Steak salads are something I am drawn to at restaurants. It’s one of those salads that can work as a meal that fills you up, yet you don’t feel stuffed, just satisfied. However, steak salads can be on the pricey side, and for that price I never feel like I get enough steak! Give me more meat! Yeah, I said it.

This salad comes together SUPER quick. The meat doesn’t call for any extra marination time, and there is minimal chopping involved. This is a perfect weeknight meal. Since it is still freezing in Pennsylvania, I used a grill pan on the stove, but this can be done on a regular grill as well. If you don’t feel like making your own dressing (however I highly recommend it) and have a jar in the fridge, feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

When this salad comes together and you get a bite of all the components, this salad really sings. The sweetness from the grilled onion, the creaminess and tang from the blue cheese, the smokey grilled steak… I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty amazing you guys. Pair this with a glass of red wine, and you are good to go.

Coat the steak in olive oil and Worcestershire.

Brush both sides of onion with olive oil. I love this silicone pastry brush. It is dishwasher safe so cleaning it is a breeze. You can find it at Ikea. It comes in a two pack with a larger brush.

Grill onions. Check out those grill marks. That’s where all the flavor is. Grilling red onions brings out their sweetness.

Grill that steak! Only takes a few minutes on each side. When you first put the meat on the hot pan, it should stick. That’s okay, don’t try and move it! The meat will release from the pan after a couple minutes. When the meat is done, put it on a cutting board and cover it with foil. Letting the meat rest will let the juices redistribute throughout the meat and will reduce the amount of juices lost when cutting. This will give you enough time to prep the lettuce and tomatoes.

Dress the lettuce. Just add enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. No one wants soggy salad. You can always add more dressing later.

Chop up tomatoes and sprinkle some salt on them. Always salt tomatoes. Trust me on this one, it really brings out their flavor. Especially when it’s not tomato season and the tomatoes on hand aren’t top notch.

Slice the meat across the grain in thin strips. You can see some of the juices did escape after I let it rest. I could have let it rest a little more, but I just couldn’t wait to dig in! Sprinkle a little kosher salt over the steak before placing on salad.

Distribute lettuce among plates, separate onions and place those along with tomatoes over lettuce. Lay strips of steak over the veggies. Spoon on a bit more dressing if desired. Top with blue cheese. Eat.

Are you doing your happy food dance? Yeah, I thought so. I did too. Mine is more of a wiggle.

Steak Salad
adapted from Fine Cooking
Serves 4

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup plus 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. skirt steak, excess fat trimmed and cut in half
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 medium to large garlic clove, minced
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 medium red onion, sliced into rings 1/4 inch thick
6 oz mixed greens
1 cup chopped tomatoes, use whatever tomatoes look best at the store or market
3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Or prepare an outdoor gas or charcoal grill. In a shallow dish or sheet pan that is just big enough to fit the steak, combine Worcestershire sauce and 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the steak and turn to coat both sides.

Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper in a jar and shake to combine. Or add to a bowl and whisk in olive oil slowly.

Brush both sides of onion with remaining olive oil. Grill until tender, about 4 minutes each side. If you have a big enough grill pan you can grill the steak along side the onions. I have a small grill pan so I did the onions first, then the steak. Grill steak, flipping once, about 3-5 minutes TOTAL for medium rare. Transfer steak to cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Toss salad greens with just enough dressing to coat. Cut up tomatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt. Divide greens among plates and top with separated onion rings and tomatoes. Slice steak across the grain into thin strips, sprinkle with some kosher salt, and place on top of salad. Sprinkle blue cheese over salad. Spoon on more of the vinaigrette if desired. Enjoy!