Black and Blue Steak Salad

This black and blue steak salad is the dinner salad to top all dinner salads. Lots of greens and veggies topped with flavorful steak and homemade blue cheese dressing make for a meal worth getting excited about. Add a little chimichurri if you feel like getting extra fresh. This might just become your new favorite summer supper.

If you are looking for a salad that eats like a meal, you are in the right place! This steak salad is loaded with flavors and textures.

They all come together to make the perfect bite every time. There is just something about the combination of cool fresh veggies, a creamy dressing, and warm, perfectly cooked steak.

During the summer we are always busy. The warm weather makes it feel like you should be outside enjoying the sunshine instead of spending the whole evening in the kitchen.

With all of the fresh vegetables from our garden and the farmer’s market, salads become a staple in our dinner routine as well. We love to add meat on top to turn it from a starter or side dish into the entree.

The cool greens are refreshing, and we know we are putting good food into our bodies. But that still leaves the issue of what protein to put on top.

When I think of it, I like to grill some extra meat on the weekend to use throughout the week. Extra grilled chicken or even steak is perfect for putting on salads or in pasta later.

This salad is really good with leftover steak or even beef roast. Of course, you can use rotisserie or grilled chicken instead of you’d like.

You can also leave the meat off and still have a great salad. Do whatever makes you happy!

Can I Skip the Blue Cheese?

Of course, to make it a black and blue salad, you need to have some blue cheese. However, you can still enjoy a tasty steak salad without it.

Instead of using blue cheese crumbles, try using some sharp cheddar cheese. It would be delicious with the steak.

You could also give it more a Latin flare and crumble on some queso fresco. Or use some feta cheese.

Instead of the blue cheese dressing, you could use ranch. Or make a quick homemade vinaigrette using the recipe below.

Mustard Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup oil

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
2. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. Continue to whisk until it is emulsified.
3. Drizzle over salad as desired and refrigerate leftovers.

Additions and Substitutions

Of course, we like the salad just the way it is shown here, but there are so many ways you can make it your own. That is one of the best parts about cooking, is taking a recipe as a starting point and customizing it to your tastes.

Adding some grilled corn would be fabulous. Or add some pickled jalapenos for a little bit of spicy kick.

Diced avocado would make the salad even more creamy. Pepitas or pecans would add some crunch.

I like to do a quick vinegar soak on the onions to soften them a bit. You can leave them off entirely if the flavor is too strong, or just slice them and toss them in if you love them raw.