Last Updated on July 16, 2026 by Sabrina Currie
This juicy, tender arugula steak salad with sweet peaches, grilled corn, and salty feta is the ultimate quick summer dinner. If you are looking for a hearty steak and arugula salad that takes under 30 minutes, this simple recipe is guaranteed to satisfy every craving.
Summer on the West Coast (or probably anywhere) means spending as much time outside as possible. Grilling both the steak and the corn on the grill ticks that box, though you can also use leftover steak and corn for this salad. Juicy steak pairs well with crisp and peppery arugula. Sweet summer peaches scream summer and creamy avocado along with slightly sweet balsamic dressing and salty crumbled feta really tie it all together.
Jump to:
For more summer-ready, delicious dinner recipes, try my classic Thai flank steak salad or Italian-inspired burrata, grape and arugula salad. If you want to create a complete backyard feast, you can even fire up some flatbreads right alongside it using this bubbly Ooni pizza dough recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
- Steak - I've used a striploin but any steak that is good for grilling will work well. Flank steak, skirt steak, sirloin or even T-bone steak are all great choices. Choose your favorite, grill it to medium or medium-rare (130°-140°F and then let it rest before carving it into thin slices.
- Greens - A full 8 cups of peppery arugula gives this dish its signature punch. The spicy arugula provides a gorgeous contrast to the sweetness of the peaches and tempers the salty feta.
- Mix-ins - Sliced red onion, grilled corn on the cob, and rich avocado add lots of satisfying texture and beautiful color to the salad.
- Cheese - Salty, tangy feta cheese (goat or cow) is perfect in this recipe. I love the pairing of sweet and salty.
- Dressing - A simple emulsification of balsamic vinegar, grainy Dijon mustard, and good quality extra-virgin olive oil makes the perfect vinaigrette. A touch sweet, this dressing has lots of body and just the right amount of acidity.
Substitutions + Variations
- Steak - As I mentioned above, any steak that you like to grill works well here. Choose your favorite 🙂
- Mix Up the Greens - No arugula? No problem. Crisp romaine lettuce is a good substitution, add in a little radicchio or finely sliced Belgian endive to add a little bitter bite to it. Baby kale or chopped spinach will also work well.
- Swap the Cheese - Feta is lovely, but this salad also tastes incredible with a rich blue cheese, creamy goat cheese, or a bold, sharp gorgonzola cheese. Torn burrata makes a real treat, sprinkled with a touch of crunchy sea salt. Choose almost any cheese that you love.
- Add More Veg - Want to add even more? Slivered fennel bulb is right at home in this salad. Or toss some halved cherry tomatoes, spiralized beets or shredded carrot into the mix for a bright pop of summer color and extra nutrition.
- A Citrus Twist: - If you're making this in the winter or anytime there aren't fresh peaches, use orange segments cut away from the pith (orange supremes) instead.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cooking steaks perfectly and assembling a gourmet salad is incredibly simple when you follow a few basic steps.
Step 1. If making the optional croutons, toss the bread chunks in a pan, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stir and set to medium low heat, flipping or stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly browned in places.
Step 2. Meanwhile, bring your flank steak to room temperature before grilling. Rub it generously with the cut side of a garlic clove, season with coarse salt and cracked black pepper.
Step 3.Preheat your grill (gas or charcoal or even a grill pan) to medium-high heat. Brush lightly with oil and place the steak on. Flip halfway through cooking. Brush shucked corn cobs with olive oil and grill them at the same time, turning occasionally, until lightly charred. Remove from heat and let rest 10-15 minutes.
Step 4. To make the dressing, combine the vinegar, oil, grainy mustard, salt and pepper together and whisk well.
Step 5. Thinly slice the onion and avocado and slice the peaches into thin wedges. Crumble the feta cheese and cut the kernels off the corn cobs.
Step 6. Once the steak has rested, use a sharp knife to cut it across the grain into thin slices.
This salad is best plated on a platter rather than tossed in a bowl where the heavy ingredients will sink to the bottom. Start with a bed of the arugula, top with all your chunky ingredients and then sprinkle with feta. Drizzle the salad dressing over and serve.
PRO STEAK COOKING TIPS
- When cooking steaks, the total cook time will vary based on thickness, but using an instant read thermometer is the best way to ensure a perfect medium-rare (pull it at 135°F)
- Get the sear right by ensuring your grill pan or charcoal grill is roaring hot (medium-high heat) before the meat hits the grates. You want to achieve a deep, caramelized crust quickly without overcooking the center.
- Trust the thermometer. Don't guess the cook time. Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. For a perfect pink medium-rare, pull the steak off the heat at 135°F.
- Never skip the rest time. Letting the steak sit for 10 minutes allows the muscle fibers to relax and the delicious juices to redistribute. If you slice it too soon, all that flavor will run out onto your board instead of staying in the steak.
Expert Plating
If you are serving arugula grilled steak salad for a summer dinner party, skip the deep salad bowl. Heavy ingredients like juicy steak and dense peach slices will instantly sink to the bottom, leaving you with nothing but greens on top. Instead, grab a beautiful large platter and build it in layers.
Start by laying down your dressed bed of arugula. Next, fan the grilled steak slices around the salad in groups of 3 or four. Tuck the bright orange peaches, charred corn, and sliced avocado into the gaps around the meat. To finish, sprinkle the cheese over everything, drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette and add a final crack of black pepper. This layering method keeps the ingredients crisp and creates an fragrant showstopper of a dish.
Wine Pairings
Because this salad features sweet, bright summer fruit, you want to avoid heavy, high-tannin red wines that will overwhelm the dish.
- Chilled Rosé - A bone-dry, pale Mediterranean-style rosé is an incredible match and my top choice., The crisp acidity cuts beautifully through the rich avocado and salty feta, while the subtle red-fruit notes tie right into the juicy grilled steak and peaches.
- Light-Bodied Reds: If you prefer red wine, reach for a Pinot Noir or a Gamay Noir. Give the bottle a quick 15-minute chill in the fridge before serving. It keeps the pairing light, refreshing, and perfectly suited for an outdoor patio meal.
- White - I like a white with some body to stand up to the steak and balsamic vinegar. A buttery, lightly oaked chardonnay is just the thing, especially if you've made the croutons for the salad.
FAQ'S
The key to a tender bite is slicing across the grain. Look at your steak on the cutting board and identify the direction the long muscle fibers are running. Take a sharp knife and slice perpendicular to those lines into thin slices. Slicing this way breaks up the tough fibers, giving you a melt-in-your-mouth juicy steak every single time.
You can prep the components ahead of time, but keep them separate until you are ready to eat. Grill the steak, char the corn, and whisk up the balsamic dressing up to a day in advance. Store the steak slices in a separate airtight container in the fridge. Cut the avocado right before serving so it doesn't brown. When it's time to serve, assemble the bed of arugula and fresh toppings then drizzle with the vinaigrette.
If you have leftover salad that is already dressed, it is best eaten within 24 hours, as the acidic vinaigrette will eventually wilt the peppery arugula. If you want to plan for leftovers, only dress the portion of the salad you plan to eat immediately. Store the remaining undressed greens, toppings, and steak in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For food safety, leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours.
Save This Recipe
Save this summery delish arugula and grilled steak salad to Pinterest or share it with your friends on Facebook!
I hope you love this vibrant arugula steak salad as much as my family does. It's the ultimate way to enjoy fresh, seasonal ingredients with minimal cleanup.
📖 Recipe
Arugula, Grilled Steak and Feta Salad With Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak
- 2 cloves garlic one to season steak, one to season optional croutons
- 6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing the grill and croutons
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to season the steak
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to season the steak
- 2 cobs of corn, husked or 1 cup thawed corn kernels
- 2 cups Crusty rustic bread for croutons optional
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 peaches
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 8 cups arugula
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Place flank steak on a plate or clean cutting board and bring it to room temperature before grilling. Slice a garlic clove in half and rub it generously over the steak, then season it generously with salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground pepper).
- Optional Croutons - To make the croutons, tear or slice 2 cups of bread into chunks and place into a frying pan. Mince the 2nd garlic clove and place it in a small bowl with ½ teaspoon salt and mash it. Stir in 2 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle the garlic oil over the croutons, leaving most of the garlic bits in the bottom of the bowl. Turn the frying pan to medium-low heat and let the croutons cook and crisp slowly, flipping them once or twice until they are crisp and they are light brown in spots.
- Preheat a grill, grill pan or a traditional charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Brush the grill with a little olive oil and then place the steaks and husked cobs of corn on. Grill the steak, flipping once, until it is to your liking (I like to remove it at 130°F-135°F for medium-rare), then cover with foil for 10 minutes. Grill your corn cobs at the same time until it is cooked all over with a few char marks. Remove and set aside for 10 minutes to rest and cool enough to handle.
- While the steak rests, combine the vinegar, 6 tablespoon olive oil, Dijon, salt and pepper in a mason jar or measuring cup. Whisk it together and set aside.
- Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits and slice into ¼" slices, peel and do the same for the avocado and cut the kernels off the cobs of corn.
- Slice the steak across the grain, into thin strips, approximately ¼" thick.
- In a large bowl or platter, arrange the arugula, croutons if using, peaches, avocado, onion, and corn evenly. Whisk the dressing again and drizzle half of it over the fruit and vegetables. Top with the sliced steak, sprinkle with feta, then drizzle the remaining dressing over and serve immediately.
Leave a Reply