Southwest Steak Chopped Salad

We eat massive salads for dinner many nights. We never share them, because usually they’re not all that organized – it’s usually a look in the fridge, pull out some vegetables, and top them with a protein kind of adventure. Since it’s Monday and the beginning of the week, we were a little more coordinated. Also, we accidentally created a gorgeous plate of colors! Nutritionists have been telling us to “eat our colors,” and we have you covered here! This salad, while not exactly low calorie, is healthy and filling. The way this is written makes two large salads, meant to be eaten as a stand-alone meal. Don’t worry – you’ll be so full, you even notice that you only ate salad for dinner.

Southwest Steak Chopped Salad

Ingredients: 

• Salad
  • Mixed greens, ~1 1/2 cups per plate
  • 1/2 cup carrots per plate
  • 1 ear of corn, divided between plates
  • 1 can of black beans, divided between plates
• Steak
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (substitute smoked paprika for less heat)
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 3/4 lb steak
• Dressing
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt & a few turns of fresh black pepper
• Optional additional toppings
  • Cheese
  • Tortilla strips
  • Jalapeno slices

Instructions:

1. Cook corn in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove to cool when complete.
2. (Heat black beans if you prefer. We just rinsed and ate them cold.)
3. Stir all steak seasoning together. Liberally coat both sides of the steak.
4. Prepare steak as you normally would – we like to broil it briefly on both sides, for a medium-rare finish – but we know many people prefer their steak on the grill.
5. Whisk together all of the salad dressing ingredients.
6. Assemble salad with a base of chopped greens and topped with chopped carrots, chopped bell peppers, black beans, and corn, sliced off the ear.
7. Add your dressing over the vegetables and top with your steak, sliced. Finish with any additional toppings you desire!

Makes two large, dinner portion salads