Taco Salad

This recipe served as a great reminder to us how important it is to read through the instructions for a dish carefully and completely before embarking on your shopping trip. Because we did not read down to the bottom of the recipe and simply wrote down the ingredients list, we forgot some of the toppings that would have made this dish outstanding, such as avocado and pepper jack cheese. Even without those extras, this salad was a simple and festive dish that was quick enough to make after work without feeling bogged down in the kitchen. We particularly enjoyed the dressing, which was fresh and had an oil/lime base, a nice departure from a salsa dressing on a taco salad. We were able to improvise (using cheese curds sliced thin instead of pepper jack which was much better than you would expect), the salad turned out nicely, and we were subtly reminded to follow our own advice of careful planning. All and all, we think the meal turned out well.

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup water
• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cups corn tortilla chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Combine lime juice, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1/3 cup olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.

2. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add beef and cook, breaking up clumps with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and water and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and cover to keep warm.

3. Toss lettuce, tomatoes, and chips with lime juice dressing in large bowl. Divide salad among individual plates and top each portion with some heat mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and any aditional toppings. Serve

Notes

For a spicer taco salad, add a pinch of cayenne to the meat mixture, if you like, top this salad with diced avocoados, shredded pepper jack or chedder cheese, minced red onion, or sour cream.

Recipe Adapted From: 

Cook's Country