Steak Arugula Salad with Salsa Gremolata
Grilled steak arugula salad with smoked blue cheese, homemade salsa gremolata, and a date-sweetened balsamic vinaigrette. Top with grilled asparagus and juicy tomatoes to finish it off!
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how to make Steak and Arugula Salad
Fresh from the grill, this steak and arugula salad is the perfect summer dish! Juicy steak with smoke blue cheese is the perfect combo. Add in some fresh arugula, juicy tomatoes, and grilled asparagus and you have yourself a healthy salad the whole family will love.
steak salad Ingredients
Steak marinade
- 1 lb steak (cut of choice. I used ribeye for this recipe)
- 4 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salsa Gremolata
- Head to this post for the recipe or see recipe card below.
Date-sweetened balsamic vinaigrette
- 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbs date syrup (or honey)
- salt and black pepper to taste
Arugula salad (all to taste)
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Smoked blue cheese, crumbled
- 12 cups arugula, more or less
- Asparagus, ends trimmed and grilled
- 1 tbs avo, for drizzling asparagus
Instructions
- Prep all the marinade ingredients in a gallon-size plastic bag, seal the bag, then use your hands to combine all the ingredients. I like to take the bag in the palm of my hands from both sides and smash everything together, then shake the bag until it’s well combined.
- Place the steak in the marinade and reseal the bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Prepare your salsa gremolata by chopping and mincing all the ingredients. Then toss them in a bowl.
- Zest your lemon overtop the bowl and then squeeze the lemon juice over that.
- Pour the olive oil into the bowl then season with salt and pepper.
- Use a fork to combine everything, then store in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your steak salads.
- Prepare your balsamic vinaigrette by adding all the ingredients to a small mason jar. Put the lid on the jar and vigorously shake until fully combined. Set aside until you’re ready to dress the arugula.
- Prepare your grill by heating it over medium-high heat (depending on the weather – if it’s cold you’ll cook it higher than if it’s warm).
- Add your asparagus and cook until just slightly softened and charred.
- Place the steak on the grill using tongs and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Continue to rotate the steak every 2-3 minutes until the steak has finished cooking to your desired level of doneness.
- Let your steak rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing it. *see below for cast-iron steak instructions.
- While the steak is resting dress and assemble your salad. First, drizzle your desired amount of the balsamic vinaigrette on the arugula (add less than you think – you can always add more but you can’t take away).
- Then, top the arugula with the tomatoes, grilled asparagus, and smoked blue cheese.
- Slice your steak against the grain into thin strips and top your arugula salad with your steak strips.
- Drizzle the salsa gremolata overtop the steak and serve the salad.
how to store leftover steak and arugula salad
I’ll be honest, leftover steak isn’t nearly as good as day-of steak. I really recommend making just enough for what you need that day, however, see below for your storing options.
Refrigerate
To store your steak and arugula salad for later you’ll want to prep everything, then assemble and dress the salad as needed. So prep all the ingredients as described above, but don’t dress the arugula yet.
What’s the best method to reheat steak?
To reheat your steak and maintain its char, preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Put the steak in a cast-iron skillet and let it cook in the oven until it reaches about 110 degrees F internal temperature. Then remove the skillet from the oven, place it on the stove over medium heat, add some oil to the pan, and let it crisp up on the outside.
steak and arugula salad Tips
- Let your steak rest – letting your steak rest after grilling it will allow it to retain it’s juices and it’ll be much more delicious.
- Don’t use too much dressing – Add a little bit of dressing at a time when dressing your arugula. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take any away.
- Substitute as needed – This salad can be made with whatever ingredients you like. See the substitutions section below for some more ideas.
- Only make what you need for that day – Since steak isn’t the best reheated, just make whatever you need for that day. Don’t try to meal prep this unless you’re prepared for a mediocre steak arugula salad!
How to cook steak in a cast-iron skillet
This method for cooking steak in a cast-iron skillet is for steaks that are about 1 inch thick. Adjust the cook times accordingly.
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (might be lower depending on your stovetop). Once preheated, add avocado oil then let that preheat.
- Add steak to the pan and press down firmly for a few seconds.
- Cook for about 4 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed.
- Flip and cook for another 4 minutes (if you like your steak rare, cook only 3 minutes each side, and if you like well-done steak cook for 5 minutes each side).
steak arugula salad substitutions
Here are some ideas to replace some of the ingredients in this steak arugula salad recipe. You can tailor this however you like!
Steak
- Ribeye
- Flank
- Strip
- Sirloin
- Skirt
- Carne Asada
Veggies
- Beets
- Olives
- Bell peppers
- Avocado
- Red onion
cheese
- Goat cheese
- Feta
- Regular blue cheese
- Gorgonzola
- Roquefort
- Maytag
Lettuce
- Mixed spring greens
- Baby spinach
- Kale
- Romaine
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Steak arugula salad faq
Arugula pairs well with steak, grains, and pasta.
Rocket salad, also known as arugula, is a leafy green that has a lemony peppery taste.
There is no difference between rocket and arugula. Arugula is what those who live in the US and Canada call rocket.
Spinach is slightly healthier than spinach in almost all the vitamins they both share. However, arugula has a bit more calcium than spinach.
Great side dish options for steak are an arugula salad, potatoes (any type and any cooking method), asparagus, steamed broccoli, mushrooms, roasted Brussels sprouts, couscous, roasted carrots, dinner rolls.
Pretty much any meat is delicious on salad: steak, chicken, shrimp, salmon, scallops, bacon.
Pin it for later – steak arugula salad
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Related: Salsa gremolata recipe
print the steak and arugula salad recipe
Steak Arugula Salad
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep all the marinade ingredients in a gallon-size plastic bag, seal the bag, then use your hands to combine all the ingredients. I like to take the bag in the palm of my hands from both sides and smash everything together, then shake the bag until it's well combined.
- Place the steak in the marindade and reseal the bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Prepare your salsa gremolata by chopping and mincing all the ingredients. Then toss them in a bowl.
- Zest your lemon overtop the bowl and then squeeze the lemon juice over that.
- Pour the olive oil into the bowl then season with salt and pepper.
- Use a fork to combine everything, then store in the fridge until you're ready to assemble your steak salads.
- Prepare your balsamic vinaigrette by adding all the ingredients to a small mason jar. Put the lid on the jar and vigorously shake until fully combined. Set aside until you're ready to dress the arugula.
- Prepare your grill by heating it over medium-high heat (depending on the weather – if it's cold you'll cook it higher than if it's warm).
- Add your asparagus and cook until just slightly softened and charred.
- Place the steak on the grill using tongs and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Continue to rotate the steak every 2-3 minutes until the steak has finished cooking to your desired level of doneness.
- Let your steak rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing it. *see below for cast-iron steak instructions.
- While the steak is resting dress and assemble your salad. First, drizzle your desired amount of the balsamic vinaigrette on the arugula (add less than you think – you can always add more but you can't take away).
- Then, top the arugula with the tomatoes, grilled asparagus and smoked blue cheese.
- Slice your steak against the grain into thin strips and top your arugula salad with your steak strips.
- Drizzle the salsa gremolata overtop the steak and serve the salad.
Notes
how to store leftover steak and arugula salad
I’ll be honest, leftover steak isn’t nearly as good as day-of steak. I really recommend making just enough for what you need that day, however, see below for your storing options.Refrigerate
To store your steak and arugula salad for later you’ll want to prep everything, then assemble and dress the salad as needed. So prep all the ingredients as described above, but don’t dress the arugula yet.What’s the best method to reheat steak?
To reheat your steak and maintain its char, preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Put the steak in a cast-iron skillet and let it cook in the oven until it reaches about 110 degrees F internal temperature. Then remove the skillet from the oven, place it on the stove over medium heat, add some oil to the pan, and let it crisp up on the outside.steak and arugula salad Tips
- Let your steak rest – letting your steak rest after grilling it will allow it to retain its juices and it’ll be much more delicious.
- Don’t use too much dressing – Add a little bit of dressing at a time when dressing your arugula. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take any away.
- Substitute as needed – This salad can be made with whatever ingredients you like. See the substitutions section below for some more ideas.
- Only make what you need for that day – Since steak isn’t the best reheated, just make whatever you need for that day. Don’t try to meal prep this unless you’re prepared for a mediocre steak arugula salad!
How to cook steak in a cast-iron skillet
This method for cooking steak in a cast-iron skillet is for steaks that are about 1 inch thick. Adjust the cook times accordingly.- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (might be lower depending on your stovetop). Once preheated, add avocado oil then let that preheat.
- Add steak to the pan and press down firmly for a few seconds.
- Cook for about 4 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed.
- Flip and cook for another 4 minutes (if you like your steak rare, cook only 3 minutes on each side, and if you like well-done steak cook for 5 minutes on each side).
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