Summer steak salad with grilled tri-tip steak, grilled corn, and pan-charred zucchini over crisp lettuce with tomatoes, red onion, and avocado. A simple balsamic vinaigrette and blue cheese crumbles round it out, and the extra steak works well for lunch or another meal later in the week.
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💡Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes to prep and 35 minutes to cook
- Cooking Method: Stove-top & grill for steak
- Skill Level: Moderate
- Who this recipe is for: Anyone who loves the idea of a salad but wants it to actually count as dinner.
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
What Makes This Steak Salad Recipe Different from all the rest
In a lot of traditional and ancestral kitchens, a plate of raw vegetables isn't really the ideal way to eat produce. Fermented vegetables like lacto-fermented dill pickles and roasted vegetables tend to sit better with most people, and that's part of why this salad works when it's built around grilled corn and zucchini instead of a pile of raw greens with a few chosen toppings.
Summer is really the one season where a salad like this makes sense, since farmers markets are full of produce that can quite literally make a complete meal. And cooking the corn and zucchini rather than serving more raw veggies makes the whole plate easier to sit with.
Tri-tip is also worth talking about on its own. If you're not familiar with tri-tip roast, it's a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, and it's one of the more affordable steaks you can buy relative to how much it feeds. A 2-½ pound tri-tip goes a long way for a family or a group, and you'll likely have steak left over even after everyone's eaten their fill, which is part of why this cut works so well for a meal like this one.
It's not as widely known as a ribeye or filet, but it has amazing flavor and texture once it's grilled and rested properly, without the price tag that comes with those more popular cuts.
And the best part is, because of its tapered shape, a properly cooked tri-tip naturally gives you a range of doneness in one steak, so the thinner end comes out more well done while the thicker center stays medium-rare, which means everyone at the table can find the slice that suits them.
Ingredient Notes
- Steak: I love using tri-tip steak because you get well-done and medium-rare meat from the same cut. Look for a well-marbled roast with some fat running through it, not a lean, uniform piece. Montreal steak seasoning does most of the flavoring, but a simple salt and pepper will also suffice if that's what you have in the pantry.
- Vegetables: Between the corn, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and avocado, this salad ends up feeling like a colorful plate of summer instead of just meat sitting on some lettuce. You can grill the corn either on the outdoor grill next to the steak or inside on a gas stove. And zucchini rounds get sautéed until brown and caramelized in a little bit of tallow, ghee, or simply avocado oil.
- Greens: A crisp head of green leaf lettuce with no wilting or brown edges is what you're after for the base. Farmer's markets are full of green and red leaf lettuces, but give it a good wash and dry before you use it, since wet lettuce waters everything down once the dressing hits it.
- Dressing: A nice garlic bite from a balsamic vinaigrette ties the whole salad together. Homemade is always far superior so be sure to check out my 4-ingredient balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe. Super easy to make right in the jar!
- Cheese: A good steak salad always has blue cheese crumbles to finish things off. If that's not your thing, feta is a common swap and holds up just as well against the balsamic.
Substitutions and Variations
- No tri tip? Flank steak, skirt steak, or a good ribeye all work fine here, just keep an eye on cook times since thinner cuts like flank and skirt cook faster than tri tip.
- No grill? A cast iron skillet on the stovetop gets you a similar sear on the steak, corn, and zucchini, just in batches instead of all at once. You'd want to finish the steak in the oven though.
- No fresh corn? Frozen corn works too. Just cook it in a hot, dry skillet for a few minutes until it picks up some color, instead of grilling it on the cob.
- Skip the balsamic? A simple house dressing or a lemon and olive oil dressing (also known as ladolemono) holds up just as well against the steak.
How to Make Salad Steak Recipe
The printable version is in the recipe card below, ready to go. Keep reading here first though, since these instructions walk through more detail with photos along the way.
Step 1.
Slice the zucchini in 1" thick rounds and lightly season with salt to draw out moisture. Set aside for 15 minutes. Then, pat dry with paper towels.
Step 2.
Pat the tri-tip roast steak dry with a paper towel and rub with Montreal steak seasoning. Let it sit at room temp for 20 to 30 minutes while you prep everything else.
Step 3.
Grill corn on an outdoor grill or directly on the grates of an indoor gas stove over medium heat, turning every couple minutes. It should take about 8-10 minutes for the corn to get completely cooked through. Set aside to cool, then slice the kernels off the cob.
Step 4.
In a medium stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat, warm avocado oil. Lay the zucchini rounds in a single layer (don't crowd the pan!). Sear on both sides until they're browned and are just tender, not mushy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Step 5.
Cook the steak on a grill over medium-high heat, depending on thickness, with the lid down between flips. Use a meat thermometer if you have one and pull it at 130 to 135℉ for medium-rare, depending on thickness.
Step 6.
Move the steak to a cutting board or rimmed baking sheet and let it rest at least 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
Step 7.
While the steak rests, spread the head of green leaf lettuce across a large platter or divide between individual salad bowls. Cut the tomatoes into halves, slice avocado and red onion.
Step 8.
Assemble the salad by layering tomatoes, avocado, red onion, grilled corn, zucchini, and cooked and sliced steak strips. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and top with blue cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.
Helpful Tips
- Browned zucchini: Dry the zucchini well and give it room in the pan. A wet, crowded pan steams instead of sears, and you'll end up with soft rounds instead of a real crust
- Charring corn: Char the corn in short bursts, turning every 30 to 45 seconds. Leaving it too long in one spot burns the sugars before the kernel underneath is actually cooked
- Slicing steak: Slice the steak against the grain. Tri-tip shifts grain direction partway through the cut, so check the angle again once you're halfway across
- Don't overcook steak: Pull the steak at 125 to 130 degrees F. It carries over a few more degrees with residual heat, so pulling early is what gets you an actual medium-rare.
💭Meal Prep Suggestion!
With 2 ½ pounds of steak in this recipe, you'll likely have plenty left over even after everyone's had their fill, which makes this an easy one to prep ahead. Store the steak, corn, zucchini, and greens separately, then portion into containers for quick lunches through the week. Hold off on the avocado, cheese, and dressing until you're ready to eat, and add those fresh each time.
Serving Suggestions
This salad works as a complete meal on its own, since you've got protein, fat, and vegetables all on one plate, so there's no need to round it out with sides unless you want to. I love dinners that come together in one bowl.
- For a heartier dinner table, serve a side of garlic roasted potatoes or light soup, like the Avgolemono Greek soup recipe, if you want something warm to round out the meal on a cooler evening.
- For a busy weeknight dinner, this is filling enough to stand alone (hello all that meat!). If anyone wants something more, a side of fresh milled flour bread recipe with butter rounds it out without a lot of extra effort.
- For a summer gathering or backyard cookout, double the recipe and set it up as a build-your-own bar, letting guests build their own plate with the toppings they want. Include a few options for salad dressing like the house dressing, ladolemono, Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing, or ranch salad dressing with Greek yogurt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep the steak and vegetables in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days, and wait to add the avocado, cheese, and dressing until serving. For full storage, reheating, and freezing details, see the notes on the recipe card below. These glass snap containers are perfect for leftovers.
You can, and it'll save you some prep time. Just make sure whatever greens you choose are sturdy enough to hold up under the warm steak and dressing, romaine or a spring mix blend both work fine.
This recipe scales up easily. Just keep the ratio of steak to vegetables roughly the same, and grill in batches if you're working with limited space on the grill or stovetop.
Looking for more satisfying salads? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this salad steak recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Summer Steak Salad
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds tri tip steak
- 4 tablespoons montreal steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tallow or avocado oil divided
- 2 ears corn husked
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into rounds
- 1 head green leaf lettuce torn or coarsley chopped
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Slice the 1 medium zucchini and lightly season with salt to draw out moisture. Set aside for 15 minutes. Then, pat dry with paper towels.
- Pat the 2 ½ pounds tri tip steak dry with a paper towel and rub with 4 tablespoons montreal steak seasoning. Let it sit at room temp for 20 to 30 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Rub 2 ears corn lightly with oil if grilling on an outdoor grill. But I prefer to grill directly on the grates of an indoor gas stove over medium heat, turning every couple minutes so you get char on multiple sides. It should take about 8-10 minutes for the corn to get completely cooked through. Set aside to cool, then slice the kernels off the cob.
- In a medium stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon tallow or avocado oil. Lay the zucchini rounds in a single layer and don't crowd the pan. Sear on both sides until they've got color and are just tender, not mushy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
- For an outdoor grill, preheat to medium-high and oil the grates. Grill the steak, depending on thickness, with the lid down between flips. Use a meat thermometer if you have one and pull it at 130 to 135℉ for medium-rare, per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness.
- Move the steak to a cutting board and let it rest at least 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
- While the steak rests, spread the 1 head green leaf lettuce, torn across a large platter or divide between plates. Layer on the ½ red onion, thinly sliced, 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved, and 1 avocado, sliced.
- Add cooked and sliced steak strips, grilled corn and zucchini. Drizzle with ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette and top with ½ cup blue cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Browned zucchini: Dry the zucchini well and give it room in the pan. A wet, crowded pan steams instead of sears, and you'll end up with soft rounds instead of a real crust
- Charring corn: Char the corn in short bursts, turning every 30 to 45 seconds. Leaving it too long in one spot burns the sugars before the kernel underneath is actually cooked
- Slicing steak: Slice the steak against the grain. Tri-tip shifts grain direction partway through the cut, so check the angle again once you're halfway across
- Don't overcook steak: Pull the steak at 125 to 130 degrees F. It carries over a few more degrees with residual heat, so pulling early is what gets you an actual medium-rare.
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