Now that the weather is finally warming up, I’m in the mood for main-dish salads. This recipe from the Canadian Living Summer Collection tastes as good as it looks. Top greens, avocado, tomatoes, feta, hardboiled eggs and grilled steak with a tangy buttermilk horseradish dressing. Cook’s note: I used watercress instead of pea shoots.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the labels of the feta, buttermilk and sour cream to ensure they are additive-free. Recently, I’ve been using Riviera Petit Pot sour cream. I used Eden Organic red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar and grated fresh horseradish root instead of using store-bought horseradish, which usually contains sulfites or sodium benzoate.

Steak and egg Cobb salad

Ingredients:

Buttermilk Horseradish Dressing

½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk

¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream

2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons (30 ml) finely chopped chives

4 teaspoons (20 ml) prepared horseradish

¼ teaspoon (1 ml) each salt and pepper

Salad

2 eggs

1 beef strip loin grilling steak (about 14 oz/400 g)

1 ½ (7.5 ml) teaspoon canola oil

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) each salt and pepper

4 cups (1 L) baby arugula

4 cups (1 L) pea shoots

Quarter small red onion , thinly sliced

1 avocado , sliced

16 cherry tomatoes , halved

½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

Buttermilk Horseradish Dressing: In medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and vinegar; whisk in chives, horseradish, salt and pepper until combined.

Fill small saucepan with water; bring to boil over high heat. Add eggs; cook for 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until chilled, about 2 minutes; drain again. Peel off shells; cut eggs into quarters.

Meanwhile, rub steak all over with oil, salt and pepper. In cast-iron skillet, cook over medium-high heat, flipping once, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Meanwhile, on large platter, combine arugula with pea shoots. Arrange red onion, avocado, tomatoes and steak over top. Sprinkle with feta. Drizzle ½ cup (125 ml) of the dressing over salad. Serve remaining dressing with salad, if desired, or reserve for another use. Serves 4.

From the Canadian Living Summer Collection 2019