This post is sponsored by California Strawberries.
Is summer calling your name yet? Do you have big plans coming up that you just can't wait for? Well, I am THERE. And when I say "there" I mean summer called, and I answered. I am officially off for the summer from teaching and I am so ready for a long break. With this break comes some extra mental space to dream about summer ingredients and recipes. This strawberry salad came to be from one of those such summer food dreams.
I like salads that feel like a meal with different textures, ingredients, and even temperatures. I love topping crisp, cold greens with something warm. It just mentally tells me "this is a full meal."
This strawberry salad is a culmination of everything I want in a salad. It truly is an all-in-one meal by providing fruit, vegetables, whole grains, protein, seeds and even a little dairy. This WILL satisfy as a meal and even surprise you with the sweetness of the roasted strawberries bringing out more of the steak flavor. (This was actually feedback from one of my taste testers.)
Roasting strawberries low and slow is the way to go to maximize all their sweetness potential. I had not done this before testing this recipe and I am so glad I've discovered the magic of roasting strawberries. Now I know what to do with strawberries when they go super cheap at the grocery store this summer. ROAST them and put them on everything.
I especially like how in this salad, the roasted strawberry juice becomes all the dressing you need. I poured it all over my salad.
Recipe
Roasted Balsamic Strawberry & Peppered Steak Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 -6 1x
Description
This unique salad pairs bold-flavored steak with the naturally sweet, roasted strawberries to create a surprising combinations. Layering a lean steak on top of a mound of nutrient rich ingredients is a balanced way to enjoy it any day of year.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh California strawberries (washed, dried, hulled, and cut in half)
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 lb top sirloin fillets
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups fresh green beans (cut into 1” pieces)
- 6 cups spring mix greens
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (from about ¾ cup dry quinoa)
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (chiffonade )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a 2 quart baking dish (or 8x8 square pan), toss strawberries and balsamic vinegar. Bake strawberries for 50 minutes, checking every 15 minutes and gently tossing in the juices.
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa if needed.
- Then, heat a heavy skillet (cast iron if you have it) over medium high heat. Season fillets with pepper and salt. When skillet is hot, add vegetable oil, then cook fillets to medium doneness, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside on a cutting board to rest. After about 5 minutes (more time is OK), thinly slice steak against the grain.
- Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add green beans. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook till evaporated or green beans are crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
- When strawberries are done baking, assemble salad. Layer a large platter with the spring mix greens, then spoon cooked quinoa on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon. Layer green beans on top of quinoa. Place steak slices on top of salad then spoon cooked strawberries and juice on top. Lastly, arrange sesame seeds, mozzarella pearls, and basil all around salad to your preference. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of fresh, ground black pepper on top.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Salad
For the full recipe of my Roasted Balsamic Strawberry & Peppered Steak Salad, visit this blog post on the California Strawberries Heart of Farmers blog. If you don't have time now, make sure you pin this puppy for later. It will be a show stopper at your next summer party. Promise.
To saying "yes" to summer,
