Steak Salad with Wasabi Dressing

An Easy Steak Salad for Busy Days

When good-quality marbled beef goes on sale, I often make this steak salad. It doesn’t feel heavy, but the good steak makes it really satisfying. I work full-time in Japan, so I especially love meals like this that are easy to put together even when I’m tired after work.

All you need to do is cook the steak, chop the vegetables, and toss everything together. It also works especially well with rice. The combination of soy sauce, wasabi, and lemon juice gives it a flavor that almost reminds me of eating a sushi bowl.

The Key Is the Wasabi Dressing

The best part of this steak salad is the wasabi dressing. The combination of soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, sugar, and wasabi is savory, bright, and slightly spicy, and it pairs incredibly well with beef.

The strength of wasabi can vary depending on the brand, so I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more to taste. If you love wasabi, you can definitely make the dressing more intense. The combination of marbled beef and wasabi is one of my favorites, so I hope you give it a try.

Ingredients

For the Steak

Beef loin steak, preferably well-marbled: 7 oz (200 g)
Salt: 1 tsp (½ tsp per side)
Black pepper: 1 tsp (½ tsp per side)
Garlic powder: 1 tsp (½ tsp per side)
Beef tallow or butter: 1 tbsp (about 0.5 oz / 14 g)

For the Salad

Cucumber, diced: ½ cup
Tomato, diced: ½ cup
Red onion, finely chopped: ½ cup
Avocado, diced: ½ cup
Sweet corn: ½ cup
Edamame: ½ cup
Cilantro, chopped: 2 tbsp

For the Wasabi Dressing

Soy sauce: 4 tsp
Wasabi: 1 tsp, plus more to taste
Lemon juice: 4 tsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Sesame oil: 1 tbsp

Instructions

1. Season both sides of the beef loin steak with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a skillet over high heat and melt the beef tallow or butter. Cook the steak over high heat for about 1 to 1½ minutes per side, or until it reaches your preferred doneness. I like mine medium-rare.
2. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest until it has cooled slightly, then cut it into bite-sized cubes.
3. Add the diced cucumber, diced tomato, chopped red onion, diced avocado, sweet corn, edamame, cubed steak, and chopped cilantro to a large bowl.
4. Mix together the soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, wasabi, and sesame oil. Start with 1 teaspoon of wasabi and add more to taste.
5. Pour the wasabi dressing over the salad and toss everything together. Serve immediately, as is or with rice.