This California Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing is fresh, light, flavorful and high in protein! You’ll love how easy and delicious it is!
California Steak Salad with Zesty Chimichurri Dressing
I brought this dish to the table and immediately Cason said … “oh mom … we have chimichurri a lot.”
bahahahah… really child!?
I couldn’t help but laugh. He had this “oh my gosh” look on his face and was acting like the world ended. But as soon as he took a bite, all those drama faces went away and he started dipping his asparagus, steak, and avocado in the sauce and even poured more on his plate.
We usually have salad at our house for dinner at least once a week. It usually involves Steak, Chicken or Salmon and the grill. Cuz … duh we’re in the summer people! But I will say I have been known to go outside and grill in the middle of the winter because I’m that addicted.
To this day one of my husbands favorite salads is …. wait for it …
ANYTHING WITH STEAK IN IT!
Shocker right? Men and their steak! It’s meant to be. Even Cason has learned that at a young age.
The good news is … ladies if you want to get your men to their veggies give them a piece of steak and hid it in a big bed of lettuce. Wifey for the win!
Everything about this salad screams fresh, light, summer … AND in return screams California to me.
Why I Love this Hearty Salad
This salad is filled with creamy avocado, charred red onions, grilled aspagagus (cuz everything is better on the grill), and fresh multicolored cherry tomatoes to give this dish a pop of color. But the kicker is the grilled flank steak topped with zesty fresh chimichurri dressing.
I guarantee you’ll be inhaling this salad … it will disappear in minutes of being placed in front of yo face! And you know what? That’s perfect okay! This salad has a whopping 36 grams of protein a serving and is loaded with nutrients!
Tips for Making the Best Steak Salad
On a side note. Grilling onions can be pretty tricky. I have definitely lost my fair share of onion slices down the grill grate abyss. One of my tricks to keep the onions in tact while on the grill is to slice the onions in 1″ rings WITH THE SKIN ON. The skin acts as a rubberband to keep all those onions slices together so they grill perfectly instead of sliding down those grates. Another tip … stop moving those onions around. Put them on the grill and leave them alone! The more you move them the more they fall apart people. Let them cook a solid 4-5 minutes then flip them. I guarantee you’ll get the results you want!
Ok, enough of me preaching.
Now I’m just gonna tell you that you need to go out and make this salad! It’s perfect for the summer months, filled with bold fresh flavors and can easily be made during a busy work week or SCHOOL WEEK …. gahhh that is coming up soon guys!
Bon Appetit sweet friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
California Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
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Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 25 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Lunch
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Method: Grill
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Cuisine: American
Description
This California Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing is fresh, light, flavorful and high in protein! You’ll love how easy and delicious it is!
Ingredients
- 1.25lb flank steak
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper to season
- 8 oz. fresh arugula
- 1 red onion, sliced into 1″ rings (keep them together you’re going to grill them)
- 1lb. asparagus, trimmed
- 1 pint of assorted cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, sliced
Chimichurri Dressing:
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Season asparagus and onion rings with olive oil and salt.
- Place asparagus and onion rings on grill. Grill the asparagus for 4-5 minutes and remove. Grill the onion rings for 4-5 minutes per side until char marks appear. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive to flank steak, rub into both side. Season both sides with salt & pepper.
- Place flank steak on the grill. Grill each side for 3-5 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. (make sure you slice it against the grain)
- While the steak is resting add the following to a small food processor: a garlic clove, fresh cilantro, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Blend until smooth and looks like a dressing.
- Assemble the salad, add fresh arugula, grilled red onion slices, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, and sliced flank steak to a large serving platter. Serve with Chimichurri Dressing on the side! Garnish with a lime.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups + dressing
- Calories: 452
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 345 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 94 mg
Keywords: steak salad recipe, steak salad, chimichurri recipe, chimichurri sauce, chimichurri sauce recipe, best steak recipe, best salad recipe, best salad
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT #JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!
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Blackened Grilled Salmon Salad with Pineapple Salsa
Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Love this salad! Very filling! Substituted thin cut petite sirloin and it was so good! Thanks for the great entree salad!
★★★★★
This entree salad is hard to beat! I am so glad it was a hit!
Can I make this ahead of time? Or should I say- how far in advance do you think I could grill the steak and veggies?
I’ve grilled it a day ahead of time before and it’s came out just fine. 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! My husband and I both gave it 5/5 stars. I can’t wait to make this when we can entertain again. Perfect dish now and in summer!
★★★★★
I am jumping for joy over here! You will have some very happy guests!
This recipe was so delicious. I really enjoyed the Chimichurri dressing. I felt so full like it was filled with fiber. I would like to thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be definitely making it again.
★★★★★
Filling indeed! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this before and we just loved it. Made it tonight again and it’s our favorite.
Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Holy heck! That’s was amazing! Didn’t manage a picture because we are it so quickly. Found a link to recipe on an MSN article about 30 quick weeknight dinners and had to make it immediately. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thank you for the delicious and healthy meal.
★★★★★
hahaha.. thank you so much Hilary! Glad you loved it!
My family does not like arugula. Could I sub romain? Plus what do you think about blending in the avadacdo in with the dressing? Need to hide as husband says he is not a fan..LOL
Yes, you could definitely use romaine, spinach or spring mix. Adding avocado to the dressing would be great, I’ve done that few times and it makes it creamy.
Amazing! On the meal plan AGAIN for next Sunday!
★★★★★
This has become a family favorite. The chimichurri sauce is a real highlight of the salad!
★★★★★
Do I have to grill the steak? Can I do it stove top?
You can do it on the stovetop if you’d like!
Had for dinner last night. Delicious. Hubby and I both loved it. Thank you.
It’s one of our favorites in the summer! So light and fresh!
My dressing turned out a little to tart for my liking. What would you suggest adding to it?
You could add a little more honey and it should tame things out for you Emily! 🙂
Don’t have red wine vinegar what can I use
you could use apple cider vinegar
Made this last night–SO GOOD! Can’t wait for leftovers for lunch today 🙂 Thanks!
★★★★★
Hurray! I LOVE this salad especially for leftovers. It’s so light and refreshing!
Oh my God, I’m obsessed with chimichurri over steak! Cannot wait to try it in salad form!
haha.. me too! I would eat it every day if I could!
This recipe looks awesome! Grilled steak salad is a mainstay of my diet. I love the twist you’ve done with the chimichurri dressing. I’ve never grilled onions before, but I might have to try this soon. Gorgeous photos.
You haven’t grilled onions? They are my favorite! You NEED to try them! Do it now! And make this salad while you’re at it hehe 🙂 Hope you enjoy Annissa!
This salad looks amazing, and it would be something my husband and I could both agree on!
Hurray! Love it when a meal brings both parties together… hehe 🙂
Great tips about grilling the onions! I’ll have to try that “skin on” trick. What a gorgeous salad this is!
Thanks girl! It totally works!
This salad looks absolutely amazing – and I know my husband will enjoy it, too!
Thanks Laura!
Oh mah mah mah!! That steak salad dinner looks so, so good!! Men do love their steak and for good reason, obviously! 😀
haha.. they sure do. If it’s in a salad like this, i’m totally ok with it! 🙂
Yum!! I LOVE chimichurri. I just made a big batch the other day and froze some of it! I hope it freezes well! I can’t wait to try your recipe…I love trying new versions!
Genius! I need to freeze it more often, that’s such a great idea!
Chimichurri dressing?! That sounds absolutely heavenly!
Oh… it is! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE steak but for some reason I’ve never had it on a salad. I can’t wait to try this!
What!? You need to change that asap Tonia!