Strawberry Balsamic Summer Steak Salad
“Fruit…on a green salad? I don’t knowwwww.”
That’s something you would’ve heard me saying years ago when I was younger, inexperienced, and naive.
I always thought sweet fruits didn’t have a place on a salad. Remember when restaurants used to serve mandarin oranges on Asian salads with those little stringy sesame sticks? I feel like that’s so old school, and it may have been where I started my thought process that fruit shouldn’t be mixed with greens. I have since expanded my taste buds and can openly admit I was wrong…fruit is wonderful on greens when properly paired.
Peach and burrata in the spring…yes, please!
Pears or apples on spinach in the fall…omg yasss queen!
Berries and arugula in the summer. You bet your ass! Get in my belly!
For this recipe, as long as you use some type of berries it will be delicious! Blackberries, Strawberries, and Red Grapes are my favorite combo but if you want to throw some raspberries or dried cranberries in there… by all means, go for it!
In my humble (but correct) opinion, there is no better cheese pairing to go alongside sweet blackberries than goat cheese. There are plenty of variations to choose from and as long as you stick to something sweet you’ll love every bite! I found a pear, wine, and rosemary goat cheese by Laura Chenel that was newly introduced for the season and it was phenomenal. I’ve made this salad before with plain goat cheese, honey, or even cranberry goat cheese. All of them get the job done!
You can buy balsamic vinegar from the grocery store (just know I’ll be judging you…just kidding…kinda!). Honestly, I never thought the store bought balsamic compared to making it at home, it’s so easy to whip up and so much more affordable I don’t know why anyone would ever buy it unless they have truly never tried making it themselves at all. A little balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon is ALL you need to have a silky smooth balsamic fit for any salad.
And for the steak, you can use any cut you like. I take it easy with a small dainty thin piece of steak sliced incredibly thin to keep the entire salad light, delicate, and luxurious.
This is one of my favorite girls' night salads, and it pairs perfectly with wine…and of course the latest tea.
Strawberry Balsamic Summer Steak Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- Baby Arugula and Baby Spinach Mix
- 5oz Top Sirloin
- Dusted Seasoning
- 6-8 Strawberries
- 6-8 Blackberries
- 8-10 Red Seedless Grapes
- 2-3 tbsp chopped candied pecans
- ⅛ of a red onion sliced
- 4 oz Plain or Sweet Goat Cheese (I used a pear, wine, and rosemary flavor)
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Recipe Instructions
- Start by making your dressing. Put balsamic, dijon, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk well until it is completely combined and starts to thicken slightly. Set aside.
- Take your steak out to get it to room temperature
- Take stems off strawberries and slice lengthwise 3-4 times depending on the size, set aside.
- Slice grapes in half, and leave blackberries whole.
- Thinly sliver ⅛ of a red onion. You can break the slices apart, but leave them whole (no chopping or dicing).
- Roughly chop the candied pecans into smaller pieces.
- Now that everything is prepped, grill your steak for 2 minutes on each side, then side aside to rest for 3 minutes. Once rested, slice very thinly.
- Time to assemble. Lay your greens on a platter, and in this order (for aesthetic purposes only) add steak slices, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, and candied pecans.
- At the last minute take your goat cheese and crumble carefully over the top of the salad. Drizzle with the homemade balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy!
Recipe Video
A sweet and savory summer salad for a healthy meal so delicious that you'll feel like you're cheating on your diet, but you're not!
