Veggie Sides for Tacos

brandi_84
brandi_84 Posts: 1,963 Member
I'm trying to create balanced meals. I don't think I'm getting enough veggies in with just toppings on the taco. Do you ever pair your tacos with vegetables? What do you think would go good?

Replies

  • mfpdlc75
    mfpdlc75 Posts: 3 Member
    I create a huge salad (lettuce, toms, cucumber, peppers, celery, red onion) with lime juice and salt as the dressing, then add the taco components (in my case beans, sour cream, cheese and salsa) as the toppings on the salad. I then scoop some into the tortilla, and eat the rest "deconstructed".
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    I'm partial to cutting up bell peppers (like at least 2 and they can't be the green ones) when having tacos.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    We do oven fries with our tacos on taco night.
  • brandi_84
    brandi_84 Posts: 1,963 Member
    edited November 2020
    @mfpdlc75
    I think I will probably take your suggestion.

    @MaltedTea. I love bell peppers. I wish I had bought some when I did my grocery shopping. That would have been good.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I think fries would be good for nachos instead of chips. I'm not sure I want to add extra carbs to the tacos. Thank you for your suggestion.

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I'll do roasted Poblano peppers and onions or a Mexican style coleslaw. I make fresh pico and avocado, so that also counts, plus a bunch of shredded lettuce(or spinach), chopped tomatoes, and cilantro.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    brandi_84 wrote: »
    @mfpdlc75
    I think I will probably take your suggestion.

    @MaltedTea. I love bell peppers. I wish I had bought some when I did my grocery shopping. That would have been good.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I think fries would be good for nachos instead of chips. I'm not sure I want to add extra carbs to the tacos. Thank you for your suggestion.

    Lol most veggies have carbs. 🤷‍♀️ Good luck with dinner though.
  • brandi_84
    brandi_84 Posts: 1,963 Member
    brandi_84 wrote: »
    @mfpdlc75
    I think I will probably take your suggestion.

    @MaltedTea. I love bell peppers. I wish I had bought some when I did my grocery shopping. That would have been good.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I think fries would be good for nachos instead of chips. I'm not sure I want to add extra carbs to the tacos. Thank you for your suggestion.

    Lol most veggies have carbs. 🤷‍♀️ Good luck with dinner though.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I know, you're right. I felt silly after thinking about how I worded that. I just meant I was trying to figure how to add volume to the meal with less calories. I'm trying to include more non-starchy vegetables to my family's diet. Our go to is always bread, potatoes, rice.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    brandi_84 wrote: »
    brandi_84 wrote: »
    @mfpdlc75
    I think I will probably take your suggestion.

    @MaltedTea. I love bell peppers. I wish I had bought some when I did my grocery shopping. That would have been good.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I think fries would be good for nachos instead of chips. I'm not sure I want to add extra carbs to the tacos. Thank you for your suggestion.

    Lol most veggies have carbs. 🤷‍♀️ Good luck with dinner though.

    @Chef_Barbell
    I know, you're right. I felt silly after thinking about how I worded that. I just meant I was trying to figure how to add volume to the meal with less calories. I'm trying to include more non-starchy vegetables to my family's diet. Our go to is always bread, potatoes, rice.

    Ahh that makes sense... sometimes I will roast root vegetables or do zucchini or green beans like a fry and use a taco style seasoning on them like cumin and Sazon.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,943 Member
    Guac and Mexican charred street corn and mexican cactus salad come to mind. Lighty pickled thinly sliced root vegetables might not be mexican but probably a flavour profile that compliments tacos. Have a look at the sides section of menus for non fast food Mexican restaurants for inspiration.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,943 Member
    Black beans and baked plantains.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I usually will have zucchini (roasted or sautéed depending on how I feel) or I do a side of fajita vegetables.
  • brandi_84
    brandi_84 Posts: 1,963 Member
    Pickled onions and radishes are good on tacos

    @missysippy930
    I did not know. I'll have to look into this. Thank you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    In the summer we usually do a crunchy Mexican coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and a lime and avocado oil dressing. In winter we usually sauté fajita vegetables.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    edited December 2020
    Quick pickled veggies, carrot, Onions, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, peppers that aren’t too hot.
    (Quick version of escabiche)
  • Jpedno
    Jpedno Posts: 301 Member
    Calabacitas goes well with tacos: Sautéed onion, corn, summer squash, and green chile
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,162 Member
    Jicama (with or without lime juice and chili powder), sweet potatoes (yea, starchy) cubed & roasted (seasoned or plain), nopales Mexicana, sweet corn (starchy again) with roasted red peppers.
  • olympos92
    olympos92 Posts: 76 Member
    Zucchini, carrot, eggplant. I grate each one of thoe ingredients and cook them in the pan. Proves to be delicious side dish.



  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    edited December 2020
    The ones I do that have been suggested:

    Jicama
    Nopales
    Bell peppers and onions

    The one that hasn't been:

    Roasted whole okra

    Also, if you would consider adding fruit, try a fruit salad (especially melons) with jicama included - topped with lime juice and chili powder. Our local Mexican restaurant used to serve this.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,943 Member
    Not authentic but a good match for the flavour profile of tacos would be Mexicanized SE asian fruit salad ingredients. Green papaya or green mango with cotija cheese, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
  • erosemiller314
    erosemiller314 Posts: 48 Member
    mfpdlc75 wrote: »
    I create a huge salad (lettuce, toms, cucumber, peppers, celery, red onion) with lime juice and salt as the dressing, then add the taco components (in my case beans, sour cream, cheese and salsa) as the toppings on the salad. I then scoop some into the tortilla, and eat the rest "deconstructed".

    I do this as well. Sometimes skipping the tortilla. Sometimes not. But taco "stuff" on top of a salad is one of my favorites!!!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,943 Member
    I made this last night and thought it was terrific. Pairs well with SE Asian food, but I would imagine it works well with Mexican too. You could use cilantro instead of basil and lime instead of lemon for a more Mexican flavour. It's easiest to stick bamboo skewers into red onion before slicing in thick rounds so they hold together on the griddle pan.
    http://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/grilled-pineapple-red-onion-salad/
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I love julienned jicama, radishes, and shredded cabbage tossed together with pickled red onions
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    My go-to for vegetables is to roast them--typically broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and asparagus in our house. If it's Taco night, I'll add Mexican spices to them. I actually have a Tex-Mex spice grinder that I use. I also just do some raw veggies with guacamole.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited February 2021
    My tacos are usually some type of bean and some chopped walnuts, which I know is kind of weird, but I like the crunch (I use soft tortillas, not the crunchy ones). Topped with guacamole, pico, cilantro and lime juice. I think that's pretty healthy. I have been on a mango kick so me and my kids will share a mango as well. If I wanted a side, I would probably roast sweet potato, just because I like sweet potatoes lol. I don't really care about my food being "authentic" or anything though.
  • Ronin8033
    Ronin8033 Posts: 4 Member
    I usually make a homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes, onion, peppers (your choice, I use serrano and sometimes habanero), cilantro, a squeeze of lemon, and salt to taste. Then I pile it on my taco. I also like zucchini on the side. Sometimes I'll do bell peppers as well.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,943 Member
    I made Thai pomelo salad last night which I imagine could be nice Mexicanized. Segment a grapefruit or pomelo with a knife, removing all pith and membraine. Mix with some finely sliced red onion, finely sliced chillis, cilantro and mint, grated garlic and lime juice. Optional olive oil and sugar and salt to taste.
  • mcdon22al
    mcdon22al Posts: 1 Member
    I love Calabacitas which someone else also mentioned.
  • natgurl95
    natgurl95 Posts: 17 Member
    I sauté zucchini with taco seasoning on it. Eat it with my tacos, then throw it into a taco salad with the other leftovers the next day.