Taco Salad with Minced Beef

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g lean minced beef (5% fat)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (2 tsp for the beef, 1 tsp for the tortillas)
• 2 tsp ground cumin + 2 tsp sweet paprika + 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato purée + 80 ml water
• 1 romaine lettuce (about 400 g)
• 1 tin kidney beans (250 g drained)
• 1 tin of sweetcorn (140 g drained)
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 red onion (about 120 g)
• 80 g grated cheddar
• 2 corn tortillas (about 40 g each)
• 2 pots whole-milk plain yoghurt (125 g each) + 1 lime (for the sauce)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Baking tray and baking paper
• Large frying pan
• Spatula
• Colander
• Fine grater
• Bowl

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the tortillas into triangles or strips, spread them out on the baking tray lined with baking paper, rub them with 1 tsp oil using your fingertips and salt lightly.
2. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, keeping an eye on them: the shards should be golden and crisp, and they will harden further as they cool. Take them out and leave to cool on the tray.
3. Meanwhile, peel the red onion and slice it thinly. Rinse and drain the kidney beans and sweetcorn. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Wash the romaine, dry it and cut it into 2 cm strips.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the minced beef and let it brown for 2 minutes without touching it, then break it up with the spatula and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until no longer pink.
5. Reduce to medium heat and add the cumin, paprika, oregano, tomato purée and water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the meat is well coated and almost all the liquid has evaporated.
6. Make the sauce: grate the lime zest over a bowl, add the lime juice, the yoghurts, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper, then whisk until smooth. Taste: it should be fresh and nicely tangy.
7. Divide the romaine between 4 large shallow bowls, then arrange the hot beef, kidney beans, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes and red onion on top in small piles side by side.
8. Sprinkle with grated cheddar, drizzle with the yoghurt-lime sauce and add the tortilla shards at the last minute so they stay crisp. Serve immediately, letting everyone toss their own salad at the table.