Salad with Picante Dressing

This is not a side salad. Sliced sirloin steak seasoned with lime, cumin, and garlic salt sits on a bed of iceberg lettuce alongside rice, corn kernels, black olives, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and fresh cilantro. It’s a full Tex-Mex dinner in a bowl.

The picante dressing pulls the whole thing together. Shake picante sauce with Italian dressing and a squeeze of lime juice in a jar. The Italian dressing provides the oil and herbs, the picante sauce brings heat and tomato depth, and the lime juice brightens everything with acid. Three ingredients, one jar, 30 seconds.

Season the steak with cumin, garlic salt, and coarse black pepper, then grill or sear until medium-rare. Let it rest before slicing thin against the grain. Warm steak on a cold salad is part of the appeal here. The contrast between the hot, juicy beef and the cool, crisp lettuce is what makes each bite work.

Cook the rice ahead and chill it. Warm rice wilts the lettuce and makes the salad steamy instead of refreshing. The rice adds bulk that turns this from a salad into a proper meal.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the corn and olives well. Extra liquid dilutes the dressing and makes the salad soggy.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes so their juices mix into the dressing as you toss. Whole tomatoes just roll around.
• Adjust the heat by choosing mild, medium, or hot picante sauce. The dressing scales easily.

Variations

• Chicken version: Swap the sirloin for grilled chicken breast seasoned the same way.
• Black bean addition: Fold in a drained can of black beans for extra protein and fiber.
• Low-carb: Skip the rice and double the lettuce for a lighter option.