A healthy and tasty steak salad, made with well-seasoned, sautéed cubed sirloin and a classic vinaigrette of olive oil and vinegar.
Warm steak salad is one of my favorite meals, especially during the summer.
In my version, rather than cook the steak whole then slice it, I cube sirloin steak, season it well, then saute in olive oil. The combination of crisp vegetables, a tangy vinaigrette, and warm, flavorful steak is wonderful.
How do you make a steak salad?
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed recipe. It’s really quite easy:
- I quickly blend a classic vinaigrette.
- Then I prep the salad vegetables on a serving platter.
- Cube the steak and coat in spices, then saute it in olive oil.
- To assemble, I arrange the warm steak cubes on top of the vegetables, then drizzle the vinaigrette on top.
What steak is good for a salad?
You have quite a few options actually. I like to use sirloin because it’s lean and flavorful. I feel that fatty pieces of meat are not appropriate in terms of the salad’s overall texture.
However, sirloin can be a bit tough. Personally, I don’t mind it. But if you do, you can tenderize it overnight in a vinegar-based marinade prior to sauteing.
Or, if you don’t mind splurging, choose a more tender cut such as tenderloin. It’s lean and very tender, but not as flavorful as sirloin.
You could also use a New York strip, although I would cut off the fat cap for this recipe. And ribeye is flavorful and tender, and although it’s fatty, the lean parts are wonderful in this salad.
So as you can see, you have quite a few options when it comes to what cut of beef to use. Still, I almost always use sirloin.
What to put in a steak salad?
I like to keep it simple and let the steak be the star of the show. So apart from the meat itself, my salad consists of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes.
By all means, use whatever vegetables you like! Thinly sliced red onions would be a good addition, as would sliced bell peppers, or any other salad vegetable, really.
Another good option is to use baby spinach leaves instead of salad greens. If you go this route, forgo the vinaigrette. Instead, drizzle the pan juices from cooking the steak on the spinach.
The warm pan juices will wilt the spinach leaves just enough to make them perfectly cooked.
What dressing to use?
Just like the steak and the vegetables, you have many options and can use your favorite salad dressing.
Me? I am partial to a classic vinaigrette, keeping the classic ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, and adding Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
What to serve with this salad?
You don’t really need to serve anything with this dish. It’s a complete meal. But if you want something on the side, and you want it to be low carb, you can try cheese muffins, cheese biscuits, or keto focaccia.
How many calories are in a steak salad?
A serving of this recipe, which is one-fourth of the recipe, has 370 calories. When calculating the nutrition info, I take into account that quite a lot of the oil used for cooking the steak is left in the pan after you remove the cooked steak.
Is steak salad healthy?
Current dietary advice is to limit red meat. But fresh unprocessed meat is very nutritious.
As long as one doesn’t overindulge, or have a specific issue that requires them to limit saturated fat (which is generally not harmful), I believe that red meat does have a place in a healthy diet.
In this recipe, the meat is accompanied by fresh vegetables and olive oil. Needless to say, this is the perfect dish for anyone on the keto, low carb, or paleo diets.
If you’d rather avoid beef, a chicken salad is probably a better option for you. This Chinese chicken salad is excellent.
What to do with the leftovers?
You obviously can’t keep the dressed salad greens, as they will wilt. But you can keep the cooked steak in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
Reheat the leftovers very gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
More main-course salads that you might enjoy
I love having a salad for a meal, and not just for lunch. A few of my favorites are taco salad, olive oil chicken salad, and Chinese chicken salad.
Steak Salad
INGREDIENTS
Vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
- 4 cups mixed salad greens
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Steak:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. sirloin, cubed into 2-inch cubes*
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
Prepare the salad:
- Arrange the mixed greens and the tomatoes on a large serving platter. Set aside.
Cook the steak:
- In a large bowl, mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme. Add the steak cubes and toss to coat.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned steak cubes. Cook until done to your liking. I suggest cooking 2 minutes per side for medium. Don’t overcook, or the steak will be dry and chewy.
- Remove the cooked steak cubes from the skillet and arrange them on top of the salad. Whisk the vinaigrette one more time and drizzle it on top. Serve immediately.
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NOTES
More Healthy Recipes:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
