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This Grilled Steak Salad and Sweet Cherry Salad is the perfect summer salad - healthy, hearty, bursting with fresh, seasonal ingredients and loaded with tender, succulent steak!
It seems that every time I run into the grocery store at this time of the year, there's new summer produce, beautifully displayed and (always) calling my name. The corn has been sweet and tender and this week I noticed plump, shiny red cherries on sale. I was reminded that it's the perfect time to make this wonderful Grilled Steak and Sweet Cherry Salad!
The first time I made this seasonal salad, Scott took one bite and said, " "This is fantastic"! He loved the bright, fresh dressing and there wasn't even one kernel of corn left on his plate at the end of the meal. He called it "a hearty man's salad" and thought it would be perfect for Father's Day. I agree, although I loved it as much as he did, and think it would also be a great choice for a girl's night get-together.
Here's what one reader had to say about this recipe:
Hi Chris, I almost never comment on blogs, and it’s even more rare for me to rave about a salad, but…WOW! Dinner was almost completely quiet last night because we couldn’t stop eating, and we paused only to talk about how great it was! That dressing! Luckily we have leftovers for tonight!
The dressing for this Grilled Steak and Sweet Cherry Salad really deserves a post of its own. It's a variation of one of our all-time favorite salad dressings, this Sweet Basil Vinaigrette. I gave the recipe a new twist for this steak salad, cutting back a bit on the sweetness, omitting the mustard and adding ginger and lemongrass for a fresh, new taste. Once you try it, I think you'll agree that it's a fabulous addition to any summer salad!
Use your favorite steak
I have used rib-eye, flat-iron steak, New York strip and beef tenderloin fillets. They are all delicious, so just use whichever you like best and/or whichever is most affordable.
The right temperature for steak
The important thing when grilling steak is to take it off the grill when it reaches "the right" temperature. It's easy to check the temperature with an instant thermometer. Instant thermometers are quite affordable these days and, like the name says, will register an accurate temperature within seconds. Instant thermometers are small and easy to store and can also be used for lots of other kitchen tasks. This one is also waterproof and has a lifetime warranty.
The right temperature for steak will depend on your taste. According to Certified Angus Beef, here are the temperatures for various degrees of doneness:
- For rare steak - 125˚F. or 52˚C will yield a cool red center.
- For medium-rare steak - 135˚F. or 57˚C. will yield a warm red center.
- For medium steak - 145˚F. or 63˚C. will yield a warm pink center.
- For medium-well steak - 150˚F. or 66˚C. will yield a slightly pink center.
- For well-done steak - 160˚F. or 71˚C. will yield a center with little or no pink.
The EASY way to cook corn!
I used to think cooking fresh corn was a bit of a pain. All those husks and silks everywhere! But a number of years ago, I discovered a technique that makes cooking corn a piece of cake! The corn is cooked with the husks on in the microwave. When it's done cooking, just slice off the bottom one and a half inches and, using a hot pad, SLIDE the corn right out with no mess and no silks everywhere!
My daughter-in-law, Lindsay put together a video to demonstrate this easy technique:
Awesome, right?
So, throw a bag of cherries, a few ears of fresh corn and a nice steak in your cart next time you're at the market. If you like meals light and lean, but bursting with fresh, fabulous flavor, I think you'll love having this Grilled Steak and Sweet Cherry Salad in your summer recipe arsenal - Bon Appetit from The Café!
Café Tips for making this Grilled Steak and Sweet Cherry Salad
- Many grilled steak recipes call for removing the steak from the refrigerator and allowing it to come to room temperature. I like to leave it in the fridge until just before grilling. That way, the outside can get nice and brown and even slightly charred before the inside gets to the desired temperature. You can always transfer the steak to indirect heat if it seems to be getting too brown.
- Serve the steak and corn warm or at room temperature, either way, it's great. If you're one who doesn't like to fuss at the last minute, everything for this salad can be prepped ahead of time and plated right before serving.
- To make this Grilled Steak and Sweet Cherry Salad ahead:
- The dressing can be made a day or two in advance and will keep for 3-4 days.
- The steak can be grilled several hours in advance. Tent steak and bring to room temperature, then wrap in foil and refrigerate. Slice and warm slightly before serving either in the oven or on power level 2 in the microwave.
- The corn can be cooked early in the day. Slice kernels off the cobs and refrigerate. Warm before serving, if desired, or just bring to room temperature.
- Pit and halve the cherries a few hours ahead and store them in a storage container in the refrigerator.
- Put it all together just before serving and wait for the rave reviews!
- I used to think it was a pain in the neck to pit cherries. I only bought them for eating, as it was too much work to pit them for recipes; plus I hated that my fingers were always stained red after the tedious process. No more! A few summers ago, I discovered this inexpensive cherry pitter and now I use cherries in lots of recipes! I don't even mind making cherry jam these days (which takes a LOT of pitted cherries). You can pit enough cherries to make a batch of jam in 5 minutes with this handy little device! And if you have children or grandchildren, they think it's really fun to help - and actually fight over who gets to pit the cherries!
- The dressing calls for 2 cups of basil. That's a lot of basil. It's a perfect way to use up a bumper crop of basil but if you only have one cup or just a packet from the grocery store, go ahead and make it with the smaller amount, it will still be delicious!
- The basil leaves are blanched in hot water before being combined with the other ingredients and blended. This is done to destroy the enzymes which can cause discoloring and spoilage of the dressing. The blanching helps keep the pretty green color intact for days.
- The salad dressing in this recipe calls for both fresh ginger and fresh lemongrass. I find it really convenient to keep tubes of ginger paste and lemongrass paste in either the refrigerator or the freezer. These aren't ingredients I use on an everyday basis but it's nice to have them on hand for recipes like this. These pastes taste like the fresh products and will keep in the freezer for months on end. When it's in the freezer and I need some for a recipe, I just let the tube thaw for 10 minutes, squeeze out what I need, then pop it right back into the freezer. Both ginger and lemongrass pastes can be found at many larger grocery stores in the produce section.
Thought for the day:
And those who know your name
put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord,
have not forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
This Grilled Steak Salad and Sweet Cherry Salad is the perfect summer salad - healthy, hearty, bursting with fresh, seasonal ingredients and loaded with tender, succulent steak!
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves about ¼ pound
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste
- ¾ cup mild-flavored oil such as sunflower, grapeseed, avocado, vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ears fresh corn unhusked
- 1 ½ pounds flat-iron, beef tenderloin, rib-eye or sirloin steak or your favorite type of steak
- 1½ teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup sweet cherries pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup salted cashew halves
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Bring a medium-large pot, ⅔ full of water, to a rolling boil. Add basil and submerge it under the water with a large, heat-resistant spoon. After 20 seconds, drain basil and rinse with cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Gather basil in your hand and squeeze as much water out as possible.
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Combine basil with all other dressing ingredients in a blender container. Cover and blend on high until the dressing is bright green and silky smooth. When you start blending, the dressing will be flecked with bits of basil. Keep going and it will smooth out. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
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Prepare corn by placing the three ears in the microwave, unhusked. Cook on high power for 6 minutes. Remove from the microwave with a clean kitchen towel or oven mitt and transfer to a cutting board.
Cut off about 1½-2 inches from the bottom (stem end) of each ear. Hold corn at the silk end with the towel and push the corn out of the husk. The corn comes out perfectly cooked and free of silk! Check out the video above in the post!
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Keep steak refrigerated until just before grilling.
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Heat a gas or charcoal grill on high for 20 minutes. Clean the grill grate thoroughly with a wire grill brush and oil the grates.
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Just before grilling, brush the steak with olive oil and sprinkle it generously with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Place steaks on the grill and flip every 2-3 minutes. Cook until meat reaches the desired temperature. See Café Tips above in the post for steak temperatures. If the meat is deep golden brown on the outside but has still not reached the desired internal temperature, move the meat to indirect heat to finish cooking. (If the steak seems dry at any point, brush the top side with a bit more olive oil before flipping.)
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Remove from grill and tent meat with foil. Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes. (This allows the juices to return to the meat.) Slice thinly just before serving. Taste and add a bit more salt and pepper, if needed.
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For the salad, arrange arugula on four dinner plates. Divide the cherries, corn and steak between the plates. Scatter with cashews and drizzle with dressing. Pass extra dressing at the table.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
Karo says
What a splendid recipe. I shall make it using just-cooked meat and corn for one dinner and the next night make the grilled steak salad! Days are hotter than hot here and I am searching for ways to stretch out dishes and not heat up the kitchen.
Just wanted you to know about a frozen garlic product that I buy at Walmart or Albertsons. It's in the frozen food area and one brand is Dorot. It is simply amazing..tastes like fresh garlic. You pop one pod out of the conatainer for each clove needed. Pods also come in ginger and basil. I think there are more but not found here in Boise. I have not bought fresh garlic since I found these little morsels. The frozen pods are a lot fresher tasting that the tube product. In fact, stores here have stopped selling the tube varieties. A friend of mine found another brand of the pods in FL at Publix.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Karo! That's a great tip!
Francine says
Hi there...I couldn't find the link to the corn shucking video. Can you please send it to me? Delicious salad, by the way!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Francine, You might have ad blockers enabled which will not allow the video to show up. You can also find it here: https://youtu.be/v5oXybqVvIk
Dawn says
Chris,
My coworker and I tried your method for preparing the corn. We are both food professionals and was quite impressed with the results. Thank you for sharing
Chris Scheuer says
I love that, Dawn! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Kathryn Gearheard says
Oh boy, Chris this looks like another I can’t wait to make but I am in the midst of doing your freezer jams with all our Northwest fresh berries. I have to say so easy easy and perfect for gifts. I seem to have all the labels except the strawberry one. They got lost somewhere because I am sure you sent them to me. Would you mind sending them again? They just make the jars look perfect.
Thank you,
Kathryn
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Kathryn! We can send them again 🙂
Laura says
Excellent salad! This dressing is so delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Laura 💕
Heidi says
Made this tonight for our family of 9. It was unique, satisfying, and truly delicious! Best of all, my husband gave it a thumbs up. Looking forward to making this summery salad again 🙂 Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Heidi! Thanks for sharing your results!
Elizabeth says
Hi Chris, Is there something I can substitute for lemongrass. I want to try the recipe buy I cannot find lemongrass in out small town.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elizabeth, just sub a little more ginger. It will be delicious!
DC says
Hi Chris, I almost never comment on blogs, and it's even more rare for me to rave about a salad, but...WOW! Dinner was almost completely quiet last night because we couldn't stop eating, and we paused only to talk about how great it was! That dressing! Luckily we have leftovers for tonight. Your recipes are always delicious and elegant. Thank you for sharing your gift of great cooking!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much DC, I'm so happy you enjoyed this salad. It's definitely a favorite of ours too. Scott complains though, that he doesn't get to revisit recipes like this one often enough though, as I'm always thinking of something new 🙂
Reduceri haine says
It looks very delicious!
Sandra says
I think now is a good time for me to bring out my trusty cherry pitter!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
What a fresh and unique salad! I love the flavors and I could see myself spooning that basil dressing on almost anything! Must give it a try this weekend!
Juliana says
What an awesome meal Chris...I love steak in salad but yet have to try adding fresh cherries...
Have a great rest of week 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
As I'm sitting here in long sleeves and shoes, I can only hope for warmer weather. I shouldn't complain because it's going to be an ordinary 74F here today - it's still winter! If I sat outside in the sun this salad would be perfect. Now to find some fresh corn. 🙂
Liz says
I made a steak salad tonight for dinner sans recipe---it was so good, but now I can see how it could have been even better!!! Cherries? Cashews? Corn?Oh, boy. So many delicious addtions
Monique says
Like ALL your salads..it is beautiful..and appetizing..
We are behind here of course on produce..but it will come:)
I love the way you add corn..beauteous.
John/Kitchen Riffs says
A cherry pitter really helps, doesn't it? And they're good for pitting olives, too! Anyway, love steak salad, and you've taken it to a new level. Really nice -- thanks.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I love this salad! My husband has a hearty appetite and I find steak salads hit the mark perfectly to fill him up. So many great flavours here. Can't wait to try it 🙂
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Chris these flavors are so inspired. The salad is visually exquisite with so many interesting elements. I love everything about it.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
You make the BEST salads, Chris. I love the combo of flavour and the dressing is just unbeatable.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Angie, I do enjoy creating salads!
cheri says
Hi Chris, beautiful salad, full of all my summer favorites. Great tip about basil, I did not know that blanching kept it from coloring. Have a great week!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Cheri, it's cool how this dressing doesn't lose it's vibrant green color due to the blanching!
Catherine says
Dear Chris, This salad looks healthy and delicious!! xoxo Catherine
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Catherine, I love the combination of healthy and delicious! It's a win-win!
Lisa (Authentic Suburban Gourmet) says
This is my kind of salad! I just used cherries in a salad - how fun to celebrate summer with these beauties! I wish I could transport this salad to my house for dinner tonight.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Lisa, I just love cherries in a salad!
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
What a great summer meal, Chris! Love the combo of flavors and how colorful this salad is.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Denis, yes summer has the most amazing flavors and colors.
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
There are so many of my favorite flavors in this salad- and i just happen to have a bumper crop of fresh cherries in the fridge! I love that corn husking technique, too, I can't wait to try it.
Chris Scheuer says
I might have to come and raid your fridg Sue! Yes that corn husking technique is super cool!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Ohhh what a great combination! Sweet corn and cherries, savory grilled steak and a little bling from the dressing! Very nice Chris and I would love it as much as my husband. Have a wonderful father's day weekend!