I can’t remember where I first saw the idea for putting wasabi peas on a salad, but it’s completely brilliant! They add an unexpected pop of flavor and a crunch that’s a fun alternative to croutons.
They’re also gluten free so, as long as you’re careful about the other ingredients you add, your salad can be too! (This salad is gluten free, but be careful about the brand of hoisin sauce you use: many are gluten free, but others contain fermented wheat protein.) 
The leaves are changing colors, it’s getting dark out early… and the inside of my house is freezing since it’s not quite time to turn the heat on yet. (OK, it’s like 60 degrees inside with isn’t technically freezing, but it’s definitely a little cold for comfort.) I had this salad on my menu plan for a few nights but I kept putting it off because I just wasn’t feeling it. Who wants to eat a cold salad when it’s so cold out? Not me! I wanted warm, starchy comfort food.
Finally I had to make a decision: make the salad that night or throw the steak into the freezer, where I’d probably forget about it until it’s completely destroyed by freezer-burn. So I made it. And it was awesome! The meaty steak, spicy wasabi peas, and hearty hoisin vinaigrette make it seem substantial. This isn’t a dainty summer salad at all.
The other great part about this salad is that somes together really quickly. I’ve been incredibly busy and have been getting home later than normal, so I haven’t wanted to spend a ton of time cooking dinner. Cutting the steak into bite-sized pieces before you cook it instead of after means it will cook in just a few minutes.
To maximize my time, I prep all of my salad vegetables while the spices soak into the steak, then mix up the dressing while the steak cooks. All together, it takes 10 or 15 minutes.
(This hoisin vinaigrette is “borrowed” from a steak + asaparagus salad I made a few years ago. If this salad isn’t your style – or if you’re looking for another use for the dressing – I recommend that you give that one a try!)
Ingredients
- ½ pound skirt steak trimmed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- cracked black pepper
- 4 cups lettuce
- 1 carrot shredded
- ½ seedless cucumber thinly sliced
- ¼ cup snow peas halved
- ⅓ cup wasabi peas
For the vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Lightly coat the steak with the oil oil; rub with coriander, salt, and pepper. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
- While the steak rests, prepare your vegetables. In a serving dish, combine the lettuce and carrot. Toss with cucumber and snow peas.
- Cut the steak into 1-inch pieces. Heat heavy a skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the steak. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until browned on the outside and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
- While the steak cooks, prepare the dressing: combine all ingredients in a lidded jar; shake until combined.
- Top the salad with the steak and wasabi peas. Pour on dressing. Serve immediately.
Healthy never looked so good. Pinning and making next week!
While I’m not a fan of wasabi, I’m a fan of salad. The hubby of mine is a fan of wasabi but not of salad! I think he would give in to this salad!
I am always looking for a nice crunch in a salad…Brilliant!
That dressing sounds incredible! So need to try it! YUM!
Yes. Everything yes! This looks amazing, and I lurve hoisin with steak + the wasabi peas are an awesome idea (gotta try that).
What a great salad!! I love how unique it is!
Pinned! This is my kind of salad. I don’t usually keep wasabi peas on hand but this is a good reason to buy them.
This sounds delicious! Love the wasabi peas in it!
This looks fantastic! My husband is a giant fan of anything wasabi so I know he would love this.
I love everything about this salad – but especially those wasabi peas!