Summer Steak Salad with the BEST Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Ready in 15 Minutes!)
A protein-packed steak salad with creamy balsamic dressing, fresh veggies, and optional kettle chip crunch. Ready in about 15 minutes and perfect for a satisfying lunch or quick weeknight dinner. Image: Liza Graves
There’s something about steak that makes any meal feel like you’ve tried … even when you didn’t.
And this salad? It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel like you have your life together. It’s fresh, filling, full of protein, and easy enough to throw together on a Tuesday when you’ve answered too many emails, forgotten to sign the school form, and are about three minutes away from pouring cereal into a wine glass and calling it dinner.
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This is part of my Lazy Girl High Protein + High Fiber recipe series — quick meals that lean on kitchen staples, taste like they took effort, and leave you satisfied instead of sluggish. And while I can’t promise this salad will solve all your problems, I can promise it’s better than another DoorDash regret or staring into your fridge hoping inspiration will appear behind the almond milk.
Each month in 2025, I’m adding two new recipes to this Lazy Girl series. For June, both recipes have chips to add some crunch. My Southwest Shrimp Kale Salad has tortilla chips (if you are lucky enough to live in Nashville, go to Turnip Truck and buy their locally made Santo Nino de Atocha chips. They are the best chips EVER), and this Summer Steak Salad is topped with some kettle sea salt potato chips.
PinSummers call for more salads as the vegetables are at their prime. This steak salad can be adjusted to whatever vegetables you have on hand! And yes, those are potato chips on top. Image: Liza Graves
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My go-to staples for this recipe
If you happen to have these on hand, you’ll only need to pick up an avocado and your favorite steak to whip up this meal!
A bag of mixed greens
Red onion (pickled, if I’ve had my act together in the days prior)
Cherry tomatoes
Baby bell peppers
Cucumbers (I prefer Persian)
A chunk of good cheese (blue or goat)
Dijon mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Honey
Hard-boiled eggs
And yes, kettle chips — crumbled across the top for crunch, because sometimes life just needs a little salty joy.
PinI kid you not, I made this in 15 minutes, including whipping up a homemade dressing, cooking the steak, and chopping the veggies. This is a hero meal. Image: Liza Graves
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Here’s your recipe. Make it for lunch, dinner, or those nights when you want something delicious without a 12-step prep list or the judgment of a recipe that assumes you own a mandoline slicer (but, if you don’t have one, buy this one. You’ll love it!).
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Steak Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
This protein-packed steak salad is fresh, flavorful, and satisfying — with a creamy balsamic dressing that you’ll want to use on everything. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights or a quick but impressive lunch.
8ozsteak of choice (I recommend filet, skirt, or sirloin)You'll be cooking this to your preference. I use avocado oil, butter, salt, and pepper.
For the Salad:
6cupsmixed greens(spring mix, spinach, arugula)
1cuphalved cherry tomatoes
2Persian cucumberssliced
4baby bell pepperssliced
1/4red onion, thinly slicedthinly sliced or sub with pickled red onions
1/2avocadoremove peel and slice
1/4cupcrumbled blue cheese or goat cheese
2hard-boiled eggscut into quarters, optional
1/2cupcrumbled kettle-fried potato chips
For the Dressing:
2tbspplain Greek yogurt
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1tbspolive oil
1tsphoney
1tspdijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
Steak:
Bring the steak to room temp by leaving it out for 45 minutes. Once this is done, pat dry, rub with salt and pepper, and cook your favorite way. For me, I cook filets (1.5 to 2 inches thick) and I heat a cast iron skillet with avocado oil to high heat, and I sear one side of the filet for exactly two minutes and then the other side for one minute. I then place the skillet into a pre-heated 400-degree oven, with a pat of butter on top of each steak, for six minutes. Remove and spoon the juices in the skillet on top of the steak. Let rest for five minutes on a plate. Slice.
Salad:
While the steak is searing for the first two minutes, start arranging the salad. On two large plates or a serving platter, layer the mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, avocado, cheese, and optional boiled eggs.
Dressing:
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the Greek yogurt, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
Your salad and dressing should be ready to go during the same time it takes to cook the steak, or at least be finished by the time the steak has rested for five minutes.
Finalize salad:
Slice your steak and place it across the salad. Drizzle dressing on top and then finish with potato chips. You can add a small bit of additional salt and pepper if desired.
Tried this recipe?Rate it above to let us know how it was!
To see another salad topped with chips, this time tortilla chips, check out my Southwest Shrimp Kale Salad; it’s delicious!
PinFind this Southwest Shrimp Kale Salad here. Image: Liza Graves
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