Summer is here, and boy is it hot outside! I just love the season, but I have to admit, I don’t always enjoy cooking when the temperatures outside are blisteringly warm. But I have a quick and easy delicious solution for dinner or lunch. Two of my favorite picks combined to create a fresh and satisfying summer salad.
Salad is one of my favorite things to eat in the summertime. There are so many options for making a great salad. I mean, just think about it, there is fruit salad, potato salad, tossed salad, and the list goes on. There is nothing like a nice chilled salad on a warm day, except maybe a nice chilled salad with a chilled glass of sparkling wine.
With the onset of COVID-19, I have been spending a lot of time at home. That’s a risky business because if you love to eat like I do. Salads are an excellent way to help me watch my diet. Eating lots of healthy greens, fruits, and veggies helps me stay on track.
No matter if you opt for all greens or toss in a plethora of veggies, this summer salad is so flavorful.
The best thing, no matter if you opt for all greens or toss in a plethora of veggies, this summer salad is so flavorful. The best thing about it, you can throw in whatever you want—carrots, radishes, cucumbers—whatever, is fresh and in season. I love fresh tomatoes and avocados in my salad. I think my favorite dressing of all time is my homemade ranch, of course, any dressing will work. But I think you will love my creamy ranch recipe.
This recipe takes hardly any time at all. It takes only minutes if you have leftover beef or other types of meat. I love throwing leftover meat atop of a salad —chicken, turkey, ham— doesn’t matter, cold or warm, it just adds that extra yumminess.
Grilled or not?
I love grilled meat, and it definitely amplifies the flavor of this salad. Still, on hot days, I like to stay inside under the cold air conditioner. If you prefer, you can even grill the meat atop the stove (if you have a stove-top grill or grill pan). Personally, I love to throw my cast iron reversible grill/griddle into the oven, get it super hot, and toss the meat right on to it. You get those beautiful grill marks and the meat cooks in no time at all. There is nothing like a tender, juicy cut of meat that has been grilled. Pan-seared also works just fine.
This will become one of your go-to summer recipe—and for a good reason.
Beefy Summer Salad
Equipment
- Grill Pan
Ingredients
- 2 5-6 ounce ribeye steaks
- 10 oz leafy greens
- 1 large cucumber diced into 1" inch pieces
- 8 medium radishes sliced
- 2 medium avocado diced into 1" inch pieces
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 16 whole klamata olives pitted
- 3 large tomatoes cut into 1/8
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise (kraft recommended)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 /2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- few dashes of worchestershire sauce
- few dashes of pepper sauce
Instructions
- Preheat grill pan in 400° degree oven until very hot. If using the stove-top method, heat cast iron of heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add steaks to hot pan, and sear each side until steaks are cooked to medium-well, about 6 minutes per side. Cook less or more time to doneness preference.
- Remove steaks to plate and set aside to rest.
- In medium-sized bowl combine garlic, buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lemon juice, dried dill, onion powder, a pinch of salt and pepper, worchestershire sauce, and pepper sauce. Stir until completely combined and smooth.
- Equally divide greens onto four plates. Next equally divide and arrange remaining vegetables on the plates.
- Cut steaks into 1" inch cubes and equally divide onto plates.
- Lightly drizzle each plate with dressing, and serve. Reserve remaining dressing in bowl and place on table.
As for the wine, I paired this salad with a nice refreshing sparkling white wine. I enjoy exploring non-traditional pairings. The cool crisp veggies, cold creamy dressing, and smoky meat were perfect with the fresh crisp chilled wine. If you prefer, a nice Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir would also work nicely.
See more delicious dishes here.
