Last Updated on September 28, 2019 by Slow The Cook Down
This steak salad recipe is so full of flavor and easy to make. Flank steak is marinated in lemon juice and quickly cooked in garlic butter and paired with simple fresh salad. Dressed in a delicious creamy blue cheese sauce, this is not your regular salad recipe! It comes together in less than 20 minutes.
Oh man you guys are going to LOVE this recipe! In true Slow The Cook Down style it's super low effort for maximum flavor. Creamy and tangy blue cheese sauce coats perfectly succulent steak for a salad bowl that is, for sure, restaurant quality. I had some leftover flank steak from my Marinated Flank Steak (Carne Asada) Tacos and this was the perfect way to put it to good use!
How to Make Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
Marinade the steak
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Add the steak and the marinade ingredients into a ziplock bag and remove as much air as possible. Use your hands to massage the marinade into the steak so that it's covered and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 12 (photo 1).
Make the blue cheese dressing
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Add all of the ingredients to a small pan and put on a medium heat (photo 2). Stir frequently until the cheese has melted and the dressing is silky smooth (photo 3). Take off the the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to a sterilized and air tight container and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Cook the steak
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Remove the steak from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking it so it comes to room temperature.
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Place the butter and garlic into a frying pan or skillet and place on a high heat (photo 4).
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Once the butter starts to bubble add the steak. Let it fry for 3-4 minutes until it has seared (photo 5 & 6).
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Flip the steak and cook of another 3-4 minutes, while spooning the butter over the top of the steak (photo 7).
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Once nicely browned, place the steak on a plate, cover with foil, and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
To build the salad
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Chop and slice all of the salad ingredients and add to a large bowl or individual pates.
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Once the steak has rested, slice it against the grain and place on top of the salad. Drizzle with the blue cheese dressing and serve.
Recipe variations
Feel free to use whatever salad ingredients you have in your fridge as a base for this dish - all of these ingredients worked really well together, but other vegetables like cucumber and broccoli would work well too. You can make this steak salad recipe low carb by swapping out the peppers, tomatoes and avocado.
You can of course use less butter if you wish, but that's what makes it restaurant quality 😉
What kind of steak is best to use in this salad recipe?
Flank steak is perfect for this recipe, you can also use skirt if that's what you have. These cuts of beef are tougher than other steaks, so they require a longer and acidic marinade to help break it down. It is best served rare to medium rare or it can become chewy.
This cut of meat is full of flavor and takes on the lemon marinade as well as the garlic it is cooked in. Be sure to let it rest before slicing it against the grain.
Can you make this steak salad recipe ahead of time?
Elements of this salad can be made ahead of time. The steak requires at least 2 hours marinade time and up to 8, so that can be prepped earlier in the day. The salad can be chopped and placed into the bowl, just cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. The blue cheese dressing can be made several days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Is this a healthy salad?
Each serving of this hearty steak salad recipe is around 460 calories, it has no added sugar and is high in protein. The salad contains a wealthy of vitamins, minerals and good fats, and it's made up of:
- Romaine lettuce and mixed greens
- Radishes
- Red onion
- Sweet mini peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Avocado
It's a great well balanced meal that is perfect for a main course.
How to make a salad appealing
I know, I know, salads can be boring, but follow a few simple tips and you'll have a show stopping and irresistible salad on your hands in no time!
- Use a mixture of different greens to your base to add interest.
- Add a variety of textures, mix crunchy and soft veggies.
- Add a flavorful dressing.
- Use a mixture of different colored produce; green, red, orange and yellow to make it look more appetizing.
Homemade blue cheese dressing with buttermilk and sour cream
We have to talk about this awesome dressing! It's not crazy overpowering and it works so well with the flavors in the steak. It's perfectly creamy and feels indulgent to eat but it's so easy to make!
The blue cheese dressing will last in the fridge in an airtight container for about 5 days. Let it room to room temperature before using, and if it's a little thick, you can gently reheat it and sir in a couple more tablespoons of buttermilk.
Top Tips to Make This Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
- Marinade the steak as long as possible, up to eight hours.
- Let the steak come to room temperature before cooking it.
- Be sure to let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it.
- Feel free to add in any other veggies you have in your fridge.
- Store the blue cheese dressing in an airtight and sterilized bottle in the fridge
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge.
Be sure to check out these other tasty salad recipes!
- Grilled Lemon and Herb Chicken Salad
- Winter Brown Rice Salad with Feta and Cranberries
- Giant Couscous Salad with Feta, Squash & Lamb
- Honey & Mustard Marinated Chicken Salad
- Potato Salad with Trout & Chorizo
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Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
For the steak and marinade
- 11.5 oz flank steak
- juice of 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
To cook the steak
- 2 ounces salted butter preferably European style
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and slightly crushed
For the blue cheese dressing
- 1 cup sour cream (300ml)
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (250ml)
- 5 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- a couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice
For the salad
- 1 romaine lettuce chopped
- handful of other mixed greens
- 6 radishes sliced
- ¼ large red onion sliced
- 4 mini sweet peppers sliced
- 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
Marinade the steak
- Add the steak and the marinade ingredients into a ziplock bag and remove as much air as possible. Use your hands to massage the marinade into the steak so that it's covered and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 8.
Make the blue cheese dressing
- Add all of the ingredients to a small pan and put on a medium heat. Stir frequently until the cheese has melted and the dressing is silky smooth. Take off the the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to a sterilized and air tight container and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Cook the steak
- Remove the steak from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking it so it comes to room temperature.
- Place the butter and garlic into a frying pan or skillet and place on a high heat.
- Once the butter starts to bubble add the steak. Let it fry for 3-4 minutes until it has seared.
- Flip the steak and cook of another 3-4 minutes, while spooning the butter over the top of the steak.
- Once nicely browned, place the steak on a plate, cover with foil, and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
To build the salad
- Chop and slice all of the salad ingredients and add to a large bowl or individual pates.
- Once the steak has rested, slice it against the grain and place on top of the salad. Drizzle with the blue cheese dressing and serve.
Notes
- Marinade the steak as long as possible, up to eight hours.
- Let the steak come to room temperature before cooking it.
- Be sure to let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it.
- Feel free to add in any other veggies you have in your fridge.
- Store the blue cheese dressing in an airtight and sterilized bottle in the fridge
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge.
- You can make this steak salad recipe low carb by swapping out the peppers, tomatoes and avocado.
Steak and bleu cheese are a perfect pairing, and this steak salad is calling my name! Yum! You've got so many beautiful, healthy, nutritious ingredients here, and I can't wait to make it!
I tried this recipe out, it's so good! The marinated beef and the fresh salad and that blue cheese dressing, delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it! It's so much more than a salad!