Steak Salad with an Easy Basil Vinaigrette
This Steak Salad with an Easy Basil Vinaigrette is loaded with corn, bell peppers, cucumbers and onions. Topped with deliciously marinated steak and a basil vinaigrette, this salad is so good!
We are officially at the stage of parenting where our weekends revolve around kids’ sports. And, honestly, I love it so much! Whether it was baseball double headers for Jack, or flag football for Will, we were busy!
Oh, I almost forgot that on top of playing flag football, Will also played 4v4 hockey AND travel soccer. Yeah, busy might be an understatement! The kids both improved so much this year and, most importantly, had a ton of fun.
Fall sports have officially come to an end but, not to worry, winter sports already start in a week! This season of life is so crazy but I absolutely love it. The boys are in their element, they are having fun and they are learning important life lessons. I mean, what more is there to love?!
In this post: everything you need for this steak salad with an easy basil vinaigrette
- How long do I need to marinate the steak?
- Ingredient list for the steak salad
- Ingredient list for the easy basil vinaigrette
- Tips for cooking with kids
- Frequently asked questions about this recipe
how long do i need to marinate the steak?
When you are making this recipe, make the marinade first. Then, you can let the steak marinate while you make the easy basil vinaigrette and chop up the vegetables. By the time you have finished preparing the other ingredients, the steak will be ready to grill.
Steak salad ingredients
- New York Strip Steak
- olive oil
- soy sauce
- salt & black pepper
- arugula
- bell pepper
- cucumber
- red onion
- corn
The ingredients in this salad are wholesome and delicious. I think the best recipes often utilize the most simple ingredients.
easy basil vinaigrette ingredients
- basil leaves
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- garlic
- white onion
- salt
Steak salad: faq’s
I’m going to eat this for lunch all week and don’t want to overcook the steak when reheating.
I like to cook the steak a little under, so that when I reheat it (and it inevitably cooks a little more), the steak won’t be overcooked. Another way to avoid this problem is to not reheat the steak. This salad is just as good with cold steak – I promise!
What cut of steak should I use?
I prefer to use New York Strip Steak. Since this steak is cut very thin, the steak absorbs marinade quickly and, also, cooks very quickly.
Why do you need to let the steak rest?
If you cut the steak right after cooking it, all of the juices will spill out, rendering the steak really dry. If you let the steak sit after cooking (aka as resting), the steak can absorb the juices and make the steak even juicier.
How should I store the leftovers for this steak salad?
The biggest thing is to keep the dressing separate – this will allow the lettuce to stay nice and crunchy. Here’s what I typically do to keep leftovers: I have a separate bowl of steak, lettuce, dressing and the toppings.
Tips for involving your kids
- Let them blend the vinaigrette for you – what kid doesn’t like pushing buttons?
- Have them assist you with cutting up the vegetables. These knives work great for little kids and these knives work even better for older kids.
Steak Salad with an Easy Basil Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
Easy Basil Vinaigrette
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 Tbsp roughly chopped white onion
- 1 tsp salt
Salad
- 8 cups lettuce preferably arugula
- 1 red bell pepper cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups corn
Instructions
- Combine all of the steak marinade ingredients in a large bowl and marinate the steak for at least 10 minutes. At the longest, you can marinate the steak overnight.24 oz New York Strip Steak, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- While the steak is marinating, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until mostly smooth.2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, ½ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic, 3 Tbsp roughly chopped white onion, 1 tsp salt
- Grill the steak to your preference.
- Upon completion of grilling, let the steak rest for a few minutes. Then, thinly slice the steak.
- Assemble the salads with peppers, cucumbers, corn and onion. Add the sliced steak and top with the Basil Vinaigrette.8 cups lettuce, 1 red bell pepper, 1 English cucumber, ½ red onion, 2 cups corn
