Steak Salad, served with Orange-Honey Dressing

At a glance

What stands out: Steak salad with crisp romaine, carrots, celery, and juicy orange sections is dressed with a tangy orange honey vinaigrette. This is a straightforward light entrée that is totally satisfying and flavorful.

How long it takes: 16 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small skillet, bowl
Servings: 1 (it’s straightforward to double or triple it)

Straightforward Steak Salad

Steak ON a salad. Instead of having a steak with a side salad, why not make it a steak salad? The contrast between the lean steak, cooked to medium rare, with a light citrus and lettuce salad, is reliable. Serve this light entrée with a crusty whole grain roll and a glass of rosé or sangria.

There’s a lot to like about this steak salad. It’s less than 500 calories, it’s inexpensive, and you can have it on the table in less than thirty minutes, and with only one pan to wash. Actually, no pans to wash if you grill your steak outside. Happy day!

It’s a family favorite. We adapted this steak salad recipe from Real Food magazine a few years back and it’s become one of our favorite salads. Our husband was skeptical at first, preferring a large steak served with sautéed mushrooms and a side of rice, rather than steak on a bunch of vegetables. Turns out, he loved it and requests it often. Imagine that.

About The Steak

The recipe begins with an eye of round steak, an inexpensive cut that is lean and boneless. Choose the cooking method you prefer. We like to use our grill pan and cook the steak until it’s medium rare. You could also use a cast iron skillet, grill the steak outdoors, or broil it in the oven. Lately, we’ve been loving air fryer steak bites which work well on this salad, too.

The rest of the salad can be prepared while the steak rests. It’s simple so it doesn’t take long at all.

What goes in

• Eye of Round Steak: We like this cut because it’s boneless and lean but choose the type of steak you prefer.
• Orange: Using a sharp knife, cut the peel and white pith away from the orange. The orange segments are juicy and provide a nice contrast to the other elements of the salad. A tablespoon of the juice is also used for the vinaigrette.
• Romaine Lettuce: For a single salad, the heart of the romaine is evenly sized, crisp and refreshing.
• Red Onion: The crisp red onion is so good in this salad. If you prefer, substitute thinly sliced green onions or sweet white onion.
• Carrot: Shave the carrot with a vegetable peeler for attractive curls.
• Celery: Half of a large stalk or one small stalk is sufficient for one salad.

How it comes together

Prepare the steak using the cooking method you prefer. Try not to overcook the steak; a lean cut like this can become dry and tough if overdone. When the steak has finished cooking, let it rest while you finish making the salad.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad of romaine lettuce hearts, sliced celery, and shredded carrots. Segment an orange (watch this video if you’re uncertain how to do this).

To make the vinaigrette, add honey and olive oil to the orange juice, whisk it up, and add the veggies. Toss the salad until everything is well-coated.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Arrange the salad on a large plate, adding steak slices and orange segments to the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Ways to change it

• Change up the meat. Try a different cut of beef, or replace the steak with grilled chicken or shrimp.
• Change up the greens. Use a different type of lettuce, baby spinach, or baby kale.
• Add more vegetables. Thinly sliced cucumber, radishes, mushrooms, bell pepper are all good choices. Mix and match; use what you have in your fridge. Pickled red onions are good on this salad, too.

Make-Ahead Ideas

To get a jump on making this salad, wash and chop the lettuce. The onions, carrots, and celery can be prepped ahead of time, too, and refrigerated. Segment the orange and make the dressing.

When dinnertime rolls around, all you’ll have to do is cook the steak!

Free Meal Plans

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #15, Meal Plan #65, or Meal Plan #80 (Meals for 2). You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

Browse Meal Plans

Main Dish Salads

• Yield: 1 serving
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 6 minutes
• Total: 16 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 eye of round steak, fat trimmed ( 4 ounces)
• coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1 medium orange, peel and pith removed
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 small heart romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
• 1 small carrot, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 1 small stalk of celery, thinly sliced

Method

1. In a small skillet or grill pan, heat ½ teaspoon oil over medium high. Pat steak dry, season with salt and pepper and cook until medium rare, 6 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
2. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.
3. Working over a medium bowl, cut out orange segments, set aside. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the membranes into bowl. Whisk in honey and 1 teaspoon oil, season with salt and pepper.
4. Add lettuce, onion, celery, and carrot; toss to combine.
5. Transfer salad to a plate and top with sliced steak and orange segments. Serve immediately.

Notes

Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe depending on how many people you’d like to serve.

This salad is also great with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Add or substitute other veggies, like cucumbers, radishes, or sugar snap peas.