SOUTHWEST STEAK SALAD
This Southwest Steak Salad is a meal prep favorite. I mean, it’s hard not to love a salad with steak involved! The steak is seasoned with chili lime and served over fresh lettuce with sweet corn, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, green onion, and ripe avocado. Top with my southwest yogurt ranch recipe, or store-bought yogurt ranch if you prefer.
Did you know? Grass-fed beef is higher in vitamin E, vitamin A, and other antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help reduce cell damage and overall inflammation (source).
Choosing the best beef
Of course, I usually go for grass-fed beef. "Grass fed" means that the beef were fed grass for "most" of their lives, but could have been finished on grain at the end. "Grass finished" means the beef was also finished with eating grass not grain. "Organic" beef must have access to pasture, fed 100% organic feed and forage, and cannot be administered antibiotics or hormones. Grass finished beef can have two to four times more omega-3 fats than grass fed (so it does make a difference), but if you want to avoid antibiotics and hormones, look for the "organic" label, too!
To keep saturated and overall animal fat content low, I recommend leaner cuts of beef like sirloin, round, or flank steak. Since lean beef can be less tender, you’re going to marinate it in lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, and salt for about half an hour. Then you can either grill it outside or use a cast iron skillet to get a nice sear.
Salad fixings
For the salad, I used organic romaine lettuce (feel free to switch it up), black beans, sweet corn, mini sweet peppers, tomatoes, green onion, and avocado. Be sure to add the avocado just before serving so it doesn’t turn brown! You could also use guacamole, grilled corn, and seasoned black beans to bring it up a notch - but I was just trying to keep it simple :
Greek yogurt southwest ranch
For the dressing, I used a nonfat plain Greek yogurt base, but feel free to use dairy-free plain yogurt like Kite Hill or Forager brand if you need 100% dairy free! You could also use full fat Greek yogurt or half mayo for a creamier dressing.
All I did was add spices that I had on hand: parsley, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. I even added a little lime, chili, and cumin for a southwest twist. Again, store-bought dressing works too but sometimes has artificial additives I’m not fond of!
Meal prep option
I often meal prep these salads by dividing all the ingredients evenly into sealable containers (minus the avocado and dressing). When it’s time to eat, I just add my avocado and dressing! It's super easy and honestly keeps pretty well for up to five days in the fridge.
Here’s the printable recipe for my favorite Southwest Steak Salad recipe! I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try it 🙂
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Southwest Steak Salad (Gluten Free)
Sarah Wilkins
6
20 minutes
10 minutes
356
Southwest
Salads
This Southwest Steak Salad is a meal prep favorite. I mean, it’s hard not to love a salad with steak involved! The steak is seasoned with chili lime and served over fresh lettuce with sweet corn, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, green onion, and ripe avocado. Top with my southwest yogurt ranch recipe, or store-bought yogurt ranch if you prefer.
Ingredients
Chili lime steak:
- 24 oz. raw lean beef (sirloin, round, flank)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp. (3 cloves) garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Southwest salad:
- 6 cups romaine lettuce*
- 1 1/2 cup sweet corn, drained
- 1 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cup sweet peppers (or tomatoes), chopped
- 1 1/2 cup avocado, cubed
- 6 tbsp. green onion, chopped
Southwest yogurt ranch:
- 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt*
- 3 tbsp. water
- 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 2 tsp. dried parsley (or dried chives)
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or black pepper)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin or smoked paprika (optional)
*See blog above for more notes and substitutions.
Directions
Marinate steak in lime juice, garlic, chili, and salt for about 20-30 minutes.
Either grill until cooked to desired doneness and then slice thin; or sear slices in a cast iron skillet for 2-3 minutes per side.
Wash and cut vegetables, then divide between six meal prep containers using 1 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup each sweet corn, black beans, and peppers; then top each with 1 tbsp. green onion.
Combine ingredients for ranch dressing (or use store-bought) and store separately in fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
When ready to eat, top salad with 1/4 cup cubed avocado and 3 tbsp. dressing. Enjoy!
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