RECIPE: Dairy-free dressing brings nutty twist to steak salad

Steak salads are a staple meal at my house during spring and summer months. They’re hearty and substantial without being heavy, and they’re a good way to get in your greens.

Generally, I improvise the salad based on whatever is in the refrigerator, but I have become very fond of using a nutty, creamy dressing that just happens to be dairy-free. Made from tahini and toasted sesame oil, it is filled with a satisfying sesame flavor that can easily hold up to beefy steak. It is, in fact, so flavor-packed that you can use hearty or bitter greens instead of tender lettuce. I typically pick up whatever is freshest at the grocery store, but two winning options are watercress (roughly chopped) and a mix of baby kale and pea shoots. Adding a bit of radicchio would also be a nice touch.

As far as the steak is concerned, I prefer to use lean flank steak in salads. It is relatively thin, so it cooks quickly, and you don’t need to contend with any extraneous fat or gristle. To cook it, rub the steak down with salt and vegetable oil (or other neutral oil with a high smoke point), then set it into a hot cast-iron skillet. Flip it every 30 to 60 seconds as it cooks; this method ensures an even doneness throughout and a crisp, well-browned crust. A medium-rare steak will take 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. Assemble the remainder of the salad while the meat rests, and you’ve got a meal that comes together in as little as 20 minutes.