Ever get stumped by what to do with leftover steak? Steaks aren’t sold for one person, generally. The portions are too big! It’s not enough for another steak dinner, and too much to toss without guilt. You could make a steak sandwich, or try something a bit different and toss it into a steak salad.
Add some veggies, goat cheese, and a homemade red wine vinaigrette and you’ve got a delicious dinner without any cooking. Cold leftover steak salad is the perfect solution for late summer or busy days when the thought of turning on the stove is too much to bear.
This recipe is inspired by a steak salad on Food Network. I liked the basic idea, but wasn’t about to buy three kinds of greens, extra red onions, or bleu cheese (since bleu cheese and I don’t get along). I used just one kind of lettuce (green leaf) instead and swapped the bleu cheese for herbed goat cheese.
This is best with leftover steak (since it’s already cold), but you can pan fry your steak and let it rest (or chill in the fridge) while you do something else. Use the rest for a steak sandwich or in a stir fry.
Cold Leftover Steak Salad
A great way to use up leftover steak. It's also a good way to get dinner fast, or on a hot day, without cooking anything.
Notes
If you don't have leftover steak, pan fry it with salt, pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 5-8 minutes until desired doneness (depending on how thick the steak is).
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups green leaf lettuce (or mixed greens)
- 2-3 campari tomatoes, cut in wedges (or 4-6 cherry tomatoes)
- sliced cucumber (about 1/4 cup)
- one or two mini bell peppers, sliced
- 1 oz. herbed goat cheese
- 1/4 lb. leftover cooked steak, sliced thin
Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- 2T red wine vinegar
- 2 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1/4C olive oil
Instructions
- Add the greens, tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper to a medium-size bowl.
- Toss everything together.
- Add the goat cheese and the steak.
- Put the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and salt and pepper in a small bowl or ramekin. Whisk together with a fork. Slowly add the oil, and mix everything together.
- Pour over the salad.
Cold Leftover Steak Salad Substitutions and Variations
- Add a bit of Dijon mustard to the vinaigrette
- Go for the bleu cheese if you like it
- Use a handful of mixed greens (or make the entire salad with them)
- Add half a sliced scallion
- Saute some shallots and add them to the dressing
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