If you’ve made enough of my recipes by now, you’ll know how much I absolutely love using herbs to enhance pretty much all of my meals. I mean, I love them so much I have a mini indoor herb garden that I hope to one day cultivate into a larger backyard chef’s garden (for now, I’ll keep dreaming). The beauty of herbs is that they are so simple yet they bring such complex flavors to any dish, and the complexity continues if you begin to layer them on top of each other. Herbs bring a delicate level of flavor without over-salting or over-seasoning food. Even sprinkled over sliced cucumbers or a bed of salad greens, herbs can enhance the flavor of quite literally anything.
Being the herb-obsessed girl that I am, it’s no secret why I love a fresh chimichurri. I love making mine with a blend of cilantro, oregano, and parsley enhanced by red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and lemon – there are so many flavors at play here. Garnish a freshly-seared steak with a spoonful of chimichurri and throw it over a bed of lightly dressed salad and you’ve got yourself a weekly salad dinner, namely, this recipe here. The best thing about this recipe is that the chimichurri and vinaigrette dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to throw a quick 10-minute dinner together.
“According to Daniel Balmaceda, an Argentinian historian and author, the word chimichurri comes from the Quechua, an Indigenous population who have lived in the Andean region of northern Argentina since well before the arrival of Europeans. According to Balmaceda, it was a generic term used to describe strong sauces to accompany and conserve different kinds of meat.”
– BBC
Chimichurri Steak Salad
Ingredients
- 5 cups Mixed Greens
- 1/4 cup Sprouts
- 1 lb Boneless Rib Eye
For Chimichurri
- 1 cup Fresh Parsley
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro
- 1-3 Small Chilies (use 1 chili for mild spice and up to 3 chilies for more spice)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 cup 100% Italian Olive Oil
- 1/8 cup Red Wine Vinegar (or raspberry vinegar)
- 1 Lemon
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
For Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup 100% Italian Olive Oil
- 1/8 cup Sherry Vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
For Chimichurri
- Gently slice parsley and cilantro leaves into thin, small pieces. Then, finely chop garlic and chilies.
- Add to parsley, cilantro, garlic, and chilies to a food processor with the rest of the chimichurri ingredients and pulse until well-blended, using a spatula to wipe down the sides of the food processor as you blend the mixture. Set aside or refrigerate up to two weeks.
For Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
- Vigorously whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined. Adjust ingredients to taste preference.
For Salad
- Generously salt boneless rib eye for 15 minutes up to one day prior to cooking.
- Meanwhile, add mixed greens and sprouts in a large bowl and toss to evenly combine. Set aside.
- Sear steak in a stainless steel pan with 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat (or cook on the grill) to medium rare. Remove from heat and let rest for up to five minutes before slicing.
- Toss 2-3 tbsp of vinaigrette salad dressing over mixed greens. Then, slice steak into thin pieces and lay over top of the salad.
- Using a generous spoonful, dollop chimichurri over top of the steak.
Watch my video on how to make this recipe by clicking here.
