Steakhouse Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing
November 19, 2018 by Nicole Collins
If you crave vegetables, does that officially make you an adult?
I hope not. I don't want to grow up. I'm a Toys R Us kid!
Well, not anymore I guess.
So, I know I still need to give you the rundown on my Italy trip. Actually, I still need to give you the rundown on my new kitchen too. Wow, I just realized how far behind I actually am.
And, there's that feeling of adulting again.
Anyways, while we were in Italy, all we did was carb load. Pasta, bread, wine, repeat. That was our schedule for 7 days straight. There was even one night that we ended up having 2 dinners, one at 4pm and one at 10pm. It was not our intention at all, but when in Italy...right?
We also had what turned in to our little tradition of ordering caprese salad with every meal to share. Cheese, tomato, and basil was the closet thing we got to any fresh veggies or greens. By a few days in, I think we were all craving a big old bowl of salad.
During our last dinner in the small town where we spent the majority of our trip, Montecatini, we went all out and ordered a roasted veggie bruschetta, 2 different kinds of jumbo salads, and veggie fritto misto (like a tempura fried veggie...let's just ignore the “fried” part). That was, of course, in addition to all the pasta and all of the wine.
Since I've been home, I've been exercising my Libra qualities to the core. I've had equal opportunity cravings of all the pasta and all the salad. I thought for sure that by the time I got home, I'd be done with pasta. I don't eat a lot of pasta in real life anyway. But, I guess having nothing but pasta for 1 week straight has given me one killer craving for it. I just can't get enough!
But, to balance out all of the pasta and to prepare for the upcoming feast on Thursday, I've been eating salad like it's my job. And, I'm kinda loving every last bite of it!
Today, we're beefing up our salad a little bit...literally. Today, we're making Steakhouse Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing!
This salad is definitely on the heartier side, but we're still keeping it fairly healthy by exercising portion control. But more importantly, we're keeping it low carb!
This salad comes together really easily. And, it has components from all of our favorite steakhouse elements.
We start with some romaine lettuce. I like my lettuce chopped really well. I hate getting a forkful of salad with greens bigger than my face. So, we're giving our lettuce an extra good run through with the knife today.
Next, we layer on the toppings: sauteed garlic mushrooms, sliced grape tomatoes, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, and thinly sliced red onion. Here are a couple of things to note...1. I chopped my mushrooms pretty small, because we all know I have a texture issue with them. But, please feel free to keep that classic mushroom shape by just slicing the mushrooms. 2. I 100% prefer to shred my own cheese. There are certainly times when I'll choose to used the pre-bagged product instead, but this is not one if them. I like that the cheese is a little softer and a lot fresher when I shred it myself. 3. Red onions can have a really sharp bite! To take a little bit of the sting away, you can soak them in cold water for about 20 mins before tossing them in your salad. You still get the tang without crying in your salad.
The protein for our salad is some shaved beef. You can buy beef already shaved super thin right in the meat section of the grocery store. It's pretty much cheesesteak meat. We're going to season ours very simply with a little salt and pepper, and then we'll let the rest of the ingredients take the flavors to the next level.
To dress our salad, we're making a Creamy Horseradish Dressing. This dressing is almost a little reminiscent of that incredible dipping sauce that comes with the big ol' fried onions at steakhouses. Almost. It's a simple blend of mayo, sour cream, horseradish, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a little paprika for color. A mayo based dressing may sound indulgent, but we're using a nice conservative portion which will keep us off of the naughty list.
Once it's all put together, you'll forget you're eating salad. The thin beef, the rich mushrooms, the soft cheddar, and the creamy dressing all make this salad feel so filling and satisfying. But, then the acid from the tomatoes and the tang from the onions help to cut the richness making this salad full of balance.
I will happily eat salad every day of the week when it looks like this. I don't even need a second dinner after this one!
I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving! And, stay tuned! I'm embracing my inner Monica on the other side of the holiday!!
For now, enjoy! And, let's eat!
Steakhouse Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms (I used button), chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb shaved beef
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp pepper, plus more to taste
6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup red onion, sliced
For the Creamy Horseradish Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried chives
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Directions:
Saute the mushrooms: In a non stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant being careful not to burn the garlic, about 1 min. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 mins until the mushrooms are softened and starting to caramelize. Remove mushrooms from the skillet.
In the same pan, add shaved beef and ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for 4-5 mins until the beef is no longer pink. Set aside.
Assemble the salad: Divide lettuce between 4 bowls. Divide beef, mushrooms, cheddar, onions, and tomatoes evenly between each bowl. Top with dressing.
Recipe notes:
*You can buy beef already shaved in the meat section of the grocery store. It's pretty much cheesesteak thinness. You could also feel free to shave your own beef or thinly slice your favorite cut for this salad. Roast beef would work too!
*You can use your favorite type of mushroom for this.
*Red onion can have a really sharp bite. To take away some of that tang, soak the red onion slices in cold water for 15-20 mins, then drain well on a paper towel before adding to your salad.
*I prefer to shred my own cheese whenever possible. The taste is so much fresher!
*This is a GREAT make ahead meal. Portion out the salad ingredients in tupperware containers. Portion out the dressing in separate small containers. Grab, go, and enjoy!
