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A lite French Vinaigrette works perfectly with the tender grilled steak, juicy pears, and blue cheese on this entrée salad.
Most marinades are loaded with salt which acts as a tenderizer for the meat, but you can still get a flavorful, tender steak without all that added sodium.
Grilled Steak Salad with French Vinaigrette is super simple to prepare and is a delicious Summer entrée that is filling, but not heavy. And, you’ll never miss the salt on this delicious steak!
How do you get a tender steak without loading it down with salt?
One secret is to baste the steak with a little olive oil, season the steak with pepper and other spices (see the recipe below for the spice cocktail that I use), and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling. Don’t skip this step!
Easy and delicious French vinaigrette
While your steak is coming to room temperature, whisk together the vinaigrette. A French vinaigrette is typically made with a white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard.
There are several different variations, but I like this one with added shallots and fresh basil.
Again, I cut out some of the sodium by using Morton’s Lite Salt to season this dressing. I’ve been using Morton’s Lite for a few weeks now and am finding it’s a great compromise when trying to limit sodium intake.
Instructions
- Chop fresh basil leaves for the vinaigrette, but don’t add them until you are ready to toss the salad (so they don’t get all wilted!).
- To assemble the salad, slice the grilled steak (be sure to let it rest for another five minutes once you take it off the grill) and slice the pears.
- Toss together—or layer—the romaine, steak, and pears and drizzle with the French vinaigrette.
- Top it all off with blue cheese crumbles (or you can leave them off if you’d like to save a few calories).
Related recipes
- Steak Sandwich Recipe with Homemade Horseradish Aioli
- New York Strip Steak Recipe
- Mongolian Glazed Grilled Steak
Let’s cook!
This beautiful salad comes together with just a few ingredients, but in the end I think it’s definitely dinner-party worthy!
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Grilled Steak Salad with French Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Steaks
- 2 8 oz. New York strip steaks
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander seed
French Vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
Salad
- 4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 medium pear peeled and sliced
- blue cheese
Instructions
- Trim any fat from the steaks, then rub a sliced garlic clove on all sides and brush them with olive oil.
- Make a spice rub by combining the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and coriander seed. Apply the rub evenly on all sides of the steaks. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Cook the steaks on each side for approximately 8-10 minutes for medium. Adjust the time for your desired temperature.
- Remove the steaks from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice them across the grain into 1/4 inch slices.
- Assemble salads by dividing the romaine lettuce among 4 bowls or plates. Top each with sliced pear, blue cheese, and steaks. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.
French Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, shallots, Dijon mustard, and salt. Prepared vinaigrette may stand at room temperature for an hour (or be refrigerated for up to one week).
- Stir in the chopped basil just before serving.
Notes
- If desired, serve the salad in chilled bowls or plates to keep the ingredients cold and fresh. Before making the recipe, place the dishes in the freezer to chill.
- Like with most dressings, the longer the French vinaigrette sits, the more the flavors will meld and develop. So, consider making the dressing ahead of time.
- If you don’t have a grill to cook the steak, fry it on the stovetop or bake it in the oven.
Nutrition
