Southwestern Steak Salad and Dressing
Summer time = Big Ol’ Salad time!
And grilling season!
So why not indulge in a steak salad loaded with veggies and a perfectly grilled steak and a delicious homemade southwestern dressing!
The nice thing is you can add whatever veggies you like or want to throw on the grill. We usually grill mushrooms and red bell peppers and now corn is in season so go ahead and grill some of that too.
We love salads around here. Such a great way to get lots of protein and dietary fiber in one meal. My faves are Salad Nicosia and Greek Salad. Buffalo Chicken Salad rocks and so does the Fried Chicken Salad with Ranch Yogurt Dressing.
Whatever your heart desires. You can’t really go wrong with a steak salad.
Make a Simple Southwestern Vinaigrette
I like to make a really simple vinaigrette with pretty clean ingredients:
- red wine vinegar
- EVOO
- fajita seasoning
- a little local honey or organic agave
It goes so well with all the “Southwestern” types of veggies like avocado, corn, black beans, carrots… but if I’ve got some extra broccoli, asparagus or cabbage I’ll add that to it as well.
You know, eat the rainbow + steak!
Just pile it high with all those nutritional goodies and sources of dietary fiber to feed our gut bacteria the good stuff.
And a lovely steak! You need a steak for a steak salad. We usually buy grass-fed sirloin but whatever you like will work.
Since we live in an apartment and aren’t allowed to have a real grill, we usually grill the steaks indoors on a cast iron grill pan. Set the oven to 400 degrees. First you want to heat the grill pan on the stovetop so you can sear the steaks. Then transfer to the oven to finish cooking.
Or you can reverse sear your steaks. Cook on low temp in the oven then finish off by searing on the stove.
If you’ve got an outdoor grill, you know what to do! 🙂
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Southwestern Steak Salad | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Summer time is perfect for grilling meat and veggies for a lovely, nutritious and delicious salad dressed with a homemade Southwestern vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Fajita Seasoning
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp organic raw cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Southwestern Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 + tsp fajita seasoning
- 1/4 tsp light agave nectar
Southwestern Steak Salad
- grass-fed sirloin steaks
- red leaf lettuce
- red bell pepper
- mushrooms
- cherry tomatoes
- carrots
- sweet corn
- Persian cucumbers
- green onions
- cilantro
- cooked black beans
- avocado
Instructions
Mix together the ingredients for the fajita seasoning and store in an air-tight spice jar or container.
Mix together the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Start by adding 1/4 teaspoon fajita seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon light agave nectar. Whisk together and taste. Continue adding fajita seasoning and agave until you reach a preferred level of spice.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Season the steak with a drizzle of olive oil (or ghee), salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Sear the steak for 2-3 minutes per side then place in the oven to finish cooking to desired doneness. Set aside and let rest before slicing.
Wash and rinse the veggies before prepping. I like to roast the red bell pepper and mushrooms in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Divide the lettuce, veggies and black beans in two large bowls. Pour the vinaigrette over the salads then add the beef. Enjoy your nutritious bowl of delicious!
Recipe Notes
Make sure your spices are gluten-free and preferably organic.
