Grilled Steak Salad With Tomatoes & Avocado

Summer is here and the apartment is full of wedding stuff. Binders, fabric swatches, invitation samples, a box of favors that arrived last week and is sitting in the corner unopened because we can't agree on whether the ribbon should be gold or cream. I said, "They're the same color." Megan looked at me like I'd questioned the existence of gravity. They are not the same color. I have been educated.

The farmers market is back. I went on Saturday and bought everything — strawberries, corn, herbs, zucchini, tomatoes. Megan carried the bags and said, "We are two people with one small fridge." I said, "The fridge will adapt." The fridge will not adapt. Some of this produce will die a noble death in the crisper drawer. This is the cost of ambition at the farmers market.

I've been writing more for RecipeSpinoff. The engagement has given me new material — cooking for someone you're going to marry is different from cooking for someone you're dating. There's a permanence to it. When I make Megan dinner now, I'm not trying to impress her. I'm building a repertoire. A library of meals that we'll eat for the next fifty years. Tuesday night chicken. Sunday morning pancakes. Friday pizza from scratch. These are the meals of a marriage, and they start before the ring goes on.

Made a summer corn salad — grilled corn cut off the cob, mixed with cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a touch of chili powder. It's fresh, bright, the kind of thing you eat outside in the sun with your fingers and you feel like summer is a state of mind, not just a season. Megan ate it standing at the counter and said, "Add this to the Tuesday rotation." It's added. The repertoire grows.

That corn salad unlocked something — once Megan said “add it to the rotation,” I started thinking about what else belongs in the permanent collection. The farmers market haul was still going strong mid-week, and with cherry tomatoes sitting on the counter begging for a purpose, I went a little heartier: a grilled steak salad with tomatoes and avocado that has the same bright, summery energy but enough substance to feel like a real Tuesday-night meal. This one’s for the repertoire, too.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 2

Ingredients

3/4 lb flank steak or skirt steak
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
4 cups romaine or mixed greens
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Season the steak. Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Rub all over with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while the grill heats up.
Grill the steak. Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Grill the steak 4—5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until it reaches your preferred doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Build the salad. Arrange greens on a large platter or divide between two bowls. Top with cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, red onion, and cilantro.
Slice and serve. Slice the rested steak thinly against the grain and lay it over the salad. Drizzle the dressing over everything and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Steak Salad With Tomatoes & Avocado — Building the Meals We’ll Eat for Fifty Years