Blackened Steak Salad

For me this Blackened Steak Salad with blue cheese dressing is the perfect way to serve steak in the summer. Slicing it means you can cook a big thick steak, then serve portions that are the right size for everyone. Of course it's gluten free, like most salads, I get to enjoy a big salad (my favourite part) and some juicy slices of meat that feel like a special treat. Of course it's just a salad so you can adjust the amounts of every ingredient to your liking but some combinations are worth repeating. For me this is one of them.

this gluten free recipe

This is a healthy full meal on a plate, no side salad needed. Choose a decadent or fun dessert and call it the easiest, yet impressive, summer dinner ever. Depending on the day I might pick no-cook Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, grilled fruit (skewers or peaches) or my COVID survival Affogato.

Ingredients

For the blue cheese haters (their loss), serve their steak naked with any simple dressing on the side.

Blackened Spice Mix

• smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• onion powder 
• garlic powder
• black pepper
• dried thyme
• dried oregano
• cayenne

Salad and Blue Cheese Dressing

• Gorgonzola cheese
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• coarse-grained mustard or Dijon
• garlic
• fresh or dried basil
• mixed lettuce
• red pepper
• white onion
• cherry tomatoes
• garlic
• rib eye steak

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Food Rules: Pay More, Eat Less

American journalist and food advocate Michael Pollan, published a collection of 64 food rules in his book, Food Rules. He has promoted them for many years and rule #1 is Eat Food. The Food Rules are to increase awareness of the food we eat, specifically what is real food and what are food-like substances. I like the idea, I read labels and I try to avoid foods with long ingredient lists made in factories. I'll be working on this one forever.

When I decided to post this recipe my husband wanted to cook the best steak, a rib eye. I immediately thought of food rule #44 - Pay More, Eat Less. Many people believe that in Alberta we have some of the best beef in the world and we think that too. For this salad we cooked a two-inch thick rib eye steak and it was worth every penny but cooking a perfect steak is a skill to be mastered. You need to take the time, pay attention to the details and probably use a thermometer. To eat less simply slice up the meat, people always eat a smaller portion when it's served like that. Plus, you can cook a single steak and serve several people.

Spices on a Gluten Free Diet

Much has been written about the safety of spices on a gluten free diet and in your kitchen you must decide what is best for you. I think these are two important points to consider:

1. Spice combinations are recipes so have an ingredient list. Some examples are steak spice, pizza spice or pumpkin pie spice. Wheat or wheat containing ingredients are sometimes used in commercial preparations. I highly recommend keeping a good supply of pure spices in your kitchen and combining these spices when you need them. Using your spices regularly helps keep them fresh and then you know they are safe.
2. The amount of spice consumed in a recipe by percentage is extremely small, often less than one teaspoon for the entire meal. Here are two informative articles on this topic:
   • Are Spices Safe For A Gluten-Free Diet? by Allergic Living
   • Gluten Free Watchdog Special Report: Gluten Contamination of Spices 

Equipment

The correct tools make cooking more fun! Keep buying what you like and use them. Here are some tools I use to make serve this Blackened Steak Salad.

• A barbecue is mandatory so start with the nicest one you can afford (Weber and Broil King are trusted brands).
• A reusable grilling sheet is the best kept secret for preventing cross contact on any grill.
• An instant read thermometer is a handy tool for more than just meat.
• Those spice bottles I mentioned or 4-oz Mason jars
• A spice funnel is very useful for refilling jars.
• Mason jars (½ cup, 1 cup or 2-cup sizes) are my choice for making dressing in and then storing it.
• If you like to plate salad at the table a beautiful salad bowl will last you decades.

Top Tip

Keep extra spice bottles, or half-cup Mason jars, in your kitchen to store homemade combinations like this blackened spice mix. Be sure to label them in the moment and try them in different recipes.

Blackened Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

This Blackened Steak Salad is the perfect way to serve steak in the summer. The salad feels healthy and the juicy slices of meat, topped with blue cheese dressing, feels like a special treat.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: Blackened Steak Salad, blue cheese dressing

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

Blackened Spice Mix

• ▢ 3 tablespoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne

Blue Cheese Dressing

• ▢ 4 oz Gorgonzola cheese
• ▢ 6 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard or Dijon
• ▢ 2 large garlic cloves
• ▢ 2 teaspoon dried basil

Salad

• ▢ 8 cups mixed lettuce
• ▢ ½ cup basil leaves
• ▢ 1 red pepper grilled or roasted
• ▢ ¼ small white onion, sliced thin
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 12 garlic cloves roasted (optional)

MEAT

• ▢ 16 oz rib eye steak 1½-2 inches thick

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Blackened Spice Mix

• Mix spices in dry bowl. Transfer to spice bottle and label it.

Blue Cheese Dressing

• Combine all ingredients in a wide mouth 2-cup Mason jar. Using a hand blender mix all ingredients until smooth.

Grilled Red Pepper

• Char whole peppers over a gas flame or under an oven broiler turning until blackened all over. Put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes, remove and peel off the skin that comes away easily. Cut as desired.

Roasted Garlic

• Toss whole garlic cloves with a bit of olive oil and bake, covered with foil, in 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Slip skins off and serve whole or chop as desired. Keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Salad

• Arrange lettuce, basil, red pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic on 4 plates. Set aside.

MEAT

• Generously sprinkle both sides of meat with blackened spice mix. Bring to room temperature before cooking. Preheat barbecue.
• Cook steak to desired doneness, cooking times will vary depending on the cut of meat and thickness of the steak.
• For those nice grill marks on a thick steak cook 2-3 minutes, do a quarter turn and continue cooking on the same side another 2-3 minutes.
• Turn the steaks and cook the same way on the second side. That's 4-6 minutes to get the outside nicely charred.
• Move the meat to the upper rack to finish cooking, 5-10 minutes to desired doneness. Check internal temperature with an instant read thermometer by sticking it in the side of the steak. 140°F for rare, 150°F for medium rare.*

Resting Meat

• Cover with foil and allow meat to rest about 5 minutes then slice as desired.

Serving

• Top salad with sliced steak and serve immediately with Blue Cheese Dressing on the side.

Notes

*The temperature of meat increases about 5 degrees as it rests so don't skip this step. You can always put it back on the barbecue if it's under done. If it's cooked too long, you're eating over done steak. 🙁