Now’s the time to enjoy crisp lettuce salads brimming with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and a refreshing dressing. Add a crispy-edged grilled protein, such as steak, chicken or fish, and that gorgeous garden salad transforms into summer’s ultimate meal.

When it’s grilled steak piled over those greens, the salad deserves the crown. The juxtaposition of cold, crisp lettuce with still-warm steak satisfies on so many levels. Our current summer obsession draws inspiration from the nam tok nua salad from our local Thai restaurant. There, thinly sliced steak, sports plenty of fresh mint and cilantro, toasted ground rice and a sprightly lime and fish sauce dressing.

At home, I marinate tender steak in a soy, lime and ginger bath while I slice cucumbers, make ribbons of carrot, tear lettuce into bite-sized portions and stir together a dressing. A hot grill (or broiler) crisps the edges of the steak while keeping the center moist. Thin slices of warm steak get added to the salad.

The key to any main dish salad is to do the prep work in advance. First, make the dressing, then prepare the salad greens and refrigerate them covered with a damp towel. This advance work allows the dressing flavors to mellow and the greens to crisp. It also eases the cook’s burden at serving time.

For a heartier main dish, pile a scoop of warm brown or white rice into the bottom of the salad bowl before adding the salad and steak. Alternatively, toss the steak and salad greens together with the dressing and tuck everything into a pita pocket or the middle of a baguette or ciabatta roll.

For the steak, choose lean and beefy-tasting flank steak or the more economical beef top sirloin fillet steak. For the tenderest eating, select a 1 1/4-inch thick grass-fed ribeye steak. Please don’t skip rinsing the shallot; it really reduces the flavors that cause bad breath. Make sure the dressing is at room temperature before using.

Serve the salad topped with chopped peanuts or chow mein noodles for added crunch. Accompany the salad with cold beer or limeade. Mango sorbet served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes a refreshing dessert.

Grilled Steak Salad with Lime and Ginger Dressing

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Grated rind of 1 lime

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons avocado oil or other vegetable oil

1 tablespoon refrigerated ginger paste or grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/4 pounds flank steak, sirloin steak or 1 1/4-inch thick grass-fed strip steaks

Fresh lime and ginger dressing, see recipe

4 small shallots, very thinly sliced

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled

1 small seedless cucumber, ends trimmed

2 small heads baby romaine lettuce, cored

1 generous cup each: fresh mint leaves, cilantro leaves

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Chopped roasted salted peanuts or chow mein noodles, optional

1. Put soy sauce, lime rind, lime juice, oil, ginger paste and pepper flakes in a shallow dish. Mix well. Add steak and turn to coat steak on all sides. Refrigerate covered, turning steak once or twice, about 1 hour.

2. Make the fresh lime and ginger dressing as directed in the recipe.

3. Put sliced shallots, separated into rings, into a colander. Rinse well under cool running water. Pat dry. Put into a large bowl.

4. Lay the carrots flat on a cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to shave long ribbons of the carrot, turning the carrot as you work. Add to the shallots. Thinly cut the cucumber on the bias into pretty slices. Add to the shallots.

5. Core the lettuce and cut lengthwise into quarters. Cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces and add to the shallot mixture. Toss to mix well. Add mint leaves and cilantro. Refrigerate covered with a damp towel.

6. Move the steak from the refrigerator to the counter while the grill heats. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Or prepare a charcoal grill and let coals burn until covered with gray ash.

7. Use tongs to remove steak from the marinade and set it directly over the heat of the grill. Cook, with grill covered and without turning the steak, for 4 minutes. Flip steak and grill to medium-rare, about 4 minutes more. Remove to a cutting board. Let rest a few minutes.

8. Arrange lettuce mixture on serving plates. Very thinly slice the steak and place in a bowl. Shake the dressing well, then pour about half of it into the sliced steak. Toss to coat. Arrange the dressed steak over the lettuce. Garnish with sesame seeds. Top with peanuts, if desired. Pass the remaining dressing. Serve while steak is still warm.

Fresh Lime and Ginger Dressing

Makes about 1 cup

Note: The toasted rice powder adds a toasty flavor while slightly thickening the dressing. You can omit it or, if desired, substitute finely crushed panko bread crumbs.

2 tablespoons uncooked jasmine rice

Grated rind of 1 lime

Juice of 3 limes, about 6 tablespoons

3 tablespoons fish sauce, such as Red Boat

1 tablespoon refrigerated ginger puree

1 1/2 teaspoons refrigerated lemon grass paste, optional

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Put raw rice into a small skillet and set over medium heat. Toast rice, stirring constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour rice out onto a plate and let cool. Grind rice with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder until a fine powder.

2. Mix all remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Leave at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in rice powder just before serving. (Dressing can be refrigerated for a day or two. Let come to room temperature before serving.)

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.