If you could pick any city in the world to spend a weekend exploring, where would you go?
I’d probably go to San Francisco 4th of July weekend. You know why? Because EVERYTHING IS FREE. I mean sure, Venice and Rio have their charms, but how can you argue with free?
Free jazz festival. Half price bay cruise. Free opera at the Giant’s stadium. Super cheap hotel on Union Square. Free parking on sundays. Free Asian art museum. Free local play in the park. We even got a free morning jog.
Alright alright so jogging is always free. I’m getting carried away.
Actually you know what though, that jog was NOT free. It cost me some amount of self-respect to have Eric see me all red-faced and going so slow up a hill in Chinatown that I might have actually been falling backwards and you wouldn’t have noticed.
The early-rising Chinese shop owners were kind enough not to cat-call. (Seriously, are you going backwards lady? I can’t tell) At least not in my language anyway. Ignorance is bliss.
Well try out San Fran sometime. If Paris is the City of Lights then SF is the City of Awesome Free Stuff.
It was so nice to get away. I’m not talking “from it all.” I mostly mean “from my kids.” Do you know what it’s like to have an entire conversation without interjections of “I want milk,” “Where’s my wand,” “I have to poooooop!”? I had almost forgotten.
(Try to pretend I meticulously pulled all the corn-hair out of this shot.)
Eric came home from work one time last summer absolutely raving about a watermelon steak salad he had at a restaurant. He described it to me and I tried to recreate it. A year later we have our winner. This Watermelon and Lime-Steak Salad with Roasted Corn Vinaigrette  is kind of ridiculously awesome. There is just something about fresh corn. You can exchange many of the elements of this salad, but don’t lose the corn or the watermelon. Or wait the vinaigrette!! If you ask me, cilantro and corn were a match made in heaven. I could eat this stuff with a spoon.
 See here I goooooo
Watermelon and Lime-Steak Salad with Roasted Corn Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the steak and marinade:
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed, 2-3 limes
- 1 orange, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced (or the jarred kind. let's be real.)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds flank steak, or your favorite steak such as top sirloin
For the Corn Vinaigrette:
- 3 cups fresh corn kernels, cut off the cob is best, but frozen will work, divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth*
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 large lime
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, packed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the salad:
- 5 ounces spring greens, 1 bag
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cups watermelon, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 6 ounces bleu cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- First prepare the steak marinade. In a large ziplock bag, squish together lime juice, orange juice, garlic, vinegar, oil, pepper, and salt. Add the steak and turn to coat. Let sit in the fridge for at least a half hour, the longer the better.
- Then make the dressing. Heat a heavy dry skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 3 cups of corn. Stir frequently until the corn has started to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a food processor or blender, combine 1 cup of the roasted corn and all the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients. (Reserve the remaining corn) Blend until smooth. Pour into a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a large bowl, add the spring greens, chopped romaine, tomatoes, red onion, watermelon, and most of the bleu cheese (reserve some to top each serving). Toss to combine.
- Heat your grill to medium-high. Remove the steak from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. (discard marinade) Grill for about 5-7 minutes per side. This really depends on the thickness of your steak. Here's a good steak guide.
- Let the steak rest for 10 minutes, then slice into thin strips against the grain.
- Toss the steak with the salad. Dress with as much or as little of the corn vinaigrette as you want, or let people dress their own servings. Top with the remaining bleu cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
I’m so glad you enjoyed SF! Ya, running the hills is just incredibly hard. That’s why we all do yoga. Did you go to any amazing restaurants?? I need to live vicariously through you. I miss the foodie scene! Luckily, I’ll be back in the bay next week visiting my family so I can get a little bay area fix.
This salad looks pretty darn incredible. And that grilled corn on the cob. Just yum.
This looks incredibly delicious! I must try that corn vinaigrette!
Karen, I love everything about this salad!!! esp the roasted corn vinaigrette. . delicious!
Thanks Alice! The vinaigrette is my favorite part!
This is looking all kinds of deliciousness!
Who does not like free stuff!!!!!! :D <3 This salad looks INCREDIBLE!!!! I agree with you! Corn and cilantro are just perfect together! I am going to make this salad STAT but since we don't eat beef, I'll be replacing it with chicken!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m totally in love with this salad. I’m making it as soon as the good corn gets here, because that vinaigrette? Inspired.
I was in SF for the 4th too! Well, kind of. We filmed a wedding in the Presidio. So it didn’t really feel like a wedding for us. I mean, who gets married on the 4th of July?! But hey, we got paid! And we had a great view of the fireworks over the Palace of Fine Arts, even if we were watching it thru a camera lens.
Your little vacation sounds so fun! And SUUUUPER impressed you can run up those steep hills! I get nervous even driving up them. I feel like I’m basically driving straight up the side of a building. Too scary.
This salad sounds delicious! I can’t stop thinking about how good that roasted corn vinaigrette must be!
Just gorgeous Karen!
Roasted corn vinaigrette??? I must have that! haha I love salads with watermelon and I really love how savory and filling this is too – with the steak and all the veggies. I usually do watermelon salads as appetizer but I adore the fact that this is a meal!
Watermelon with steak?! Who would’ve though?! I’m addicted to opposite foods :) Love it.