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Steak & Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Parmesan
Recipe

Steak & Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Parmesan

Main • South Africa

A satisfying, lighter main-meal salad made with lean steak, lots of greens and a simple dressing—quick enough for a weeknight but good enough for guests.

Why smarter

Uses a leaner steak cut, piles on high-volume greens and tomatoes, and relies on a bright dressing and a modest amount of Parmesan for flavour without weighing the salad down.

Chef tip

Let the steak rest, then slice thinly across the grain—this keeps it tender and makes a smaller portion feel more generous through the salad.

Soft line

Fresh, filling, and ready in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Beef sirloin (or rump), trimmed 500.000 g beef sirloin steak trim visible fat
2 Canola or grapeseed oil 2.000 tsp canola oil for cooking
3 Salt 0.750 tsp salt divided, to taste
4 Freshly ground black pepper 0.500 tsp black pepper plus extra to taste
5 Rocket (arugula) 120.000 g rocket washed and dried
6 Baby spinach (optional but nice for volume) 80.000 g baby spinach washed and dried
7 Cherry tomatoes, halved 250.000 g cherry tomatoes
8 Cucumber, sliced 0.500 large cucumber
9 Red onion, thinly sliced 0.500 small red onion soak in cold water 5 minutes if you want it milder
10 Parmesan, shaved 30.000 g Parmesan cheese use a veg peeler to shave
11 Lemon juice 3.000 tbsp lemon juice about 1 large lemon
12 Dijon mustard 2.000 tsp Dijon mustard
13 Extra-virgin olive oil 1.500 tbsp olive oil for dressing
14 Worcestershire sauce 1.000 tsp Worcestershire sauce optional, adds savoury depth
15 Garlic, finely grated or crushed 1.000 clove garlic

Method

  1. Pat the steak dry. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
  2. Heat a heavy pan (preferably cast iron) over high heat until very hot. Add the canola/grapeseed oil and swirl.
  3. Sear the steak 2–4 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until browned and cooked to your liking. Transfer to a board and rest 5–10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, Worcestershire (if using) and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, combine rocket, spinach (if using), cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion.
  6. Toss the salad with most of the dressing (start with about 3/4).
  7. Slice the rested steak thinly across the grain.
  8. Divide salad among 4 plates, top with sliced steak and shaved Parmesan. Drizzle over the remaining dressing if needed and finish with extra black pepper.