Balsamic Herb Steak Salad with Blue Cheese

A crisp, cool, and delicious answer to "what's for dinner" is this steak salad recipe with blue cheese. Perfectly grilled steak, balsamic roasted red onion, and crumbled blue cheese top crunchy greens for a meal that packs a flavor punch. Meal prep this recipe for an easy dinner on a busy night.

Dinner time can be hectic. I'm a huge fan of make ahead recipes that don't taste like make ahead recipes. Many dishes can be lackluster in flavor and lose their fresh taste when cooked in advance. Some meal prep recipe favorites include this easy Lemon Chicken and my Baked Marinara Meatballs.

This salad steak recipe with blue cheese and a homemade balsamic dressing is an ideal make-ahead meal. All the components of the dish can be prepped in advance. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At meal time just assemble the fresh salad and enjoy.

To help your family serve themselves when dinner time rolls around, leave a note of how to compose the salad. I leave a note and with a diagram to make assembling the salad super simple.

Why you'll love this recipe

A few reasons make this dinner salad recipe standout as a winner.

• Triple duty homemade balsamic herb vinaigrette ~ It's a robust sauce to roast along with the red onions, a hearty marinade for the skirt steak, and a slightly sweet and tangy dressing for the salad.
• Flavor packed skirt steak ~ This beefy thin steak adds rich and intense flavor to the salad. Grill it for even more smoky flavor.
• Make in advance ~ All of the components of the hearty entree salad can be prepped up to 3 days in advance. It's the ideal meal for busy days and nights. It doesn't skimp on flavor.

Ingredients & substitutions

Gather the ingredients for this delicious steak salad recipe. If substitutions can be made they're listed. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantitates of the ingredients.

• Red onion ~ These purple hued onions roast to a smoky sweet flavor. Yellow or Vidalia onions are alternatives.
• Balsamic vinegar
• Garlic cloves ~ In a pinch substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for the fresh garlic.
• Light brown sugar ~ Dark brown sugar can also be used in the recipe.
• Dijon mustard ~ Stone ground mustard or yellow mustard are alternatives.
• Reduced sodium soy sauce ~ I find regular soy sauce too salty. The lower salt version is my go to for cooking and eating. If you use regular soy sauce in this recipe, adjust the amount of salt you add.
• Dried oregano, thyme, and basil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil ~ Use the best quality oil as it's almost half of the ingredients in the marinade/vinaigrette.
• Skirt steak ~ This thin steak cooks ultra fast and has unbeatable beefy and buttery flavor. Also try sirloin steak, New York strip steak, flank steak, and ribeye steak.
• Blue cheese ~ This robust cheese is salty, tangy and earthy in taste. Substitutes include Gorgonzola, goat or feta cheese.
• Romaine lettuce ~ This lettuce has a nice balance of crisp, crunchy and mellow green leaves. Try other leafy greens like iceberg lettuce or baby spinach in the recipe.

Hint

An Italian seasoning blend can be used in place of the dried oregano, thyme and basil. It's available in the spice/baking aisle of most grocery stores.

How to make steak salad

This is one of the salad recipes that I make over and over. It's got tons of flavor and perfect for dinner any night of the week. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full instructions.

1. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper in a mason jar. Screw on the lid and give the marinade/vinaigrette a good shake.

2. Place the sliced onions in a bowl. Toss with ⅓ cup of the marinade/vinaigrette. Spread the onions on the preheated baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Transfer the steak to a large resealable bag. Add ½ cup of the marinade/vinaigrette. Seal the bag and marinate the steak for 15-20 minutes.

4. Remove the steak from the marinade. Grill the steak for about 3 minutes per side. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes.

5. Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices.

6. Plate the salads. For each salad top lettuce with steak, roasted onions, blue cheese crumbles and drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette.

Expert tip

Marinate the steak in a resealable bag. It prevents and spills or messes. Also you can easily squish the steak and marinade so it's completely coated.

What's the best way to cook skirt steak

For tender and juicy skirt steak, cook it quickly over high heat. It's a thin and lean cut of beef so it easily becomes tough when over cooked. To get the char and crust, remove as much of the marinade as possible before cooking. The 3 best ways to cook skirt steak are the following.

• Grill ~ Use either an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill. Preheat the pan or grill to high heat. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature is 125 degrees F for medium rare.
• Sear ~ Use a cast iron skillet or heavy sauté pan. Heat the pan over medium high heat. Sear the skirt steak for 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature is 125 degrees F for medium rare.
• Broil ~ Heat the broiler. Place the steak on a foil lined pan. Broil for 3 minutes. Flip the steak over and broil for 3-4 minutes or until the internal temperature is 125 degrees F for medium rare.

What's the best way to slice skirt steak

Rest the cooked steak on a cutting board for 5 minutes tented loosely under foil. The grains of steak run crosswise or the short way of the steak. To slice, cut the steak in 4 inch sections with the grain of the meat. Then slice each piece against the grain into one-quarter inch strips for the most tender and juicy steak.

How to meal prep steak salad in advance

This steak salad recipe is great to prep in advance. The readied ingredients will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

1. Shake up a batch of balsamic vinaigrette. Store in a mason jar.
2. Roast the balsamic drizzled red onions. Store in an airtight container.
3. Marinate, grill and slice the skirt steak. Store in an airtight container.
4. Chop the lettuce. Roll it in a paper towel and place in a large resealable bag.
5. Crumble the blue cheese. Store in an airtight container.

When it's dinnertime, top of the romaine lettuce with the sliced steak, roasted red onions, a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of the balsamic herb vinaigrette.

Frequently asked questions

This is a matter of personal preference. I enjoy the contrast of the warm steak and the cool lettuce. But the steak salad is also delicious when all the ingredients are chilled.

Using a microwave on a low power setting is an easy way to reheat steak for a salad. For each serving, place the sliced steak on a microwave safe dish. Heat on 60 percent power at 30 second intervals until the steak is heated to your liking.