Grilled Steak & Vegetable Salad
June 3, 2023
Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate has cooked up a delicious start to summer: Grilled Steak & Vegetable Salad. Toss it together for backyard gatherings, family barbecues and summer holidays — and enjoy.
I love being in my kitchen, but as soon as the weather turns warmer, you’ll find me at my grill cooking dinner. There’s not much I enjoy more than a warm summer evening with the light pouring through the trees in our backyard while my kids run around — all with a glass of wine in hand and dinner cooking on the grill.
The first thing I’m making this season? Grilled Steak & Vegetable Salad. This salad cooks entirely on the grill, making it the perfect meal for dinner on the patio and enjoying the new season.
It’s hard to tell what component of this salad is the star of the show. The steak is an obvious choice, but what about the veggies, with perfect char marks and smoky flavor? Or the flavorful homemade ranch dressing that will convince you to never buy store-bought again? Like I said, it’s a tough call.
To make this salad an easy weeknight meal, or even an easy meal for when you’re entertaining, the name of the game is prepping ahead. I like to chop up all the vegetables the night before or the morning of and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. With vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, peppers and onion, this works really well and you won’t have to worry about them getting soggy. You can make the ranch dressing ahead of time, too.
This salad is a staple in our summer dinner rotation. I hope it will be part of yours, too!
SERVINGS
4-6
PREP TIME
25 min
COOK TIME
20 min
Ingredients
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2pounds sirloin or skirt steak
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Salt and pepper, to taste
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2medium zucchini, cut lengthwise and diced into bite-sized pieces
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1summer squash, cut lengthwise and diced into bite-sized pieces
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1red onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
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1orange or red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, and cut into bite-sized pieces
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3tablespoons olive oil
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Salt and pepper, to taste
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2ears of corn
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10ounces mixed greens
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1cup cherry tomatoes, halved
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1avocado, sliced
For the homemade ranch dressing:
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½cup mayonnaise
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½cup sour cream
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½cup buttermilk (plus 2 to 3 tablespoons more to reach desired consistency)
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2tablespoons fresh chopped chives
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2tablespoons fresh chopped dill
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2tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
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1tablespoon lemon juice
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½teaspoon garlic powder
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½teaspoon onion powder
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½teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
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1
Heat grill to medium-high.
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2
Pat the steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
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3
In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, summer squash, red onion and bell pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
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4
Brush corn with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
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5
Combine all of the veggies except the corn in a grill pan.
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6
Place the grill pan, corn and steaks on the grill.
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7
Cook the vegetables until softened and slightly charred, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how large you cut your vegetables, but I find 10 to 15 minutes gets them softened and produces a nice char.
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8
Cook the corn for a couple of minutes on each side. Cut the corn off the cobs.
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9
Cook the steaks for 4 minutes without touching and then turn over, cooking an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes. Once the steaks have rested, slice the steak against the grain.
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10
To make the ranch dressing: Combine all of the ingredients for the ranch dressing in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Add a couple more tablespoons of buttermilk if you like your ranch dressing on the thinner side. Chill until ready to use.
To assemble: Divide the mixed spring greens among plates. Top with grilled vegetables, corn, tomatoes and sliced avocado, followed by the steak. Drizzle with homemade ranch dressing. Enjoy!