Light Dinner Steak Salad combines juicy, pan-seared steak with fresh vegetables and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It’s a perfect keto meal on its own, or can be served on pasta or wrapped in tortillas.
This light dinner recipe is super easy to make and a delicious low-carb meal. Plus, it’s a great make-ahead recipe for grab-and-go lunches during the week.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Classic dinner steak salad is made with pan-seared or grilled steak, mixed greens, red onions, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese with balsamic vinaigrette dressing drizzled on top. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a get-together.
You can also add other ingredients such as arugula, avocado, dried cranberries and corn. The best thing about this steak salad with balsamic vinaigrette? It’s the perfect make-ahead dish with less than 20 minutes of prep.
(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)
How to Make Light Dinner Steak Salad
- Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute.
- Add oil and the steak.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Fry on the other side for 3 more minutes until nicely browned with an internal temperature of 130°F (54°C).
- Remove steak to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Then slice thinly.
- To a large plate, add other ingredients and then arrange the steak slices atop the salad.
- Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine all ingredients.
- Taste and see if it needs more dressing or any adjustments. Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook your steak: It’s important to sear your steak properly for the best texture. Overcooking steak will make it chewy.
- Let seared steak sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it: This allows the juices to settle and distribute before serving, resulting in a more flavorful steak.
- Keep it colorful: Add colorful ingredients such as mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, corn, etc. for a colorful dish.
- Balance the flavor: Add dried cranberries or raisins to the salad so that you will get balanced sweet, sour and savory flavors.
Light Dinner Steak Salad Dressing Recipe
My favorite light dinner steak salad dressing is this balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The acidity in the dressing breaks down the proteins, resulting in a much more flavorful salad! It takes about 5 minutes to make with just a few simple ingredients: balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
This combination creates the most delicious steak dressing which is delicate and tangy with just a hint of sweetness.
How Long Does Steak Salad Last?
This light dinner steak salad will last for up to 4 days in the fridge when wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. Store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge if you don’t plan to eat right away.
Variations
There are quite a few ingredients that you can add to the dinner steak salad recipe depending on what you like. Here are a few suggestions that I like:
- Romaine lettuce
- Bell peppers
- Olives
- Pickles
Light Dinner Steak Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound steak sirloin, T-bone, strip loin about 1 inch thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces arugula or other greens
- 1/2 large onions peeled and sliced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup corn
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 avocado cut into chunks
- 3/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
- ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
Seared Steak
- Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute.
- Add oil and the steak.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Fry on the other side for 3 more minutes until nicely browned with an internal temperature of 130°F (54°C).
- Remove steak to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Then slice thinly.
Steak Salad
- To a large plate, add other ingredients and then arrange the steak slices atop the salad.
- Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine all ingredients.
- Taste and see if it needs more dressing or any adjustments. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Let the steak rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking
- Make sure to let the steak rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.
- You can add honey to your balsamic vinaigrette dressing if you prefer a sweeter flavor.
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