Steak Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

This weekend Brady and I had lunch at Feast, one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. A friend introduced me to Feast about 6 years ago when I first moved to Chicago and I have gone countless times since. The atmosphere at Feast is casual and unpretentious and a nice change from some of the other Gold Coast restaurants plus their food never disappoints.

I ordered a steak salad with a herb vinaigrette that was great. The salad was full of flavor, colorful and perfect for a light summer meal. I recreated the dish tonight for dinner and the result was incredibly close to what I ordered at Feast. I loved the cilantro vinaigrette and while I thought the flank steak was a nice change from  chicken and pork you could definitely skip the steak and add grilled chicken if you aren't a fan of red meat.

Steak Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed, rinsed and chopped
1 Ib. flank steak
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
2 avocados, sliced
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips

Dressing:
2/3 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. fat free plain yogurt
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 T. lemon juice
about 1/2 c. olive oil

Preheat broiler or grill. If using the broiler method, place the flank steak in a large baking dish and cook for about 15-18 minutes, turning once. Remove the meat and let it sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing thinly. If using a grill, cook the meat for 5 minutes on each side and then let rest before slicing.

Meanwhile, place all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor and puree until smooth. Continue to process and slowly add the olive oil until the mixture is well blended. Cover the dressing and refrigerate until ready for use.

Roast the corn in the oven for 5-10 minutes. If using the broiler method just add the corn during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Set aside. While the corn is roasting, in a small skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil. Add the tortilla strips to the oil and saute them until crisp.

To serve the salad, combine lettuce, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and tortilla strips in a large bowl. Top with sliced flank steak and drizzle with cilantro dressing.