Thai Cobb Steak Salad with Lemongrass and Peanut Dressings

A party-size Thai-style cobb salad of grilled sirloin, iceberg, tomato, avocado, bean sprouts, green onion and cilantro with a lemongrass lime vinaigrette and a peanut dressing. Serves 24.

Gluten-free with swapsDairy-free

Contains: peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

  • Prep 1 hr
  • Cook 30 min
  • Total 1 hr 30 min
  • Yield 24 servings
  • Level Intermediate

Updated

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Cook's notes | Tips | Questions | Storage | Print recipe

Thai cobb salad platter with sliced grilled sirloin, tomato, avocado, bean sprouts, cilantro and shredded lettuce, with peanut dressing and lime vinaigrette

This salad takes the layout of an American cobb salad, with neat rows of toppings, and gives it Thai flavors. Iceberg lettuce is tossed with a lemongrass and lime vinaigrette, then topped with rows of tomato, avocado, bean sprouts and green onion, with chopped grilled sirloin down the center.

A rich peanut dressing made with honey, soy, lime, ginger and curry powder is served on the side. The quantities here are for a crowd of 24, which makes it a good buffet or party dish. The per-serving assembly in the steps makes it easy to scale down.

Instructions

  1. Make the lime vinaigrette. In a food processor or blender, combine the honey, lime juice, cider vinegar, mustard, ginger, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add the peanut oil and sesame oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. Make the lemongrass dressing. Stir the minced lemongrass into the 3 1/2 cups of lime vinaigrette.
  3. Make the peanut dressing. In a food processor or blender, combine the honey, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, curry powder and red pepper flakes and blend. With the motor running, add the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Add the peanut butter and blend thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate, and bring to room temperature before serving.
  4. Grill the steak. For each serving, grill one steak to medium, about 140°F to 145°F in the center. Let it rest for a few minutes, then chop it into bite-size pieces.
  5. Dress the lettuce. For each serving, toss 6 ounces of lettuce with 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of lemongrass dressing and arrange it on a plate.
  6. Arrange the rows. Top the lettuce with parallel rows of 3 ounces tomatoes, 2 ounces avocado, 2 ounces bean sprouts and 1/2 ounce green onions, leaving an empty row in the center.
  7. Add the steak. Fill the center row with the chopped steak and garnish with 2 tablespoons of cilantro.
  8. Serve. Serve each salad with 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) of peanut dressing in a small dish on the side.

Dairy-freeGrill and BBQGluten-free with swaps

Cook's notes

The Thai flavors come from the dressings: lime, ginger and lemongrass in the vinaigrette, and peanut, soy and curry in the dip. Iceberg is the right lettuce here. It stays crisp under the dressing and holds up on a buffet much longer than tender greens.

Let the steak rest before you chop it, and cut it across the grain into bite-size pieces so each one is tender. The peanut dressing thickens in the refrigerator; whisk in a spoonful of warm water to loosen it.

For a party, set out the rows of toppings on one large platter and let guests build their own plates, with both dressings on the side.

Tips

  • To serve 4, make one-sixth of the salad ingredients and use the per-serving amounts in the steps. Both dressings keep for about a week in the refrigerator, so the full batches are still useful.
  • Dip the avocado in lemon juice right after dicing so it does not brown on a buffet.
  • Lemongrass: peel off the tough outer layers and mince only the pale, tender inner part of the bottom few inches.

Storage and leftovers

Make ahead

Both dressings keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Grill the steak and cut the vegetables shortly before serving; dress each salad just before it goes out.

Questions about this recipe

Can I make this with chicken or shrimp?
Yes. Use grilled chicken cooked to 165°F, or grilled shrimp cooked just until pink and opaque, in place of the steak.
Can I make the dressings ahead?
Yes. Both dressings can be made up to several days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Let the peanut dressing come to room temperature and stir it before serving.
What steak is best for a steak salad?
Top sirloin is a good balance of flavor, tenderness and price. Flank steak or strip steak also work.
Is this salad very spicy?
It has mild heat from the red pepper flakes in the peanut dressing. Leave them out for a non-spicy version.

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