Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

Have you noticed a trend around Live Simply?

I’m a lover of homemade cleaning products and chocolate is my best friend, but when it comes to salads, well, that food group is seriously lacking around here. In fact, I’ve posted more salad dressings than actual salads.

It’s not that I don’t care for salads; rather the real issue boils down to patience and time. After fixing a main course, our side dish (which is often a salad), is the last thing I want to think about. This means our typical salad is generally very simple: a leafy green and whatever raw vegetables I can easily grab from the fridge. A homemade dressing is the star of the show.

I’ve been stuck in the boring simple salad routine for years, but a couple of weeks ago my mediocre salad life was forever changed.

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

Tuesday nights have become our date night. Since our area is seriously lacking in Mom and Pop restaurants, Dustin and I usually frequent the same four places.

One of my favorite restaurants is a pizza place called, “Pizzeria Gregario.” This little restaurant serves the best sourdough pizza (the starter is supposedly 50 years-old!), and sources all the ingredients locally. This family-owned favorite goes far beyond just amazing pizza. Since Pizzeria Gregario is a farm-to-table style restaurant, the side menu is always changing which is pure heaven for a foodie. Florida isn’t exactly known as the Fertile Crescent of produce, so it’s always intriguing to read (and taste) the interesting combos the chef pulls together.

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

A couple of weeks ago we visited Gregario for the umpteenth time. A warm balsamic vegetable salad topped the ever-changing side menu. Hearty roasted spring vegetables were piled high on a bed of mixed greens, and then topped with a simple balsamic dressing. The description captivated my deprived salad taste buds. Upon the first bite I promptly declared, “No more boring salads, Dustin! This is a salad-changer!”

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

Gregario’s hearty spring salad has now been recreated multiple times in our home. And because friends don’t keep amazing food secrets from each other, I have to share the recipe with you. Hint: it’s coming, just keep scrolling!

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

This salad is a simple combo of perfectly roasted, hearty spring vegetables. I’ve listed my favorite veggie combo in the recipe, but you’re welcome to add your own favorites. This salad is really versatile which means it can be adapted with the changing seasons. For the meat lovers (Hi, Dustin!) grilled ribeye steak (the perfect cut for quick grilling) is added to make this salad a complete meal. Roasted vegetables, steak, and a simple dressing. Salad just doesn’t get any better than that, my friend.

Now, before we move on to the full recipe, let me warn you: Don’t panic over the amount of veggies that need to be chopped! The chopping is the hardest part in this recipe. If you’re limited on prep time during the week, I recommend chopping all the vegetables (except the potatoes) during your prep time. Simply store the vegetables in a container lined with a damp paper-towel for 3-4 days. Easy peasy!

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover
5 from 2 votes

Warm Balsamic Roasted Vegetable and Steak Medley Salad

This salad is a simple combo of perfectly roasted, hearty spring vegetables.  Roasted vegetables, steak, and a simple dressing. Salad just doesn’t get any better than that, my friend.
Kristin Marr
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 3 -4 servings for a main dish
Calories 906 kcal

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 butternut squash small, peeled and chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 3 buttercream potatoes chopped (You may substitute fingerling or small red potatoes)-no need to peel
  • 2 beets peeled and chopped (I like Chioggia beets)
  • 10 brussels sprouts quartered (toss or compost any loose exterior leaves)
  • 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 TB balsamic vinegar
  • 1-2 lbs ribeye steak I use 1 lb for two people
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 head of romaine or green leaf lettuce. Another option is 6-7 cups of arugula or spinach.
  • 1/3 cup feta cheese or more!

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TB balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TB lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450F.
  • Place the chopped butternut squash, potatoes, beets, and Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Note: Make sure all the chopped vegetables are relatively the same size. Evenly spread the vegetables across the baking sheet. You may also need to oil your baking sheet before adding the vegetables.
  • Sprinkle the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper (to taste). Toss the vegetables in the oil mixture. Roast the vegetables for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes and butternut are soft when pierced with a fork.
  • While the vegetables cook, sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper. Allow the salted steak to rest while the grill is heated. Cook the steak on the grill for 4-6 minutes on each side (depending on size).
  • While the steak cooks, whisk together the salad dressing and wash/dry the greens.

Notes

Find all my favorite kitchen tool essentials, here.

Nutrition

Calories: 906kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 44gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 360mgPotassium: 2639mgFiber: 14gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 28530IUVitamin C: 136.2mgCalcium: 317mgIron: 13mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Kid Note: Piper (my five year-old) isn’t a big salad fan, so I serve a piece of steak and vegetables on the side with a small amount of lettuce.

Warm Vegetable and Steak Salad: A healthy summer salad for the carnivore and salad lover

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Can I just say YUM!!!!! I can’t wait to try this, my husband doesn’t think of salads as a meal (sigh), but this is totally going to be my next side dish

  2. 5 stars
    I. Cannot. WAIT to try this recipe! I discovered your blog last year and have been an avid fan ever since.
    My soon-to-be husband hates cooked veggies (I think mostly because he’s only ever had those awful mushy, overcooked kind that have all the flavor sapped out of them). I’ve been telling him I’m making it a personal mission to MAKE him like his veggies…which means finding great flavors and recipes like this one.
    Can’t wait! Thanks, Kristin!