Dinner time can be difficult. Most days, I spend my time working at my nine to five day job or toiling in the yard for what seems like a few minutes, but in all reality is numerous hours. Suddenly it’ll be seven in the evening and I won’t really feel like making a meal. To be honest, hummus and veggies have become my go-to staple in recent years. I change it up a bit, but yeah, I do love my hummus and homegrown produce. It’s quite a change from my days growing up when we always had set meals and ate together as a family, complete with meat, potatoes and a salad.
Times change and I’ve found that since I usually cook for myself, making large meals doesn’t happen as often as it should. That’s why when I do decide to make a meal, I want it to be simple, delicious and something that’s worth the effort.
A steak and beet salad isn’t the first meal to come to most people’s mind, probably because it has been done too many times and often is on the lackluster side. Dry or tough steak, beets with no flavor on top of wilted greens: sound familiar? Enter my version of this salad, full of flavor from the quick steak marinade, a side of grilled beets full of charred flavor on top of butter lettuce and arugula. This is a salad that is a meal and worth every minute!
How do you like to enjoy summer salads? I’m always on the lookout for new inspiration so let me know in the comments what your favorites are!
Other salad recipes to try
Roasted Vegetable and Salmon Salad
Chicken Fajita Salad
Grilled Zucchini & Onion Salad with Basil Dressing
Spring Cobb Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing
Watch how to make this steak salad
Grilled Flank Steak with Beets Salad
Ingredients
For the steak
- 2 lb flank steak
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced parsley
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
For the beets
- 2 ½ lb beets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tsp honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 sprigs thyme
For the salad
- 4 oz arugula
- 4 oz butter lettuce
- 4 oz blue cheese
Instructions
- For the steak, in a gallon-size zipper plastic bag, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, parsley, dry mustard, garlic cloves, and lemon juice.
- Add the flank steak, pressing the marinade around to ensure it has moistened all sides of the steak.
- Press out excess air and zip the bag shut. Set on a plate and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1-2 hours.
- While marinating, prepare the beets.
- Trim the root and leaf from each beet and slice into thin wedges, no more than ½ inch thick. To prevent staining from the beets, wear gloves to protect hands.
- Place beets in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Stir to evenly coat and set aside until ready to grill.
- Make sure the grill has preheated on high heat. Clean the grates to ensure any charred bits are removed. Remove the marinated steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to allow the meat to come to room temperature. At this point, season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.
- Place a grill basket on the grill and start with the beets. Pour the prepared beets in a grill basket, spreading to an even layer. If the basket prevents an even layer, stir and turn the beets every 15 minutes. Allow the beets to grill, stirring once until they begin to become tender, 30-45 minutes.
- Grill the steak over high heat until charred, about 6-8 minutes per side for medium-rare (130-135°F) or 8-10 minutes per side for medium (135-140°F).
- When done, remove steaks from the grill onto a clean tray. Allow steak to rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Check beets with a knife to ensure they are tender. If a knife inserted into the beet meets no resistance, they are done. Remove beets to a bowl.
- While the steak is resting, prepare the dressing for the beets. Add the apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and thyme to the beets, creating a dressing. Stir to combine.
- To serve, add a mixture of greens to a large platter or individual plates. Thinly slice the steak, cutting horizontally to the graining, and add to the greens. Top with dressed beets and finish with crumbled blue cheese.
My favorite fast and easy summer ten minute salad is cooked cous cous (any flavor) that you add diced red onions, tomatoes and cucumber. Add in feta cheese crumbles and toss the whole thing with bottled Zesty Italian dressing. Add some store bought rotisserie chicken chunks to make it a main meal.
Sounds absolutely delicious!!