Arugula and Spinach Salad with Steak, Apples, and Blue Cheese
This arugula and spinach salad is packed with flavor and texture—crisp apples, funky blue cheese, buttery pecans, and seared steak. It's easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough for date night.
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Ingredients
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
Candied Pecans
- 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
Steak
- 1 steak
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
Arugula and Spinach Salad with Steak, Apples, and Blue Cheese
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup apple diced
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1 steak cooked
- ½ cup candied pecans
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Combine ½ cup avocado oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon 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.
- Taste for salt and if you want to add more of any of the ingredients
- If the dressing tastes flat, add a bit more acid from either the balsamic vinegar or dijon mustard.
- If the dressing is too sharp, add a bit more honey.
Candied Pecans
- Mix together 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl
- In a cup or small bowl, whip 1 egg white with a fork or milk frother wand (recommended) to soft peaks
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup pecan halves and measured 2-3 tablespoons of egg whites and stir to coat
- Add sugar mixture and stir to combine
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Put pecans on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes to allow the pecans to evenly toast and prevent clumping
- Let cool before using
Steak
- Take steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to cook
- Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet
- Season both sides with salt and pepper
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter into the pan
- When the pan is hot, cook on medium high heat for 4 minutes for medium rare
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan
- Flip and cook other 4 minutes on the other side
- Remove from the pan and let rest for at least 10 minutes
- This recipe calls for cold to room temperature steak so don’t worry about it getting cold.
Arugula and Spinach Salad with Steak, Apples, and Blue Cheese
- In two salad bowls, layer 2 cups arugula and 2 cups spinach. This is to avoid having to stir it all up and creating a mess
- Add ½ cup cherry tomatoes, ½ cup apple, and ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- Slice the steak against the grain and lay on top
- 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
- Sprinkle Maldon salt and freshly cracked pepper on the steak for a satisfyingly salty crunch
- Shake the dressing again and pour on top
- Add ½ cup candied pecans and enjoy!
Notes
Use a milk frother wand for the egg whites, if you have it. It creates soft peaks without having to get the mixer out.
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.
Same 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 1855kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 155g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 24g | Monounsaturated Fat: 86g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 1703mg | Potassium: 1356mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 4162IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 350mg | Iron: 8mg
Servings: 2 salads
Calories: 1855kcal