Summer Squash Vegan Tacos Recipe

The most delicious vegan tacos recipe made with charred zucchini and summer squash. Top with pico de gallo. Super easy and extremely delicious!

Recipe first posted August 21, 2011 when we lived in North Dakota and was last updated August 5, 2023.

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Every time I go to the Farmer’s market I picture the mountains of snow that will soon be piled high above my head and how my produce options will be limited to the pathetic-looking specimens in the supermarket.

Admittedly, I would make a pitiful Laura Ingalls Wilder out here on the prairie. I enjoy all the modern day conveniences and still complain about not having locally-grown produce in the middle of winter. I guess living in San Francisco destroyed my inner-homsteader.

All this vegetable hoarding has led Armando to declare last week, “I can’t have pasta or stir-fry again tonight.” He can’t stand bean or grain salads so I started thinking tacos.

Summer squash make excellent tacos when tossed in a hot pan with a little onion and spice. The trick is to make sure the pan and oil are hot, but not smoking, and to not stir too much. This will give you nice charred spots without the squash turning to mush.

If you love vegan tacos, check out the jackfruit tacos in my book, Plant Powered Mexican!

Here’s Why You’ll Love These Vegan Tacos

• Endlessly customizable—make them spicier with sliced jalapeños, add more vegetables or beans
• Super fresh tasting with lightly charred summer squash, onions, and garlic
• Really easy with just a quick sauté of veggies like my vegan chipotle mushroom tacos
• Excellent way to use up all the summer zucchini
• Summer squash filling is awesome outside of the tortilla as well. Use in rice bowls, in a torta, or stuffed in a gordita.

Ingredients

Here’s the basic rundown of what you need to make these vegan tacos. I like to keep them simple but of course you can take these in a million different directions. Feel free to add crumbled tofu, diced avocado, bell peppers, or even refried beans.

• Olive oil or a more neutral-flavored oil if you prefer. I also like avocado oil.
• Red onion for a bit of sweetness. White onion would also work.
• Garlic or garlic powder
• Summer squash. Use zucchini, yellow squash, patty pan squash or any combination of the three.
• Ground cumin. To add that intense earthy punch.
• Corn tortillas or flour tortillas if you prefer just make sure to warm them first. Blue corn tortillas are my favorite if you can find them. Or make your own.
• Fresh cilantro for sprinkling over the zucchini at the end right before serving.
• Kosher salt. I always use Morton kosher salt unless otherwise specified.
• Pico de Gallo for serving. Other garnish options could include guacamole, mango salsa, vegan cheese, shredded lettuce, and lime wedges for squeezing lime juice over the tacos.

How To Make This Recipe

step one

Saute onions and garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, but not browned.

step two

Char summer squash. Add summer squash and toss in the oil then let cook, undisturbed until there are spots of dark brown on the side touching the pan. Give a stir and let char on the other side. Add cumin and another generous pinch of salt and stir. If you want to add a touch of spice you could also stir in a teaspoon chili powder as well.

step three

Serve. Once squash is nicely charred and cooked through, but not mushy, give a taste and see if if needs more salt. Stir in the cilantro. Spoon into warm tortillas, top with Pico de Gallo or your favorite salsa and serve.

*Chef’s Tip: Use High Heat

The secret to the summer squash filling is to get the pan really hot and char the outside of the zucchini quickly while keeping the inside al dente. So make sure you are cooking over medium-high to high heat (depending on the power of your stove).

*Chef’s Tip: Don’t Stir

The other key when cooking zucchini and summer squash is to not stir it too much. You want to give it a chance to get nice and browned before stirring. But watch closely, this is a quick sauté, you don’t want to walk away and come back to a burnt taco filling.

What To Serve with Them

These tacos make an excellent light Meatless Monday meal but if you want to round it out, try serving with:

• Cilantro-Lime Cabbage Slaw
• Best Ever Canned Black Beans
• Papas Con Chile {Crispy Potatoes in Red Sauce}
• Veracruz-Style Hominy
• Tomato Avocado Salsa

Vegan Taco FAQ’s

How can I get more protein in these tacos? This is one of my favorite summer veggie taco dishes because it is so easy and has so much flavor. If you need an extra bit of protein, add crumbled vegan taco meat to the filling. You can find lots of plant-based options in the grocery store or try Lindsay’s homemade recipe—it’s really good.

I don’t like zucchini. Can I use other vegetables? Sure! swap cauliflower for the summer squash to make cauliflower tacos or in the winter months I use the same technique to make sweet potato or butternut squash tacos. You can also make a filling with roasted veggies.

Are these vegan tacos healthy? Absolutely! They are packed full of nutrition. High in fiber, low in calories with tons of vitamins and zero saturated fat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), zucchini and summer squash are high in vitamin C and vitamin B.

More Taco Recipes To Try!

• Vegan Tacos with Mushrooms and Jicama Slaw
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sprouted Lentil Tacos
• Quinoa Tacos with Chorizo
• Chiles en Nogada-Style Pork Tacos
• Ground Beef Picadillo Tacos
• Shredded Beef Tacos
• Grilled Fish Tacos with Sweet Corn Salsa

Don’t Miss One Of The Best Vegan Taco Recipes

You will love all the flavors and textures of these summer squash tacos. Let me know when you make them by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!

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