Steak Salad with Orange-Honey Dressing

Steak salad with crisp romaine, carrots, celery, and juicy orange sections is dressed with a tangy orange honey vinaigrette.

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 perfect. Serve this light entrée with a crusty whole grain roll and a glass of rosé or sangria. 

I adapted this steak salad recipe from Real Food magazine, one of my favorite magazines. The recipes are approachable and the ingredients are easy to find. I found this recipe in a category titled “Cooking for One.” but it would be extremely easy to double or triple to make more servings.

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

Husband’s take: He 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 this steak salad

The recipe begins with an eye of round steak, an inexpensive cut that is lean and boneless. Choose the cooking method you prefer. I like to use my 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.

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

I’ll just run through the basics of the recipe here and give you a few helpful tips. The complete recipe can be found on the recipe card near the end of the post.

What You’ll Need

• Eye of Round Steak: I 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 perfectly 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 To Make This Salad

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!

Make It Your Own

• Try a different cut of beef, or replace the steak with grilled chicken or shrimp.
• Use a different type of lettuce, baby spinach, or baby kale.
• Add more vegetables, like thinly sliced cucumber, radishes, mushrooms, bell pepper, or whatever you like best. Pickled red onions are really 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!

More main dish salads

Here’s a few more recipes for hearty salads that include meat:

• Taco Salad
• Grilled Shrimp Salad
• Shrimp Salad with Mango and Avocado
• Southwestern Quinoa Bowl with Chicken
• Farro Salad with Chicken and Beets
• Crunchy Kale Salad with Popcorn Shrimp
• Spinach Orzo Salad with Chicken Meatballs
• Asian Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing