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Farm-Fresh Greek Steak Salad

September 3, 2022, By //  by Sonia 1 Comment

Farm-Fresh Greek Steak Salad

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This farm-fresh Greek steak salad is a luscious summertime fare using farm-fresh ingredients. It is easy to make and a whole hearty and healthy meal. Maybe add some of your favorite crusty bread or pita bread, and you are set for a refreshing meal.


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For me, nothing says summer quite like a Greek Salad because the tomatoes are at their best. Add some crisp greens and herbs, and the flavorful and moist steak cooked to perfection. So you get this farm-fresh Greek-inspired steak salad. It is a one-dish full-course meal. Then, of course, you can pair it with warmed pita bread and homemade Hummus; Oh, Yum!

The star in this salad is the hefty slice of New York Strip steak. In this recipe, I recommend using strip steak.

The steak is marinated and roasted to perfection, cut into strips, and placed over a bed of salad greens, avocado, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives.

With just a handful of ingredients, you can make this homemade lemon-balsamic vinaigrette to drizzle on top of your freshly made steak salad.

Fresh, crisp vegetables – preferably from the local farmers’ market, a flavorful, juicy steak. Add a generous sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese and a drizzle of this lemon-balsamic vinaigrette, and you have a one-dish full-course meal.

It is a fantastic dish to serve for lunch or dinner – especially when dining outside in the sunshine.

Choosing the steak

For this recipe, I prefer to use New York Strip steak. Other good options are the skirt steak and the top sirloin steak.

The New York Strip steak is a flavorful cut of meat, ideal for grilling or broiling. It is tender and super flavorful because of the marbling with white fat, making it a favorite of steak lovers.

The sirloin is leaner, more versatile, and pocket-friendly. The top sirloin cuts are more tender than the bottom sirloin cuts and better for grilling. The bottom sirloin is tougher and ideal for slow cooking, typical of the cooking required for a Sunday roast.

Skirt steak is cut from the cow’s diaphragm. It is a flavorful, thin cut of meat with lots of connective tissue and some marble. It’s best cooked quickly over a hot grill and sliced thinly against the grain.

Ingredients to use for this recipe

Gather the ingredients and enjoy a light but filling salad for dinner tonight.

Dressing/Marinade Ingredients

  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Dijon mustard
  • Herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary) – I use dried herbs that I always have at hand. You can use fresh herbs by adjusting the quantities by using 1 tbsp of fresh herb instead of 1 tsp of the dried version.
  • Garlic powder
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients

  • Strip steak, approximately 1 1/2″ thick
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Avocado
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Mixed salad greens (or other lettuce, of choice)
  • English cucumber
  • Grape or cherry tomatoes
  • Red onion
  • Kalamata olives, sliced
  • Feta cheese, crumbled

How to make this Greek Steak Salad

This steak salad is straightforward to make, but you will have to allow enough time for it to marinate. We suggest half an hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare the Salad Dressing and Marinade

In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and dried herbs. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Marinade the Steak

Add the steak to a large, sealable freezer bag. Pour half of the balsamic dressing on top. Massage it with your hands to ensure the steak is thoroughly coated in the marinade. Press the air out of the baggie before closing and seal tightly.

Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (but not more than 2 hours) or place in the refrigerator overnight.

Transfer the remaining half of the dressing to an airtight container and set aside until ready to use.

Preparing the steak

When preparing the salad, place the top oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large oven-safe skillet, add the olive oil and heat it over high heat.
Remove steak from the marinade and discard the bag with the remaining marinade.
Add the steak to the hot skillet and sear on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast the steak to the desired level of doneness, approximately 8 minutes or 135°F (when checking with an instant-read thermometer) for medium-rare

Remove steak from oven and transfer to plate. Cover loosely and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Assembling the salad

Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients:

  • Chop the avocado and cucumber, halve the tomatoes, and slice the onions and Kalamata olives.
  • Toss the avocado with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  • Set aside.

Layer the mixed salad greens, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and avocado on a large serving platter 

Once the steak is rested, slice it into thin strips and place it on the salad. Top with crumbled Feta cheese and serve immediately with the remaining balsamic dressing on the side.

Notes and Cooking Tips

Make sure you allow time for marinating the steak when preparing the recipe; 30 at room temperature or 2-12 hours in the refrigerator.

For best results, avoid cooking the steak right out of the fridge. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.

Please note that the actual cook time will vary depending on several factors, including starting temperature of the beef, thickness, desired level of doneness, and individual oven differences.

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people. Some may have different preferences for how they enjoy their steak cooked. If they’re not picky, medium-rare to a medium is a good choice for steak doneness. However, if there are differences between the guests” preferences (for example, rare or well-done steak), divide the steak into pieces before cooking and serve it separately.

For this recipe, the steak is first seared in a skillet before being transferred to the oven to finish roasting. Alternatively, you can follow one of these cooking methods for the steak: 

  • cook the steak on the stovetop using a grill pan
  • cook the steak under the broiler 
  • grill the steak on an outdoor barbeque.

How can you tell when a steak is done cooking?

Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. This way, you can easily measure the internal temperature and ensure the steak isn’t over or undercooked.

Use these temperatures as a guide:

  • Rare: 125°F
  • Medium-rare: 135°F
  • Mebeef’s145°F
  • Medium-well: 150°F
  • Well done: 160°F

When removed from the heat, the steak should be 5-10°F below the desired temp (e.g., 135°F for medium-rare). This is because the internal temp will continue to rise while resting. See this page for more details on roasted beef’s desired doneness and corresponding internal temperatures.

Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it into strips. This will allow the juices to redistribute, and the meat will retain them during the slicing, resulting ‘n a flavorful, juicy steak for the salad.

How to slice the steak?

To ensure that every bite is as tender as possible, slice the meat against the grain. First, place the cooked steak on a cutting board or large plate. The parallel lines running throughout the cut of meat are called the ‘grain.’ Next, place your knife to a 90° angle of the grain, and cut it into slices.

Variations of this steak salad

If you prefer to replace the beef with other protein options, here are some ideas:

Grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp make excellent protein options.

For a vegetarian version of the salad, replace the steak with grilled tofu slices.

When to Serve this Farm-Fresh Greek Steak Salad

This salad is really wonderful when served warm or at room temperature. 

This dish is a hearty filling salad, making it ideal for serving as an entrée. 

You can serve this dish for a small gathering of family or friends. 

It also makes a wonderful addition to a full spread of dishes, buffet-style.

Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers

You can make all of the salad’s components ahead of time and store them separately in containers in the fridge.

It is better to mix it all together just before serving. 

If mixed too far in advance, the leafy greens will become limp and a bit soggy.

More Salad Recipes

Need some more ideas for salads to make? Take a look at these recipes next:

  • Marinated Zucchini Tomato Salad
  • Mediterranean Pasta Salad
  • Dill Cucumber Salad
  • Quinoa Tabouli
  • Cauliflower Tabbouleh (Grain Free)
  • Mayonnaise-Free Potato Salad 

Farm-Fresh Greek Steak Salad

Sonia Skounaki-Garbidakis
With its vibrant colors and fresh flavors, this Greek steak salad is the perfect light and filling dish. The steak is cooked to perfection, juicy, packed with flavor, and the salad is refreshing. The homemade dressing ties all of the flavors together perfectly
5 from 1 vote
Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Marinating Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Dish, Salad
Cuisine Greek Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes
Servings 4
Calories 245 kcal

Equipment

Instant-read Thermometer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Food scale

Ingredients
  

For the Dressing/Marinade

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ tsp dried oregano
  • ¾ tsp dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp dried basil
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • Seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Salad

  • 1 lbs Strip steak approximately 1 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large avocado chopped
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 cups mixed salad greens (or other lettuce, of choice)
  • 1 English cucumber chopped
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced
  • ½ cup Greek Feta cheese crumbled

Instructions
 

Prepare the Salad Dressing and Marinade

  • In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and the dried herbs Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Marinade the Steak

  • Add the steak to a large, sealable freezer bag. Pour half of the balsamic dressing on top.
  • Massage it with your hands to ensure the steak is thoroughly coated in the marinade. Press the air out of the baggie before closing and seal tightly.
  • Marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (but not more than 2 hours) or place in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Transfer the remaining half of the dressing to an airtight container and set aside until ready to use.

Preparing the steak

  • When you are ready to prepare the salad, place the top oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • In a large oven-safe skillet, add the olive oil and heat it over high heat. Remove steak from the marinade and discard the bag with the remaining marinade. Add the steak to the hot skillet and sear on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per side.
  • Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast the steak to the desired level of doneness, approximately 8 minutes or 135°F (when checking with an instant-read thermometer) for medium-rare.
  • Remove steak from oven and transfer to plate. Cover loosely and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Assembling the salad

  • While the steak is being cooked, prepare the salad ingredients: Chop the cucumber, halve the tomatoes, and slice the onions and Kalamata olives.
  • Chop the avocado and toss it with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  • Layer the mixed salad greens, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and avocado on a large serving platter.
  • Once the steak is rested, slice it into thin strips and place it on the salad.
  • Top with crumbled Feta cheese and serve immediately with the remaining balsamic dressing on the side.

Notes

Make sure you allow time for marinating the steak when preparing the recipe; 30 at room temperature or 2-12 hours in the refrigerator.
For best results, avoid cooking the steak right out of the fridge. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. This way, you can easily measure the internal temperature and ensure the steak isn’t over or undercooked.
Use these temperatures as a guide:
  • Rare: 125°F
  • Medium-rare: 135°F
  • Medium: 145°F
  • Medium-well: 150°F
  • Well done: 160°F
When removed from the heat, the steak should be 5-10°F below the desired temp (e.g., 135°F for medium-rare). This is because the internal temp will continue to rise while resting. See this page for more details on roasted beef’s desired doneness and corresponding internal temperatures.
Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it into strips. This will allow the juices to redistribute, and the meat will retain them during the slicing, resulting in a flavorful, juicy steak for the salad.
To ensure that every bite is as tender as possible, slice the meat against the grain. First, place the cooked steak on a cutting board or large plate. The parallel lines running throughout the cut of meat are called the ‘grain.’ Next, place your knife to a 90° angle of the grain, and cut it into slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 15.3gProtein: 6.8gFat: 46.8gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 21mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5.8g

This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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Related

Filed Under: BBQ recipes, Entrée - Main Course, Meat and Poultry, Mediterranean Recipes, Recipes, Salads Tagged With: Clean Eating, Easy Recipes, Entrée Salad, Greek, Greek Recipes, Healthy, Mediterranean, mediterranean diet, Mediterranean Lifestyle, Mediterranean Recipes, Olives, Salad, Steak

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  1. Vasilis Chatzigiannis

    October 5, 2022 at 7:36 am

    Fresh and tasty!

    Reply

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Ya sas (Hi)! I am Sonia! This website is my dream to do something different and share everything I learned from my Cretan grandmother and my mother, who has roots form the island of Cefallonia, along with new wisdom gained while struggling to be healthy while everything around us is not.

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