If you’ve loaded up on fresh salad greens and other produce for the week, think main dish salads. A composed salad of a protein and salad greens and vegetables means a complete meal on a plate. It also solves the dinnertime dilemma. When you have nice greens and produce and artfully arrange on a plate, salad for dinner also looks beautiful. And you can think of it as getting all your daily vegetable servings in one dish.
Today’s Grilled Steak and Veggie Salad with homemade balsamic dressing makes great use of any salad greens. The steak is rubbed with a mixture that includes ground coffee. But you can use your favorite seasonings or rub. The addition of cool and tangy blue cheese rounds out the dish. You can also use grilled chicken or fish or make it vegetarian with all vegetables.
Adding a grilled vegetable component to this is also so easy. When you grill the steak (or chicken or salmon) grill some in-season veggies, too. Think zucchini slices or sweet or red onions or mini bell peppers. Most vegetables take little time to grill, and it’s a great way to get a serving of vegetables.
The other unique thing about this recipe is that it calls for making your own vinaigrette. While it may cost a few cents more per ounce to make your own, they are a good idea because you typically have most of the ingredients on hand and you control the sodium and sugar. And they are fresh, with no preservatives.
Grilled Steak and Veggie Salad
Serves: 4 (generous main-dish servings)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
If you don’t have time to grill, use any leftover meat, poultry or fish with this salad.
For the steak:
3/4 to 1-lb. flat iron steak or favorite steak
1 Tbsp. dark-roast ground coffee or espresso powder
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground ancho chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 red onion, cut into wedges and skewered
8 mini bell peppers, thread on skewers
2 small (6-inch) zucchini, washed, sliced on the diagonal
Olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 oz. reduced-fat or regular blue cheese
For the balsamic-herb vinaigrette:
5 Tbsp. olive oil (a fruity one preferred)
2 Tbsp. white or dark balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. dried leaf Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. sugar
Place the steak on a platter. In a small bowl mix together the coffee, sugar, chili pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub both sides of the steak with the rub mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the salad greens and tear into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the red onion, peppers and zucchini on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
When the grill is hot, oil the grates and heat another 5 minutes.
Place the steak on the hot part of the grill to sear it. Add the vegetables to a cooler side of the grill. After a few minutes, turn it at an angle if you want to get crosshatch marks. Grill a few minutes longer and then turn over and move the steak to a cooler part of the grill and finish grilling to desired degree of doneness. A whole steak should take about 15-18 minutes for medium-rare. Continue grilling the vegetables until they are tender.
Remove the steak from grill to a clean platter. Let rest about 5 minutes before slicing, against the grain, on a slight diagonal. Cut the peppers into pieces if desired.
On individual plates, place a generous 1 1/2 cups of the greens. Top with steak slices and vegetables. Drizzle with the dressing or pass it on the side. Top each with crumbled blue cheese.
From and tested by Susan M. Selasky
458 calories (65 percent from fat), 34 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 20 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, 700 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber.
About the Author
