Calabacitas
Calabacitas is a Mexican side dish made with yellow squash, zucchini, corn, onion, peppers, and cotija cheese. It's light, summery, and can be served with your favorite main course or on its own with tortillas.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 138kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small zucchini, cubed
- 2 small summer squash, cubed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup heavy cream, optional
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add oil and butter. Once melted and hot, add onion and poblano pepper, cooking until onions begin to brown around the edges and soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Add corn, zucchini, squash, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes, stirring to incorporate. Cover, reduce heat to low, and steam for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until squash is softened to your liking (time depends on the size of your cubes).
- Remove lid and stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat, top with crumbled cotija cheese, and serve warm.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Frozen corn can be substituted with roasted, canned, or fresh corn.
- Feel free to add your own favorite vegetables, like diced tomato, green beans, and mushrooms.
- Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Squash will soften more upon reheating.
- Butter can be substituted with additional oil, and cream and cheese can be omitted to make this recipe vegan.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg