Cherry Almond Blue Steak Salad with Cherry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

What goes great with a sunny afternoon? This fresh and fruity salad! In recognition of Celiac Disease Awareness month, we’ve created this gluten-free Cherry Almond Blue Steak Salad with Cherry-Balsamic Vinaigrette.

One of the best things about this recipe is that it requires fresh, delicious cherries which are now in season. Cherries are full of antioxidants which contain cancer-preventative compounds and reduce inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C.

From the dark colored spinach which contains lots of vitamins and minerals to the chopped almonds which provide you with monounsaturated fat (the kind that lowers bad cholesterol), this salad is jam packed with healthy vitamins and minerals in every ingredient. The made-from-scratch balsamic vinaigrette is super easy to make, full of flavor and contains less calories than bottled salad dressings (which may contain gluten).


Don’t be fooled by how fancy this salad looks, there are less than 10 ingredients and it will only take about 30 minutes make! This recipe is delicious, but the health benefits are the “cherry” on top!

 

Cherry Almond Blue Steak Salad with Cherry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 – 2lbs Rancher's Reserve steak (chuck eye, ribeye, filet, strip)

extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper

12oz baby spinach

2 cups cherries, pitted and halved

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3oz blue cheese, crumbled

 

For the Cherry-Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup cherries, pitted and halved

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients for Cherry-Balsamic Vinaigrette except extra virgin olive oil in a food processor or blender then pulse to coarsely chop. Slowly stream in olive oil while processing until smooth. Set aside.

2. Rub both sides of Rancher's Reserve steaks with extra virgin olive oil then season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat to your preferred level of doneness. Alternatively you could cook steaks on the stove top. Let steaks rest for 5-7 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.

3. Divide spinach between plates then top with sliced steak, cherries, blue cheese, and sliced almonds. Drizzle with Cherry Balsamic Vinaigrette then serve.

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