Italian Steak Salad

This Italian Steak Salad is a whole30 healthy meal prep designed for lunch or dinner. High in protein, low in carbs, and made with 100 percent real ingredients.

We're so digging this Italian steak salad. It comes together using a combination of prepared and fresh ingredients, and our favorite AIP Paleo Powder for flavor. A bit of fresh basil doesn't hurt, either. This steak salad is one you can make over and over, and alter slightly every time if you like, based on what's in season. It's a super adaptable meal prep recipe. Steak salad is great for summertime meals when you don't want to heat up the oven; just grill the flank steak as you assemble everything else and dinner (or lunch) meal prep is done, done, and done.

Italian Steak Salad Ingredients

1 lb. flank steak
1 tbsp. Paleo Powder AIP Seasoning blend, divided
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 can of artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
½ lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp. avocado oil
Handful fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make Italian Steak Salad

The steak is clearly the star of the show here, so you'll cook it on a very hot grill pan, or right on a grill if you've got one and you don't want to turn the oven on. The sweet potatoes roast, and then it's just a simple assembly job after that's all completed. You'll need Easy!

Substitutions and Alterations

Flank steak is really good against all these other robust summery flavors, but we like chicken in this preparation, too. Skirt steak works, too. Just make sure to slice it thinly, which makes it extra delicious.

If you'd like, serve it over arugula or baby greens like spinach instead of romaine lettuce. Arugula is especially good, though. You can make this salad throughout the summer and vary it based on what's available in terms of local and seasonal greens. Similarly, playing around with different kinds of tomatoes is fun with a dish like this.

Feel free to add fresh green beans, sliced bell peppers, kalamata olives, or even some salami slices to really play up the Italian aspect of this salad.

Tips for Prepping Italian Steak Salad

Elements of this can be prepped ahead of time very easily, if you want to break up your meal prep even further and not do it all in one go. It's easy to do, because this dish is served at room temperature. Feel free to prep the steak and sweet potatoes one day, and then finish up with the rest of the veggies the next day. Then, assemble everything into airtight containers.

Whatever you do, don't skip the fresh basil. It makes all the difference here. Promise! If you have any leftover, go ahead and make some pesto for this Pesto Chicken Meal Prep. But did you know you can freeze basil? Wrap the leaves in a paper towel, transfer to a zip-close bag, and freeze them. They won't be as great as fresh, but you can add them whole to pasta sauces and into a pan with olive oil to toss with pasta.

Ingredients

1 lb. flank steak
1 tbsp. Paleo Powder AIP Seasoning blend divided
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 can artichoke hearts rinsed and drained
2 large roasted red peppers cut into strips
½ lb. cherry tomatoes halved
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 tbsp. avocado oil
Handful fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place a seasoned cast iron grill pan in the oven as it preheats to 375 F.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the Paleo Powder AIP Seasoning blend on the flank steak. Set aside.
Toss the cubed sweet potatoes in avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange them on a parchment covered rimmed sheet pan and roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until they’re golden.
Once the grill pan is hot, transfer to the stovetop over medium heat and spray it with avocado oil. Add the steak and grill it for 2 minutes on each side, and then transfer the pan back to the oven.
Cook time will vary based on the thickness of the steak, but remove it when your meat thermometer reads about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing it thinly.
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and remaining Paleo Powder spice. In a large bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, tomatoes, and lettuce. Add the sliced steak and toss the salad with the vinaigrette. Top with some of the roasted sweet potatoes and garnish with fresh chopped basil. Portion the salad into 4 meal prep containers and store in the fridge until you're ready to eat it.