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A grey plate topped with steak and quinoa salad with shaved carrots and mustard vinaigrette.
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5 / 3 votes

Steak and Quinoa Salad

This steak and quinoa salad recipe is spectacularly easy to toss together, especially if you have some leftover steak and maybe even quinoa in the fridge. But it can also be tossed together with spectacular ease even when you start from scratch. Here's how to make it.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 610

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup walnut or mild vegetable oil, such as grapeseed
  • 1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey or agave syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the steak and quinoa salad

  • 1 pound flank or hanger steak, (if using hanger steak, remove the center membrane)
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 6 cups arugula (or other sturdy greens, such as escarole, frisee, or spinach)
  • 4 carrots, preferably multicolor, peeled and shaved lengthwise with a vegetable peeler into ribbons
  • 6 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted if desired
  • 1/3 cup vinaigrette (see preceding recipe)
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the vinaigrette

  • Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl or shake them in a jar with a lid. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if desired.
  • Cover and refrigerate the vinaigrette for up to 5 days. Whisk or shake to recombine before using.

Make the steak and quinoa salad

  • Season the steak with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear the steak, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked to your desired doneness. Figure 135°F (57°C) on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, 7 to 8 minutes total. 
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the quinoa, reduce the heat, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. 
  • Drain the quinoa. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
  • When the steak is your desired doneness, let the steak rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes.
  • Thinly slice the rested steak on a diagonal.
  • Arrange the arugula, quinoa, carrots, and steak on individual plates. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds and drizzle with the vinaigrette. (You may have some leftover vinaigrette. Stash it in the fridge.) Add some freshly cracked black pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Originally published May 28, 2016.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 610kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 444mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g