Beef Tenderloin & Spinach Caprese Salad

with Herbed Chickpeas, Caramelized Onion & Balsamic Vinaigrette

10 min

Difficulty: 1/3

We love a good Caprese salad, so here’s a bigger, better version that’s chock-a-block with ingredients and totally dinner-worthy. Fresh spinach provides the leafy base with caramelized onion throughout for pops of sweetness. Crisp roasted chickpeas add a protein boost while garlicky ciabatta croutons up the crunch factor even more. Of course, it wouldn’t be Caprese without the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, but we made them bite-size so they’re more fork friendly. A creamy balsamic dressing ties it all together with Caprese's characteristic flair.

Allergens

Eggs

Wheat

Milk

Soy

Utensils

Baking Sheet

Paper Towel

Large Pan

Whisk

Large Bowl

Small Bowl

Strainer

Tags

Oven Ready

Ingredients

Red Onion

0.5 unit

Chickpeas

1 unit

Ciabatta

1 unit

Balsamic Vinegar

5 teaspoon

Spinach

5 ounce

Beef Tenderloin Steak

10 ounce

Italian Seasoning

0.5 tablespoon

Grape Tomatoes

4 ounce

Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon

Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon

Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon

Fresh Mozzarella

4 ounce

Salt

teaspoon (tsp)

Black Pepper

teaspoon (tsp)

Sugar

1 teaspoon (tsp)

Olive Oil

6 tablespoon (tbsp)

Cooking Oil

2 teaspoon (tsp)

Preparation

Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Drain and rinse chickpeas; pat very dry with paper towels. Halve, peel, and cut half the onion (whole onion for 4) into ½-inch-thick wedges.
Toss chickpeas and onion on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, half the Italian Seasoning (all for 4), salt, and pepper.
Roast on top rack until chickpeas are golden and tender and onion is caramelized, 18-20 minutes. (You’ll add more to the sheet after 11 minutes.)

Meanwhile, wash and dry produce.
Halve tomatoes. Dice mozzarella into ½-inch cubes.
Place tomatoes in a small bowl; toss with vinegar, 1 tsp sugar (2 tsp for 4 servings), and a big pinch of salt.
Pat beef* dry with paper towels and season generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook to desired doneness, 4-7 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.

Halve ciabatta lengthwise; cut into ¾-inch strips. Tear strips into rough cubes. Transfer to a large bowl; toss with 2 TBSP olive oil (4 TBSP for 4 servings), garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Once chickpeas and onion have roasted 11 minutes, remove from oven and push to one side of sheet; carefully add croutons to empty side. (For 4, add croutons to a second sheet; toast on middle rack.) Return to top rack until golden and crispy, 7-9 minutes. Wipe out bowl.
Carefully transfer everything to bowl used to season croutons to cool.

Remove tomatoes from bowl and set aside, leaving marinade behind.
Whisk half the mayonnaise and half the mustard into marinade until smooth. (For 4 servings, use all the mayonnaise and mustard.)
Slowly whisk in 4 TBSP olive oil (8 TBSP for 4), drizzling a little bit at a time, until creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 1½ TBSP dressing (3 TBSP for 4) for serving.

Add spinach to bowl with cooled chickpeas, onion, and croutons. Toss with remaining dressing until evenly coated.

Divide salad between plates. Top with mozzarella and tomatoes. Drizzle with reserved dressing and season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Thinly slice beef against the grain. Serve atop salad.

Nutrition per serving

1300

kcal

Calories

Fat

Saturated Fat

Carbohydrate

Sugar

Dietary Fiber

Protein

140

Cholesterol

1350

Sodium