Grilled Steak and Nectarine Salad Recipe

This Grilled Steak and Nectarine Salad recipe creates a meaty, filling salad that’s delightful on a summer day. Serve it on the patio.

Sometimes recipes are things I dream up while brainstorming, taking notes on the flavors and ingredients I think will work best. Sometimes recipes are inspired by something I’ve eaten — a restaurant meal, something from the university cafeteria or something I’ve had just a taste of.

If I’m being really, really honest, this salad recipe started as a lark. My kids and I have been working on eating through the contents of our fridge, pantry and freezer, trying to use more of what we have. So one night when my son was unexpectedly home for dinner, but my daughter wasn’t, I made a meal from some small portions of protein that weren’t enough to feed two people unless served together.

That night, I took a small portion of steak and grilled it. At the same time, I grilled some hot dog buns and tossed some lobster in seasoned butter. Then I assembled a salad with ingredients from the fridge and a lobster roll side.

This is the salad and small Connecticut-style lobster roll combo that sparked this recipe.

When I posted a picture of the dinner, I got so many messages from people hoping I would post the salad recipe soon. Of course, I said. Then I set out to standardize the recipe and hopefully create a reproducible version everyone would love.

The result is this Grilled Steak and Nectarine Salad recipe. Now, two things I want you to know: first, if you don’t have a grill, this recipe isn’t for you. There are so many other great salad recipes out there that cook toppings using stoves or other devices you might have. Choose one of those instead. Second: if nectarines are out of season, then don’t make this. You don’t want to substitute the fruit in this recipe. Again, there are so many other great recipes out there — find one that uses what you can get.

To make this salad, you’ll start with greens. Now, there’s a lot of flexibility in the greens. For this version, I used mesclun greens, but baby arugula, chopped kale, baby spinach or any variety of lettuce will work too. Choose one you love the flavor of.

There’s also flexibility in the toppings. In this recipe, I’ve recommended thinly sliced red onions and a whole tomato, quartered and sliced. But you could also add thinly sliced radishes, bell peppers or even fresh corn that’s been cooked and cut from the cob. Trade the whole tomato for cherry tomatoes, as I did in the kale-based version on the left. Or use some entirely other combination. You’ll want to choose a couple or four veggie toppings to really make this robust, but rely on what you like and what’s in season.

The steak and nectarines grill pretty quickly. Don’t forget to rest them before serving. The nectarines need to rest so they cool a bit instead of being molten fruit ready to burn your mouth.

The result is a vibrant and bold salad that’s both filling and filled with contrasting flavors. It’s creamy, meaty, salty, earthy and fruity. It’s divine. And this is a perfect salad for serving outside when your friends gather around the table — or when you just want something fresh and filling that won’t feel heavy in your belly.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!