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Video recipe

About this recipe

✨

Recipe highlight

Why you’ll love it

Golden corn, tender zucchini, creamy black beans, smoky poblano, fresh avocado, and zesty pepita salsa create a vibrant Mexican fasting dish ready in one skillet. 🌽

Ingredients

• Calabacitas skillet 🥒
• 🥒 700 g zucchini, cut into thick half-moons (5 cups / 1.54 lb)
• 🫘 250 g cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (1½ cups / 8.8 oz)
• 🌽 250 g sweet corn kernels, drained if canned (1½ cups / 8.8 oz)
• 🫑 1 large poblano pepper, approximately 150 g (5.3 oz)
• 🍅 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved (1½ cups / 8.8 oz)
• 🧅 140 g red or white onion, finely chopped (1 medium onion / 4.9 oz)
• 🧄 15 g garlic, finely chopped (3 cloves / 0.5 oz)
• 🫒 30 ml olive oil, divided (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🌿 1 tsp ground cumin
• 🌶️ 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 🌿 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 🌶️ ½ tsp chili flakes, or to taste
• 🧂 ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• ⚫ ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 🍋 20 ml fresh lime juice (1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 0.7 fl oz)
• Lime-pepita salsa 🌿
• 🌱 50 g roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds (⅓ cup / 1.8 oz)
• 🌿 25 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (1 cup / 0.9 oz)
• 🌶️ 1 small jalapeño, roughly chopped
• 🧄 1 small garlic clove
• 🍋 30 ml fresh lime juice (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 💧 30–45 ml cold water, as needed (2–3 tbsp / 1–1.5 fl oz)
• 🧂 ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• To finish 🍽️
• 🥑 1 large ripe avocado, diced
• 🌿 Fresh cilantro
• 🌱 Roasted pumpkin seeds
• 🌶️ Sliced jalapeños
• 🍋 Lime wedges
• 🌽 Warm corn tortillas, optional

Preparation

• 1 Roast the poblano pepper 🫑 Place the poblano directly over a gas flame or beneath a very hot broiler. Turn regularly until the skin is blackened and blistered on every side.
• 2 Steam and peel the pepper ✨ Transfer the roasted poblano to a covered bowl for 10 minutes. Peel away the loosened skin, remove the stem and seeds, then cut the pepper into thin strips.
• 3 Prepare the lime-pepita salsa 🌿 Place the pumpkin seeds, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and two tablespoons of cold water in a blender. Blend until creamy but still slightly textured, adding more water only when necessary.
• 4 Dry the zucchini 🥒 Pat the zucchini pieces dry with paper towels. Removing surface moisture helps them brown instead of releasing too much liquid into the skillet.
• 5 Char the corn 🌽 Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the olive oil and the corn, then cook for 4–5 minutes without stirring excessively until golden and charred in several places. Transfer to a plate.
• 6 Cook the onion 🧅 Add the remaining olive oil and onion to the same skillet. Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
• 7 Brown the zucchini 🥒 Add the zucchini in a single layer and cook over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes. Stir only occasionally so the edges become golden while the centers remain tender.
• 8 Add the spices and vegetables 🌶️ Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add the poblano strips, cherry tomatoes, black beans, and charred corn.
• 9 Finish the skillet 🍋 Cook for another 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes soften slightly and the beans are hot. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the fresh lime juice.
• 10 Assemble and serve 🍽️ Spoon the warm calabacitas into bowls and top with avocado, fresh cilantro, pumpkin seeds, jalapeño slices, and lime-pepita salsa. Serve immediately with lime wedges and warm corn tortillas when using.

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