Steak & Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Vinaigrette

This grilled steak and strawberry goat cheese salad just screams summer! It’s sweet and savory, packed with fruity flavor (thanks to the strawberries and homemade strawberry vinaigrette), creamy goat cheese, greens, and juicy steak.

This is one of our favorite grilling recipes for summer – all the flavors pair so well together. It’s easy to make, too, which is always a plus!

Thanks to ALDI for sponsoring this post, originally published in 2018.

Strawberry Steak Salad with Quinoa

This steak salad makes for a great light but filling summer meal. Matt and I made it for a bunch of friends recently and we really enjoyed the fresh summery flavors – and how simple it was to scale up/make for a crowd!

You can also make most of this recipe ahead of time, which makes it nice for entertaining. You do have the active grill time, but the salad base, the marinade, and vinaigrette can all be done before your guests arrive!

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this steak and strawberry goat cheese salad:

• steak (We like using ribeye, but other cuts should work. Also, it saves time if you buy a pre-trimmed steak.)
• strawberries (Ripe strawberries will be bright red, not dark red, and shouldn’t have bruising or spots.)
• quinoa
• greens (We like using a mix of baby spinach and arugula, but you do you!)
• goat cheese (I love the soft and creamy texture of goat cheese, but you can use another mild cheese like feta or mozzarella instead if you want.)
• red onion

For the steak marinade and for the strawberry vinaigrette, here’s what you’ll need:

• more strawberries
• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• dijon mustard
• garlic
• fresh thyme
• lemon (juiced)

Speaking of the strawberry dressing – it’s especially fun because it has strawberries blended right into it! This adds a nice tart and summery flavor while also making the vinaigrette pink. 🙂

How to Make Grilled Steak Salad with Strawberries

Even though this meal looks fancy, it’s actually really easy to throw together! And thanks to ALDI, all the ingredients are affordable and high-quality, too. We are especially loving their SimplyNature Organic Quinoa lately – we always have a couple bags of it on hand in the pantry! (Here’s the ALDI store locator to find one near you.)

Just toss the marinade ingredients and steak into a dish or plastic bag and let it rest while you pop all the vinaigrette ingredients into a blender and prep the salad ingredients.

When it’s go time, grill the steak for 5-7 minutes per side and then grill the strawberries while you let the steak rest.

Toss it all together in a bowl, et voila, a gorgeous summer meal!

Do I have to grill the steak?

If you don’t feel like firing up your grill, you can pan-sear it in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat instead! Use tongs to sear the sides/edges of the steak as well.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad Recipe Variations

Here are some ways you can make this salad your own:

• Use grilled chicken instead of steak
• Use grilled peaches instead of strawberries and toss in a balsamic vinaigrette
• Add sliced almonds or sunflower seeds for a little crunch
• Use shallots instead of red onion
• Switch out the quinoa for another grain, like bulgur, farro, or barley

You’ll find the full steak and strawberry goat cheese salad recipe at the end of this post. I hope you love it!

For more summer grilling recipe inspiration, check these out:

• Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers with Coconut Quinoa
• Honey Lime Chicken with Grilled Peach and Corn Salad
• Grilled Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Homemade Salsa Verde
• Grilled Italian Sausage & Veggie Foil Packets
• Chimichurri Grilled Shrimp

Grilled Steak and Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese

January 3, 2019 by Anne

This sweet and savory salad makes for a great light but filling summer meal. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Yield

4

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Ingredients:

For the Steak

• 2 lb USDA Choice Black Angus Ribeye, trimmed
• 2 tbsp SimplyNature Organic Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp SimplyNature Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• pinch of Stonemill Salt and Pepper

For the Strawberry Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup diced strawberries
• 2 tbsp SimplyNature Organic Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp SimplyNature Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• juice from 1 lemon
• pinch of Stonemill Salt and Pepper

For the Salad

• 1.5 cups halved strawberries
• 1 cup SimplyNature Organic Quinoa, cooked according to package directions (or ~2 cups leftover cooked quinoa)
• 5 oz SimplyNature Organic Baby Spinach & Arugula Mix
• 2 oz Happy Farms Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• Carlini Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1. Trim the ribeye steak of excess fat around the edges and place in a shallow dish or plastic bag. Add the remaining steak marinade ingredients and massage to coat the steak. Allow to marinate for up to 30 minutes (don't let it sit for much longer, or the acid in the vinegar will start to "cook" the steak).
2. While the steak is marinating, heat a grill over medium-high heat, prepare the salad dressing, and cook the quinoa according to package directions (unless using leftover cooked quinoa). 
3. For the dressing, place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth or place ingredients in a jar and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Set dressing aside.
4. When the grill is hot, remove the steak from the marinade and place on the grill. Grill for 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare (remove from the grill when a thermometer inserted into the middle of the steak reads 140 degrees). Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes, then slice thinly. 
5. While the steak is resting, thread the halved strawberries onto skewers with the cut sides all facing the same direction. Spray the cut sides with cooking spray and place the strawberries cut side down on the grill. Grill for 30-60 seconds, just until grill marks appear (don't grill the strawberries too long, or they'll fall apart on you!). 
6. To assemble the salads, divide the baby spinach and arugula between four bowls. Top with the cooked quinoa, sliced steak, grilled strawberries, crumbled garlic & herb goat cheese, and sliced red onion. Drizzle with the strawberry vinaigrette and serve!

Notes:

Thank you to ALDI for sponsoring this post! Check ALDI out on their healthy living page and Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for more affordable, better-for-you recipe inspiration!

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