Leftover Montana Salad
intro
Hearty no-waste Rocky Mountain salad repurposing leftover grilled steak and roasted root veggies, tossed with wild huckleberries, blue cheese, and bright tangy vinaigrette for a fast, satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Toast Pine Nuts
Place the 20cm brushed stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently with the matte gray silicone-tipped tongs, for 2-3 minutes until light golden brown and nutty fragrant. Watch closely to avoid burning, as pine nuts will darken rapidly once they reach toasting temperature. Transfer toasted nuts to one small clear prep bowl and set aside to cool for 2 minutes.
Slice Leftover Steak
Place the whole leftover grilled sirloin on the reclaimed pine cutting board. Grip the 7-inch olive wood-handled Santoku knife at a 45-degree angle to cut the steak against the grain into uniform 1/4-inch thick slices. Set sliced steak in a loose pile on the edge of the cutting board; do not reheat the steak, as the salad is designed to be served at room temperature to avoid wilting greens.
Whisk Huckleberry Vinaigrette
In a second small clear prep bowl, combine 3 tablespoons cold-pressed canola oil, 1.5 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon wild huckleberry jam, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Use the stainless steel wire whisk to mix the ingredients vigorously for 30 seconds until the dressing is fully emulsified, with a glossy deep purple-pink hue and no visible separated oil pooling at the bowl edges.
Build Salad Base
Set the large clear tempered glass serving bowl in the center of the counter. Add the 3 cups loosely packed baby kale to the bowl, then top with the 1.5 cups cubed leftover roasted root vegetables, spreading the cubes evenly across the kale so no greens are fully crushed. Do not toss yet, as premature tossing will bruise the delicate kale leaves.
Toss With Dressing
Drizzle 3/4 of the prepared huckleberry vinaigrette over the kale and root vegetables in the serving bowl. Use the solid maple wood salad servers to gently lift and turn the salad base for 45 seconds, until every leaf and veggie cube is lightly coated in dressing. Taste and add a pinch more salt or pepper if desired, taking care not to over-toss, which will turn kale soggy and limp.
Add Salad Toppings
Arrange the thinly sliced leftover steak across the top of the tossed salad base, fanning slices slightly for even distribution. Scatter the cooled toasted pine nuts, 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, and 1/3 cup wild huckleberries across the top of the salad, leaving gaps between toppings so the colorful kale and veggie base remains visible.
Plate and Serve
Use the maple salad servers to lift a generous 1.5 cup mound of salad from the serving bowl, placing it neatly in the center of the matte cream speckled ceramic dinner plate. Drizzle the remaining huckleberry vinaigrette lightly over the top of the plated salad, and add one light crack of black pepper if desired. Serve immediately at room temperature, no reheating required.
Tips
2.Skip reheating leftover steak and roasted veggies: warm ingredients will quickly wilt baby kale and melt blue cheese into greasy clumps, so room-temperature components keep the salad crisp, fresh, and texturally balanced.
3.If wild Montana huckleberries are unavailable, substitute with fresh small blueberries tossed in 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to match huckleberries' signature bright tartness; avoid sweetened frozen berries, as they will make the vinaigrette overly cloying and watery as they thaw.
OMG this is such a game changer for post-camping cleanup! We always have random leftover veggies and cold grilled steak after Montana camping trips, threw this together in literally 3 minutes last night and my whole family devoured it. 10/10 no notes.
Took this to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe! Used leftover tri-tip from our Saturday cookout, added a little extra ranch, *chef’s kiss*. Only complaint is I wish I made a double batch, it was gone in 10 minutes flat.
Wait, hold up — has anyone tried prepping this ahead for work lunches? I feel like the greens would get soggy if I mix the dressing too early, right? 3 minute cook time sounds perfect for my busy weekday schedule though!
My kids loved it!!! I was so worried they’d turn their noses up at a salad made from leftovers, but they went back for seconds. Used leftover grilled chicken, corn, and cherry tomatoes from our Sunday dinner, added a little shredded cheddar per their request. Will be making this every single week now.
Made this after a 6 mile day hike, used leftover huckleberry vinaigrette I brought back from a trip to Montana and it slapped. SO good, way better than letting all those leftover burger toppings go to waste.
Wait, is this the same Montana salad that used to be served at the old diner off I-90? I’ve been trying to replicate that recipe for YEARS. The 3 minute prep time sounds too good to be true, honestly.
Bro this is perfect for my dorm. I don’t have a full kitchen, just a mini fridge, and I always have random leftover takeout bits lying around. Threw together leftover roasted veggies, cold fried chicken, and a packet of honey mustard from the dining hall, tasted like a $15 restaurant salad for zero extra cost. Obsessed.
Quick question — is this recipe easy to adapt for gluten free? I have celiac so I have to be careful with hidden gluten in dressings and mix-ins, would love to bring this to my friend’s BBQ next weekend.
Wait how did I not think of this before? I always throw out so many random leftovers at the end of the week because I don’t know what to do with them. Made this last night with leftover baked salmon, roasted broccoli, and a lemon tahini dressing, it was chef’s kiss.
Y’all, I was skeptical because I’m used to salads being all fussy and taking forever to make, but this was genuinely SO good. Used leftover pulled pork from our weekend smoke, added a little coleslaw mix and BBQ sauce dressing, my husband asked if we could have it again tonight.
Made this for my husband last night for our first weeknight dinner in our new apartment! We had a ton of leftover veggies and steak from our housewarming party, and it came together so fast we didn’t even have to order takeout. 10/10 for new homeowners who are still buried in moving boxes.
Pro tip for my fellow heat lovers: toss in a handful of pickled jalapeños and a dash of hot sauce in the dressing. Game. Changer. I did that with leftover carnitas and it tasted like a fancy taco salad, no extra work needed.
Between work, coaching little league, and getting the kids to bed on time, I barely have 10 minutes to throw dinner together most nights. This recipe is a total lifesaver — 3 minutes, no fancy ingredients, uses up stuff I already have. Can’t beat that.
I’ve made this for three different potlucks in the last month and every single time people ask for the recipe. It’s so easy to scale up for a crowd, and you can tweak it to match whatever theme the potluck is. 10/10, my new go-to dish for every event.
This is a solid base recipe, but I personally thought it needed a little more acid? I added a squeeze of fresh lime and a little extra black pepper and it was perfect for me. Still super easy, great way to use up leftovers, just needed a little extra zing for my taste.
Has anyone tried making this with all leftover roasted veggies, no meat? I do meatless Mondays and I have a ton of leftover roasted sweet potato, zucchini, and bell peppers from the weekend, wondering if that would work well here.