This Vegan Steak Salad is sure to top your list of warm weather favorites! It has a bright and zingy dressing, tons of fresh veggies, and is packed with protein!
Food Memories
Being a super foodie I have certain foods that remind me of different times and seasons of my life. Taking just one bite of my Mom’s Spice Cookies takes me instantly back to my college apartment on Valentines Day. My Seitan Marbella reminds me of “waitressing” at my parents’ big Christmas parties. Muhammara Dip reminds me of traveling in Spain with Irving. And it’s not summer without my Mom’s Steak Salad—now Vegan Steak Salad.
All about the dressing!
I used to love this steak salad. My Mom would make this every summer—the dressing/marinade is amazing—bright and zing-y with a kick. Irving, who took one bite and asked me to make it every night for the rest of forever, described the dressing as tasting similar to a chimichurri sauce. My little boys also completely cleaned their plates and asked/growled for seconds!
^^^ I called my mom to get the recipe, but of course couldn’t find any paper. Found this scrap of paper on the floor (thank you, boys) and scribbled away!
Vegan Steak Salad
My mom always made her salad with strips of steak, a big head of leafy lettuce, raw mushrooms and sliced red peppers, which is funny because she hates both mushrooms and bell peppers. I don’t like mushrooms or peppers either (please don’t revoke my V-card), so I serve this with avocado, cucumbers, and tomatoes—more veggies that my mom doesn’t like—she’s not exactly known for loving vegetables! Basically, you could serve this with any veggies you like and it will be delicious, because—the DRESSING. See above. ^^^
Seitan
Obviously the biggest change I’ve made to this recipe is to use seitan in place of the steak. I love making this with my Homemade Seitan. It’s really the best way to enjoy seitan. If you haven’t tried making your own you really should—it’s really easy! However, you can also use store bought. My favorite brand is Upton’s Naturals. If you are gluten free I’d recommend marinating some tofu in the dressing and grilling it up in a cast iron pan—yum!
Something else that is awesome about this Vegan Steak Salad recipe—you can use the dressing/marinade after you marinate the seitan. Can’t say that about meat, can you? I grabbed a few tablespoons of the marinade and drizzled it over a bunch of mushrooms in a pan for my boys who all LOVE mushrooms. Just sautéed them first in some olive oil, added the marinade and cooked for one more minute. Instant side! I also like serving this with roasted potatoes!
^^^ These look so good to me and I don’t even like mushrooms!
Hope you find some time to enjoy this Vegan Steak Salad soon—like maybe this weekend? I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram, and tag photos you post of my recipes with #frieddandelions so that I can see! I love to see your creations! Happy cooking!
Seitan Steak Salad
Ingredients
Dressing/Marinade:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 Tablespoon parsley
- 2 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger a 1-2 inch chunk
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil or olive oil, though the flavor isn't quite the same
Salad:
- 1 head of leafy lettuce I like red leaf and green leaf
- 2 tomatoes sliced in wedges
- 1/2 cucumber sliced into half moons
- 1-2 avocados diced
1/4 batch Homemade Seitan (see notes), or 1-2 boxes of store bought seitan
Instructions
- Place all dressing/marinade ingredients in a blender and blend until combined (ginger and parsley should be completely blended in). Set aside.
- Cut seitan into smaller pieces, either chunks or strips. Place them into a small container and pour the dressing/marinade over top. Place a tight lid on top and allow to marinate for 30 minutes, turning every so often to make sure all of the seitan gets coated in the dressing.
- While the seitan is marinating, prepare the veggies. Set aside.
- When the seitan has marinated for a half hour, carefully remove seitan and grill strips a few at a time in a large pan. I like using my cast iron pan. Be careful to save all of the marinade—this becomes your salad dressing! Once all of the seitan has been cooked, assemble salads and serve with the dressing on the side. If making mushrooms, reserve a few tablespoons of the dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
^^^ I promise there is lettuce buried under there!