Arugula and Spinach Salad with Steak, Apples, and Blue Cheese

This Arugula and Spinach Salad with Steak, Apples, and Blue Cheese is crispy, funky, and with a peppery bite. It has all of the flavors of fall any time of year. This salad takes the same effort as a typical one, but with much more flair. By thinking about how flavors and textures work together, you can create a complex flavored salad in no time. Get ready to elevate your salad to one perfect for a date night in.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to meal prep all of components ahead of time and throw together quickly
• Save money buying one steak instead of two
• Can use leftover steak in the refrigerator 
• Tastes like fall without the pumpkin spice
• Bursting with flavors and textures, not a boring salad

Building a balanced salad is all about taking into consideration how the flavors and textures mingle together. We want a little from each category to provide interest for your palate. 

We’re looking for salty, sweet, acidic, and umami flavors.

As for textures, we want creamy, crunchy, crisp, and toothsome. 

This salad is fresh while also being deeply satisfying. 

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Ingredient List

Arugula: Baby arugula has a frilly texture and peppery bite. It pairs well with the pepper on the steak. 

Spinach: Baby spinach is perfect for a mild green. Enough to bulk your salad without creating a flavor overload. The texture adds a buttery smoothness. 

Steak: You can have fun here and choose whichever type of steak you prefer. I prefer something a bit decadent. Flat iron steak is well-marbled enough while also not being too fatty and difficult to cut. Ribeye and New York strip steak are great choices. You can make your steak ahead as well if you plan to serve it cold. Steak gives us umami flavor and a toothsome bite. I like to dry brine my steaks for flavor, but it isn’t necessary to do. Dry brined steak takes more time, but is simple and heavenly. 

Blue Cheese: I’m a big fan of how creamy blue cheese is. It adds a much needed funk element to the salad. The creaminess pairs well with its umami flavor. 

Apple: Honeycrisp apples are my favorite. They add a delicate sweetness and fresh crunch. Fuji, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith apples will also work. Crisp and sweet are the perfect blend.

Candied Pecans: I love these pecans. They give a buttery crunch that feels like autumn. You can purchase them from the store or make your own. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette: This homemade version is simple and punchy. Enough acid to make you pucker with a sweetness to mellow it out. You can also use store bought if you’d prefer. 

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Candied Pecans

If you only want enough pecans for this salad, follow this recipe. For a bigger batch, check out my Cinnamon Sugar Pecans recipe that yields 4 cups. Once you try them, you’ll love any excuse to make more. 

1 cup pecan halves

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg white, frothed and use enough to coat the pecans

1. Mix together white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl
2. In a cup or small bowl, whip your egg whites with a fork or milk frother wand (recommended) to soft peaks

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3. In a large bowl, add pecan halves and measured egg whites and stir to coat
4. Add sugar mixture and stir to combine
5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
6. Put pecans on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
7. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes to allow the pecans to evenly toast and prevent clumping
8. Let cool before using

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Steak

1. Take steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to cook
2. Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet
3. Season both sides with salt and pepper
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter into the pan
5. When the pan is hot, cook on medium high heat for 4 minutes for medium rare
6. Flip and cook other 4 minutes on the other side
7. Remove from the pan and let rest for at least 10 minutes
   1. This recipe calls for cold to room temperature steak so don’t worry about it getting cold. 

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Balsamic Vinaigrette

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup avocado oil

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Combine avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a pint size mason jar and shake until it is emulsified. Or use a small bowl and whisk. You can also blend it with an immersion blender until combined. 
2. Taste for salt and if you want to add more of any of the ingredients
   1. If the dressing tastes flat, add a bit more acid from either the balsamic vinegar or dijon mustard.
   2. If the dressing is too sharp, add a bit more honey. 

Arugula and Spinach Salad with Steak, Apples, and Blue Cheese

1. In a salad bowl, layer arugula and spinach. This is to avoid having to stir it all up and creating a mess
2. Add halved cherry tomatoes, diced apple, and crumbled blue cheese
3. Slice the steak against the grain and lay on top
   1. Look for the grain in the steak, it should look like lines. Angle your knife perpendicular to those lines for more tender slices. If you slice with the grain, it can become chewy
4. Sprinkle Maldon salt and freshly cracked pepper on the steak for a satisfyingly salty crunch
5. Shake the dressing again and pour on top
6. Add candied pecans and enjoy!

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Expert Tips

Use a milk frother wand for the egg whites, if you have it. You’ll never go back. 

This recipe is perfect for meal prep. You can make the steak ahead of time. Just cook it, let it rest, and refrigerate. Slicing it cold is easier than when it’s warm. You can leave it cold or room temperature, or gently heat it on a skillet for a few minutes before slicing. 

Ditto for the cinnamon sugar pecans. Make a whole batch and snack on them throughout the week. When it comes time to throw this salad together, it’ll take less than ten minutes. 

Mason jars have measurements on the side. Instead of measuring out the oil and balsamic, you can just pour straight into the jar. I do the balsamic vinegar first to the ¼ line and then the avocado oil. Since they separate before shaking, you can see how much of each ingredient you have. 

Serving Suggestion

This hearty steak salad goes well with crusty bread and olive oil herb dip. It’s the perfect simple appetizer that’s so flavorful you’ll swear it didn’t take 5 minutes to put together.

Flavor Variations

An arugula and spinach salad is a canvas for flavor variations. 

If apples aren’t what you want, you can use pears to get a crunch and sweetness. Strawberries add sweetness without crunch.

If you don’t like blue cheese, feta cheese is a good alternative, especially if you pair it with avocado to get the creaminess that feta cheese lacks. If blue cheese isn’t funky enough for you, go ahead and throw on some goat cheese. 

If you don’t like pecans, walnuts or sliced almonds are another great option. 

If you want a more tart dressing, trade out the balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar. 

You want to look for a balance of sweet, savory, acidic, crunchy, and creamy. If you can get something from every category in your salad, it will be a textural and flavor explosion. 

FAQs

This salad has become a staple in my house for its freshness, but also date night feel. I hope you enjoy it as well. Let me know in the comments if you make this arugula and spinach salad as written or change it up with your favorite flavors. I’m always on the look out for a delicious new flavor combination.