I eat salad all year long but in summertime I CRAVE it!! So even though summer doesn’t officially start for another day or so, I’m going to jump start things around here with this very summery Thai-style steak salad complete with a mildly spicy chile-lime dressing. One bite and I predict you’ll be making this all season long (and probably longer—November's a pretty good bet, especially when we start to get tired of all the turkey!!)

We’ll talk about the deliciousness of this particular salad with this particular dressing in a few, but first and foremost guys, this is easy!! Seriuously, you could have the whole thing ready in about half an hour, particularly (there’s that word again) if you make the dressing ahead of time (though it won’t add much to the dinner prep time if you don’t). That means that this is weeknight fodder!

And what tasty fodder it is! Thin slices of broiled or grilled steak atop a salad of soft butter lettuce, cucumbers, little tomatoes, red onion, herbs and peanuts all covered with a zesty sweet and tangy lime-enhanced dressing. Yum!

Though this meal-in-a-bowl salad is hearty enough to satisfy, it’s still somehow light and won’t weigh you down on those steamy nights. 

It’s easy on the eyes too—look at all that color! Just like a garden!

Yup, I am officially declaring the arrival of Salad Season!! Get ready to do some tossing!!

Thai Steak Salad with Chile-Lime Dressing

Makes about 4 servings  

The dressing recipe makes enough for the salad to be lightly dressed. If you like a salad with a generous amount of dressing, I would definitely double it. 

Prep Time for Steak:  30 minutes to marinate; Cook Time:  15-20 minutes; Prep Time for Salad:  10 minutes; Prep Time for dressing:  5 minutes  

Ingredients

For the steak

• 1-1 ½ pounds thin cut of boneless steak (ny strip or ribeye works well)
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper  

For the salad  

• Large head of Boston lettuce, leaves separated, rinsed and torn into small pieces (you can use any lettuce you like though) 
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced  
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin half moons  
• Handful of freshly chopped parsley and/or cilantro  
• ½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped  

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced  
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed) 

The Recipe

1.  To make the steak:  Rub meat with a little vegetable oil on each side and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or do it ahead, place the meet in a resealable bag and store in the fridge overnight. You can either grill the meat on a barbecue or broil in the oven. For medium rare, cook about 5-7 minutes per side. If you like it more well-done, cook longer. When steak is done, let it rest 5- 10 minutes on cutting board and then slice against the grain  so that you get very thin slices. 

2.  While the steak is cooking, make the salad. Place the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, parsley and cilantro if using, into a large bowl and toss together. 

3.  To make the dressing:  place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together well. You can make this up to 2 weeks ahead and keep covered in the fridge. 

4.  When steak is ready and is no longer piping hot (if you add it to the salad when it’s too hot, it will wilt the lettuce) add it to the salad and drizzle on the dressing. Toss gently and top with peanuts. Serve immediately.  

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from The Dinner Plan by Caroline Campion and Kathy Brenna. I really tinkered with this a lot and you should feel free to experiment with it too. Add in whatever veggies you like- I'm thinking shredded carrots and maybe bean sprouts next time.