I’ve got a thing for Mexican food. I love the spectrum of flavors, from the spicy peppers to the citrusy lime…and everything in between. The “in between” here, involves salty, creamy cheese, herby cilantro and smokey chipotle. Something like this taco can cover all of my tastebuds’ demands!
This is a meal I usually make in a giant skillet on the stove top (see Notes below). But, it’s summer…and I’m sneaky! Grilling the veggies gets me that great charred flavor that I love, but it also gets my husband out on the deck, basically cooking the whole dinner, while I act really busy in the kitchen with a Frozen Pineapple Margarita! I really hope he doesn’t read this post or my days of slacking are over.
Chipotle Grilled Vegetable Tacos
3 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium zucchinis, sliced lengthwise into slices
2 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into slices
2 portabella mushrooms, de-stemmed and wiped clean with a damp towel
1 large red pepper
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, peeled and sliced into thick rings
12 flour tortillas, taco size
4 ounces non-fat or light sour cream
1 avocado, sliced
4 ounces queso blanco, crumbled
Your favorite salsa or taco sauce
1 lime
a few sprigs of cilantro
Preheat your grill to high heat.
Combine the olive oil, chipotle powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush all of the veggies with the olive oil mixture and place them all on a large platter.
The onions and portabella mushrooms should go on the grill first, as they take longer to cook. Then grill the zucchini, squash and red pepper. Once all of the veggies are done, put them on a platter and warm up the tortillas on the grill. This just takes seconds on each side. Stack them up on a plate to keep each other warm.
You’ll need to slice the mushrooms and the red pepper for serving. Cut the mushrooms first to allow the pepper to cool down. Slice them fairly thin. Then remove the charred skin from the pepper. It should come off really easily. Discard the core and stem and slice the pepper into thin strips.
To assemble the tacos, spread a bit of sour cream on the taco, add some veggies, top with some avocado slices, crumbled queso blanco, some salsa, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Notes:
- Use this recipe as a guide. You don’t have to use these exact veggies. Use what you have on hand or what you like best. Same goes for the toppings.
- If you don’t have chipotle powder, use chili powder. The chipotle adds a nice smokey flavor and a little kick of heat. You can play around with the spices to make it your own.
- I grill the portabellas and the red pepper whole to retain moisture and because chasing little bits around on a grill can be challenging! If you have a grill pan, you can go ahead and slice them up and cook them in that.
- Be generous with your cooking time for the portabellas. They get “meatier” as they cook and less watery. If they are undercooked, you may end up with a watery taco.
- To make these tacos vegan, omit the sour cream and either omit the cheese altogether or use either a vegan cheese or a bit of nutritional yeast. As for the tortilla, I’ve heard that Mission brand is made with no animal products. If you know of other vegan tortillas, let me know!
- To prepare this on a stovetop, slice all of the veggies, add the mushrooms to a pan with the olive oil first and get them nice and brown. Add the remaining veggies, and sauté until somewhat softened. I like the veggies to have a bite to them, but cook them longer if you’d like. Then add the spices and toss to coat before serving.
I love the colours in this! Tacos are such a fun thing to mess around with—and they always end up being so photogenic :)
Thanks so much Irina! I agree..they are a lot of fun to photograph…and eat! :)
These looks so very scrumptious. I love a good veggie taco and I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one to be “busy” in the kitchen with a drink while my husband grills. I think that’s got to be one of my most favorite things about summer grilling. :)
Marie…you have me laughing! I’m getting the feeling that this has been a secret most of us have been keeping! I feel terrible that I may have ruined it for all of us! ;) So far, my husband isn’t on to me! Thanks for your sweet and funny comment!
My family loves Chipotle, I can’t wait to try this recipe-and anything to get out of a night of cooking! Love the summer for grilling!
Hahaha…I guess I’m not the only one using grilling as a night off! ;) Let me know how it turns out! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I made these for lunch and they turned out so well. I loved the taste of the vegetable mix – the flavors go well together. This is one of my favorite taco recipes now :). I’m glad I found your blog!
I am so happy you loved them Megan! Your comment has made my day…I needed a little pick me up! Thanks so much! I’m a taco freak ;) so look for more taco recipes to come!
These tacos look awesome!! During summer meals like this are my absolute favorite. And yup, one of the best things is that hubby does the cooking when we grill, lol! :)
Thanks a bunch, Faith! I wish you lived closer! We could put our feet up with a cold drink and chat while the boys tend to the grill! :)
These Vegetable Tacos look delish. I have been looking for a vegetarian taco recipe and I think I am going to give this a go. Hope I can grill this outside on the barbecue instead of indoors!
Thank you Ai Lin! I hope you love them! Let me know how they turn out!
Is this the same one you made in Florida at Mom’s house? It looks so good. Hubert loves Mexican food,so I will have to make it for him. Love you and miss you all so much. We had such a good time with you, just wish it was longer.
No, this isn’t the same one, it is similar though. That one has some different veggies. We had a blast too…love and miss you!