Make this fresh and flavorful steak salad made with tender, seared steak served over crisp mixed greens, sweet corn, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, tangy pickled onions, and crumbled queso fresco. Finished with a bright, house-made cilantro lime vinaigrette, this hearty salad delivers the perfect balance of bold flavors and fresh ingredients!
Perfect for lunch or dinner, this protein-packed steak salad is a delicious choice for anyone craving a healthy, satisfying meal.
If you're looking for another flavor-filled, healthy, fresh dish check out my Sweet Potato Chickpea Bowl with Cilantro Chimichurri.
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Ingredients
- Steak - This recipe calls for flank steak, but I have also made it with tri tip or any leftover steak I have from a different meal
- Mixed Greens - Make sure to get fresh, crisp greens for the perfect base for your salad
- Corn - Sweet, juicy corn adds a sweet, crunchy touch to this tasty salad
- Avocado - Creamy avocado adds a great texture to this salad and has lots of fiber!
- Cherry tomatoes - These juicy morsels add a great tangy and sweet taste
- Pickled onion - Add a burst of flavor with tangy, crisp pickled onions
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette - Made with fresh ingredients, the tart, bright limes and the herbaceous cilantro mix together for the perfect balance of flavor
- Queso Fresco - Finish off the salad with queso fresco for a mild, salty taste to bring it all together
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Add all dressing ingredients except olive oil into food processor.
- Step 2: Blend, adding in olive oil slowly, until smooth.
- Step 3: Pat steak dry with paper towels. Drizzle olive oil on both sides. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a pan on high heat, then sear steak on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Step 4: Mix together all salad ingredients and toss with dressing. Top with steak and serve.
Hint: Make sure to pat the steak dry before seasoning, this will help the steak get a better sear.
Substitutions
- Dairy free - just leave out the queso fresco for a dairy free salad!
Equipment
- Blender or food processor (for salad dressing)
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Steak Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 10 0z grilling steak (boneless ribeye, top sirloin, skirt, NY strip) or tri-tip I often make this salad with whatever leftover steak I have
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil
For the Salad
- 5 oz mixed greens about 4 cups loosely packed
- 1 corn on the cob cooked and kernels cut off
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- ½ avocado sliced or diced
- ⅓ cup pickled onion (lightly packed)
- 2 tablespoon queso fresco crumbled, more to taste
For the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup cilantro lightly packed
- 1.5 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ medium jalapeño
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
Instructions
For the steak
- Bring the steak to room temperature by letting it sit out for about 20 minutes.
- Pat the steak dry, then rub both sides with olive oil.
- Salt and pepper evenly on both sides.
- Heat a pan or cast iron skillet on high heat, then cook the steak for at least 3 minutes on each side (for medium-rare cook until the internal temperature is 135F). Alternatively, you can grill the steak.
- Remove steak from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
For the dressing
- While the steak is cooking, blend all dressing ingredients together until smooth.
For the salad
- Add lettuce, corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, avocado, pickled onion, and queso fresco to a salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Thinly slice the steak against the grain.
- Divide the salad onto plates and top with the sliced steak.
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