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Looking for a dinner salad? This flavorful Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak checks all the boxes! It’s high in protein and fiber, and it’ll fill you up without weighing you down. The flavors are a mix of sweet and savory with fresh strawberries, toasted walnuts, and some nice salty feta cheese. Need a dressing? This Maple Balsamic Dressing is a perfect match!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Dinner Salad
- Ingredients for Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak
- Recipe Variations & Modifications
- How to Make This Salad
- Recipe Tip
- How to Serve a Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak
- Storage & Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Homemade Dressings You’ll Love…
- More Salads That Eat Like a Meal…
- Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak Recipe
Sometimes a fantastic salad for dinner really hits the spot. And what makes a fantastic salad? A variety of textures and flavors, which this Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak has a great mix of. The strawberries bring a burst of sweetness while the toasted walnuts and grilled steak bring warmth and smoky notes. It’s crisp, fresh, and incredibly tasty! Not to mention nourishing.
If you’re looking for more dinner salad ideas, check out this hearty Greek Steak Salad or my Grilled Tuna Steak Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Dinner Salad
- It’s nourishing—You get a bit of everything in a salad with steak—a hefty dose of protein, iron, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- It’s easy—If you can grill a good steak, you’re set. The rest is just chopping and tossing—no marinade necessary!
- It’s quick—The prep for a simple strawberry spinach salad is fast, and then all you have to do is grill your steak! If you have someone around to tag team it, it’s even quicker.
Ingredients for Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Steak—Get yourself a good quality 6-8 ounce fillet. With that, all you need is some coarse kosher salt and pepper for seasoning.
- Walnuts—I love toasting my walnuts since they bring a nice warm and rich flavor to the salad. You could skip toasting if you prefer, however they really add warmth to a salad with steak.
- Onion—Finely shaved or diced red onion is fantastic for salads. It’s mild compared to other onions, but still zesty! You could also use a shallot, minced or thinly sliced.
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Cheese—You could replace the feta with a nice soft goat cheese, or even brie!
- Greens—Baby spinach is tender and mild, so it works really well here. But you could use any greens, like a spring mix, arugula, or even crunchy romaine lettuce if you prefer that clean and crisp mouthfeel.
- Grains—Add extra nutrition by adding cooked quinoa!
- Microgreens—These are a great addition to any salad since they’re incredibly nutrient dense.
- Nuts—Toasted pecans, hazelnuts, or pistachios would work great in this salad in place of walnuts.
How to Make This Salad
Step 1. Gently pat the steaks with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Brush a light coat of oil over the fillets, then season with a generous amount of coarse Kosher salt (about 1-1.5 teaspoons per pound) and freshly ground pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon per pound). Set aside and let the fillets come to room temperature.
Step 2. Heat a small dry pan (no oil or butter) over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, decrease the heat to low and add in 4 tablespoons of chopped walnuts. Let the walnuts toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden in color and aromatic. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 3. Heat a cast iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat on the stove (or an outdoor grill to 450–500°F). Grease up the pan or grates with olive oil or butter and add the steak to the pan. Add the steak and grill for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. (See recipe tip below.)
Step 4. Place all of the ingredients for your strawberry spinach salad into a large mixing bowl except for the steak. Drizzle your dressing of choice. You can whisk one up yourself, use a store-bought variety, or use this Maple Balsamic Dressing! (I highly recommend it). Toss so the ingredients are evenly coated.
Step 5. When the steak is done, remove it from the heat and set it on a cutting board. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice into it, against the grain.
Step 6. Plate the tossed salad, top with steak, crack some extra pepper over it all, and drizzle with some extra dressing if you wish. Enjoy!
Recipe Tip
For a nice and perfect medium rare steak, you typically want to cook it for 4 minutes per side if 1-inch thick, and about 5 minutes per side if 1.5 inches thick. You can use a meat thermometer to guide you.
How to Serve a Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak
This salad eats like a meal so you really don’t need any sides since you’ve got your veggies and your protein. If you really need a starch, you can turn this into a Pittsburgh-style salad and throw air fryer French fries on top. Or just serve it with these crispy oven-roasted mini potatoes. For dressing, I love using this maple balsamic dressing! But any white or red wine vinegar salad dressing works.
Storage & Reheating
- Salad isn’t great leftover, but you can store the salad ingredients in an airtight container in the fridge, without dressing, for about a day before they go limp. The steak will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the steak, simple pop it in the microwave and heat it up in 20-second increments until warmed through. Careful not to overcook it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Steak offers up a hefty dose of protein, iron, and vitamins, and a medley of fruits and veggies gives you a nice portion of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. A steak salad is a wonderful option for a complete healthy meal.
A nice steak goes well with a variety of dressings, from lighter dressings like this Feta Lemon Vinaigrette to a rich and creamy option, like homemade Caesar dressing. What you want to consider are the rest of the ingredients. The strawberries and toasted walnuts go wonderfully with this tangy Maple Balsamic Dressing.
This is a matter of preference. I like my steak to be warm, but you can definitely wait until it cools or use leftover cold steak.
More Salads That Eat Like a Meal…
Fish and Seafood
Seasonal Garden Salad with Tuna
Fish and Seafood
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Salmon Caesar Salad
If you try this Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Strawberry Spinach Salad With Steak
Ingredients
- 2 nice steak fillets, like New York strip, flank steak, strip steak, flat iron, or sirloin.
- Coarse kosher salt & cracked black pepper
- 2 TBSP Olive oil, plus more to grease the grill
- 4 handfuls of baby spinach
- 4 TBSP toasted walnuts, *See notes
- 4 TBSP crumbled feta cheese
- 8 large strawberries, sliced or quartered
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- Dressing of your choice, This Maple Balsamic Dressing goes really well with this salad.
Instructions
To get things prepared…
- Remove your steaks from the fridge and set them down on a plate or cutting board, then prep all of your produce by washing/chopping/measuring things out.
- Gently pat the steak fillets with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Brush a light coat of olive oil over the fillets, then season them on both sides with a generous amount of coarse Kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Set the fillets aside and let them come to room temperature.
- Heat a small dry pan (no oil or butter) over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, bring the heat down to low and add in the chopped walnuts. Let the walnuts toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden in color and aromatic. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To cook the steaks…
- Heat a cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove (or preheat an outdoor grill to 450–500°F). Grease up the pan or grates with olive oil or butter so they are slick and shiny, and add the steaks to the pan or grill. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. (*See notes.) When the steaks are done, remove them from the heat and set them on a cutting board. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then slice into them against the grain.
To bring the salad together…
- Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl except for the steak. Drizzle your dressing of choice (highly recommend this Maple Balsamic Dressing!) and toss so the ingredients are evenly coated; set aside.
- Plate the salad, top with steak, crack some extra pepper over it all, and drizzle with some extra dressing if you wish. Enjoy!
