on hand.
Or, there’s almost always a stash of tofu taco filling in the freezer (hooray!). And then there’s those nights where I’m craving breakfast tacos for dinner.
I think tacos are perfect casual food, with toasty tortillas waiting to be stuffed with something delicious.
How to Roast Poblanos
Roasting poblanos bring out their smoky flavor so if this is new territory, I encourage you to give it a go! It’s simple to do on a gas range or in the oven.
- First, simply lay the poblanos right on an open flame and blister them, rotating as needed so all sides, nooks and crannies are blistered. This takes about 10 minutes. Blistering can also be done in an oven, under the broiler in about the same amount of time.
- Next, place the blistered poblanos in a covered container to sweat for about 10 minutes.
- Last, slip the skin off, remove the seeds and stem.
At this point poblanos can be frozen too, you know, for that winter-time goodness. Simply place the peeled poblanos in freezer bags. When ready to use, defrost the entire bag or cut off the amount you’ll need while the peppers are still frozen.
Quick Guide: How to Make Corn Zucchini and Poblano Tacos
This recipe is all about multitasking. So, while the poblanos are roasting the veggies are chopped. While the poblanos are sweating it out, the zucchini, corn and onions are cooked. In summary, here’s how to make these summer tacos (see recipe card for details):
- First, heat a bit of oil in a skillet and cook the zucchini and corn. Transfer to a bowl.
- Second, heat a bit more oil in the same pan and cook the onions.
- Third, once the onions are cooked add the spices, corn and zucchini. Stir in the sliced poblano peppers and stir in the sour cream.
- Last, warm through then stuff the mixture into warm tortillas.
Share with your favorite tortillas, and Mexican food sides!
A Few Recipe Notes
- Freezer friendly? Oh yes! The poblano/corn/zucchini mixture can be frozen easily. Store in a lidded container for up to two weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and gently rewarm stove-top.
- Time saving pro tip: poblanos can be roasted up to two days in advance if needed. They can be frozen too. Simply place the peeled poblanos in freezer bags. When ready to use, defrost the entire bag or cut off the amount you’ll need while the peppers are still frozen.
- Share Creamy Corn, Zucchini and Poblano Tacos with favorites like avocado or charred jalapeño-lime guacamole, tomatoes, red salsa or salsa verde, toasted pepitas and of course a big sprinkle of cilantro and lime. A side of Spanish brown rice is also SO nice.
- Vegan option? Yes please! Simply use vegan sour cream in place of dairy.
More Vegetarian Tacos to Love
- Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw
- Rancheros Tofu Scramble
- Homemade Sofritas
- Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos – from Foolproof Living
- Mexican Inspired Tofu Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw
- Chipotle Zucchini and Corn Tacos – from Floating Kitchen
the recipe
Creamy Corn, Zucchini and Poblano Tacos
Ingredients
- 1/4 C (40g) Pepitas
- 3 (10oz / 300g) Poblanos
- 4 tsp Coconut Oil, melted, unrefined virgin-cold pressed
- 1 lb (465g) Zucchini sliced into bite size pieces - about 2 1/2 C
- 1 1/4 C (170g) Sweet Corn fresh off the cob if you can get it, otherwise, frozen
- 2 C (200g) Purple Onion, sliced in 1/2 moons, about one large
- 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
- 3/4 tsp Cumin ground
- 3/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Oregano dried
- 1/2 C (130g) Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche or sub vegan sour cream for vegan option
- 1/2 Lime, juiced
- 1 Fist Full of Fresh Cilantro chopped for serving
Serve With:
- 10-12 Corn or Flour Tortillas gluten free if needed, look for organic and/or non GMO
- Avocado
- Salsa
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- Lime Wedges
Instructions
- In a non stick pan, toast the pepitas on medium low heat for about three minutes, tossing and flipping the pepitas until they are slightly golden and fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- Blistering/Roasting poblanos can be accomplished on stove top gas range, in oven or grill. A. Stove Top Gas Range: Blister poblanos on a medium open stove top flame turning as needed until all the skin is charred, about 10 minutes. B. In Oven: Heat oven to broiling. Set the poblanos on an unlined sheet pan and broil, turning the poblanos every 2-3 minutes to blister, for about 10 minutes. C. Grill: Heat grill to highest heat setting. Set poblanos on grill grate, turning the poblanos every 4-5 minutes to blister for about 10 minutes. Once blistered set the poblanos in a covered bowl for 10 minutes (this will make them easier to peel!). Peel, remove the stem and seeds and slice into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, add 2 tsp of oil. Heat until shimmering. Turn heat to medium and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring only a few times, for about 8 minutes, a bit of browning is okay. Add the corn and cook for another 2 minutes (the pan will be a bit crowded). Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the last 2 tsp of oil. Heat until shimmering. Turn heat to medium low and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic, cumin, sea salt and oregano. Stir to coat. Turn heat to low, add the poblanos, corn and zucchini mixture and the sour cream. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients on low heat to gently warm. A few more tablespoons of sour cream can be added if desired. Squeeze 1/2 lime over mixture, stir, remove from heat. Put a lid on it to keep warm.
- Warm tortillas over a low open stove flame, about 20 seconds each side for charring or according to package directions. Serve warm tortillas with filling and toppings as desired.
- To freeze, place zucchini mixture in a freezer proof container for up to three weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and gently rewarm over low heat.
Think I could use cashew yogurt?
Hi Leah! Thank you for your note. I’ve not tried cashew yogurt, so am not sure how it will perform when heated in this recipe. If you give it a go, please let us know how it goes?!
When you say 4 servings, do you mean 4 tacos or 8 tacos per recipe? Looking forward to making this soon! Thank you.
Hi Minaxi – it makes about 10-12 tacos depending on how much you stuff into each taco. So, this recipe, as written, could easily feed 4 people, maybe 5 – adults. I hope this helps!
These tacos look amazing Traci! I will show them to all my friends who say vegetarian foods are boring. Can’t make them at the moment but I’m looking for the closest taco place right now!
Thank you so much Luna! I hope you get a chance to make these! Not boring.. ever! :D
Made these tacos tonight and they were so amazingly good! Thanks for such a great recipe- can’t wait to try more.
Hooray! Thank you for your note Karen! We love these too.. in fact, I’ll be making another batch and freezing for later!
How fresh and colorful these are, Traci, and making the most of what’s in season as well. These sound like they are so full of flavor and I love the little crunch you add from the pepitas. I just bought a tortilla press and cannot wait to try tacos with homemade tortillas. After trying so hard to keep a minimalist kitchen, I finally gave in and bought a single-use gadget. ;) Pinning to make soon!
The pepitas! I’m so in love.. they’re versatile, nutritious and that crunch! I’ve been wanting to get a tortilla press.. I’ve been keeping my eyes out when I go to the thrift store. I’m hoping one will make a showing! How fun that you have one now! I hope you and your family enjoy the recipe Emily! xo
These are my kind of tacos! Perfect for these still warm September days, and such a delicious way to make the most of late-summer veggies!
I’m SO with you Laura! xo
These look incredible Traci (my mouth is literally watering!) – love roasted poblanos and it’s about the sear on those tortillas… a wow dish (my planned dinner is not nearly as compelling ;d)
You always make me giggle, Kelly! :D Thank you for that! The sear on the tortillas give them a bit of crispy edge.. OMGeee ! xo
You are so patient to wait this long for summer produce! The seasonal produce seems to come early here and last for a short period of time. I’m still trying to adjust after being spoiled in California. ;)
Roasted poblanos are my favorite and I love how you combined them with corn and zucchini in a creamy base. Sounds unbelievable! I need to try these before those peppers disappear for fall!
It’s SO worth the wait, Sarah… and the benefit is that it all lingers into October.. kind of an extended summer! Hooray! I completely get the adjustment thing… Cali has the most incredible fresh produce. I hope you find some fresh poblanos! It’s a great time for roasting all the peppers! xo
Oh my goodness, Traci, I have been CRAVING tacos and this just brought that right to the surface again! They look amazing (that filling!) and so simple. Another perfect recipe.
It is TIME, Alexandra! Tacos!! I can’t wait to see what you whip up! xo
Oh my goodness, this could be my new favorite taco recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Sooo good, Sean! I hope you enjoy them! :D
The pictures brought me in and I stayed for the recipe. sounds amazing and can’t wait to try it
Thank you so much for your kind words Inci! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :D
These looks so amazing, Traci! I really wish I had one in my hand right now! The creaminess sounds delicious! I love that you freeze the fresh corn so you can enjoy it in the winter! Although, it’s September, it’s still feeling very much like summer around here so these are perfect :)
Thaaank you Izzy! We need to have a taco party at your place! lol! I know you’d love them… with your Mexican food obsession (#twinning!)…. go grab that corn and freeze it! xo
OMG, you just reminded me I NEED to freeze corn! I’ve been meaning to do so all summer, and I keep forgetting! And fresh corn is my favorite thing ever, so I need to stop procrastinating. Guess I’m going to have to pick up a few dozen ears, because I also need about 3 hundred of these tacos in my life! These look absolutely amazing, Traci! I’m loving the corn, zucchini and poblano combo! SO GOOD! Pinning to try! Cheers, friend!
LOL – you’d love these flavor packed tacos! Freeze that corn, Chey… !! Then whip up a batch… you’re going to love them! xo
Oh gosh, I love poblano peppers. And I am right there with you on the weekly taco rotation! There is something comforting about having a go-to meal like that. These are the veggie tacos of my dreams, Traci! xoxo
Oh my gosh! I’m SO with you Tessa! They are incredibly versatile and over the top flavorful! You gotta give these tacos a go! xo
Oh I love these loaded veggie tacos, so so good. And all the goodness, beautiful my dear. This is definitely my idea of a lovely Sunday meal. Yum yum!!
xx
Thaaank you Ash! And they’re so simple, really! xo
I don’t make taco enough, Traci – you are totally inspiring me! These look so good and I love all the veggies you’ve got packed in there. Love that you are finally getting late summer produce in your neck of the woods – enjoy!
I’m with you on the veggies Geraldine! And these have SO much flavor. Get the sweetest corn you can get your hands on too! I hope you’ll give these a go! xo
Beautiful! A tip about freezing peppers–place sections, skin side up, on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for an hour or so, until hard. Then pop them in a freezer bag. Since they are frozen individually they don’t stick together, so it’s much easier later to just take out however much you need. I’ve only tried it with raw peppers but it might work on roasted ones.
Hiii Jennifer! Thank you so much for your tip! That’s a great idea… and how I freeze so many berries and… corn too! hehe! I’ll update the post! :D
Oh my goodness Tracy!!! You are making me wish that every day was Taco Tuesday. Of course tacos and nachos are my all time favorite cheat foods. . .so you don’t have to ask me twice to shovel these beauties into my mouth. These look so darn good that I think I could even convince my meat loving hubby to eat a plate full. Is it Taco Tuesday yet?
Then let’s make it so, Lynn! I declare every day Taco Day! Hooray! OMGeee nachos.. I’m SO with you ;D . Rob loves these tacos, so maybe your meat loving hubby will too? … I hope you’ll give em’ a go! xo
This is like all my taco dreams come true Traci. I cannot agree more on the fact that this time of the year is amazing when it comes to produce. The farmer’s markets are in abundance of incredible produce.
I want to stop time! :P
Hope you are well my dear. <3
LOL! Right? When I saw this recipe… I flipped out! I made it so many times and tweaked it just a bit. I love the added cumin… a perfect taco stuffing IMHO. And why not this trio of in season goodness?! Thaaank you Aysegul !! xo
How is it that you can make a taco look like a work of art? These will surely add to your beautiful weekend! Have a great one, my friend! xo
LOL! Thank you so much Annie! xo
Gorgeous, as always. Rick Bayless is one of my heroes. Terrific adaptation, Traci!
Thaaank you Deb! We need to get together and make Rick’s recipes! Love his work so much too! :D
Mexican was on the menu for tonight so how can I not make these now after seeing how you have packed all the end of summer’s bounty into these gorgeous tortillas?! Thanks for motivating me to buy extra at the farm stand so that I can enjoy these through the winter instead of just dreaming about them!
Hooray for buying extra at the farm stand! I hope you enjoy these tacos Jean! :D
Ok, you win with you corn and zucchini tacos. They look amazing (and way fancier than mine – lol). Love the roasted poblano in there. Perfect late Summer dinner! Yay! Enjoy your weekend, Traci!
hehe… Liz! I’ll trade ya? Aren’t poblanos over the top!? I love them too! ;D
These have to be the most delicious looking and sounding tacos ever Traci! That first photo is over the top! I wish I could grab one of those tacos right off my screen! We’ve still got lots of delicious Jersey corn around, along with zucchini and tomatoes from my brother-in-law’s garden to whip these up! Thanks for sharing and hope you guys have a great weekend soaking up the end of summer!
Why, thank you Mary Ann! Fresh garden veggies are the best! So sweet of your BIL to share!