Pork over Warm Kale and Asparagus Salad

Baked pork tenderloin served over a warm kale and asparagus salad, this is a fancy-looking but simple meal that can totally brighten up your busy workdays without too much time or effort in the kitchen. If you have any leftovers, plan to roll them up in a tortilla for a quick and easy lunch.

Whenever I have a busy day, I want to throw something together quickly for dinner and call it a day. The last thing I want is to kill more brain cells to figure out what to make for a side dish in order to pair with what I have in mind for the main. It’s hard! Therefore, one-pot meals have been my absolute favorite way to cook.  One recipe and one pot, done and done!

Technically, this pork over warm kale and asparagus salad recipe I am about to share with you is not a one-pot meal as the pork and the salad are cooked separately. However, can I argue that it certainly is a one-dish meal? Let me explain.

First, let’s place the pork in the oven so that we can move on to making the salad. I adapted the pork cooking method from my other recipe. You don’t necessarily have to use a lot of seasonings for the pork. Just some salt, pepper and garlic powder will be enough because the salad dressing is very flavorful and it goes extremely well with the pork.

As for the dressing, it’s more like a sauce, actually. Since part of the sauce is from the pork juice after searing it in a large sauté pan, a combination of red wine vinegar and brown sugar is more than enough to complement the kale and asparagus along with onion and cherry tomatoes. Oh, let’s not forget to stir a bunch of fresh basil into the salad.

Lastly, slice up the pork, place the pork slices on the warm salad and drizzle with remaining dressing from the pan. Our final touch is to sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over the pork. Tada! This is the most glorious moment, isn’t it?

If you do get a chance to make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know how you like it, or snap a photo and share it with me on Instagram. Don’t forget to use our hashtag #StreetSmartKitchen and tag @streetsmartkitchen so that I can see your beautiful meal!

Pork over Warm Kale and Asparagus Salad

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• Author: Sharon Chen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main, Gluten Free, Low Carb
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Baked pork tenderloin served over a warm kale and asparagus salad, this is a fancy-looking but simple one-dish meal that’ll brighten up your busy workdays.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cups kale, firmly packed or 1 (5-ounce) container kale salad blend
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus spears, end trimmed and chopped to 1.5-inch long pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cut pork tenderloin into 4 pieces; season generously with salt and pepper as well as garlic powder. Heat canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Swirl. Place seasoned pork in the pan and sear each side for 2-3 minutes or until browned.
3. Transfer pork to a baking sheet lined with foil, leaving oil and pork juice in the pan. Bake the pork for 10-12 minutes or until its temperature reaches 145°F.
4. Meanwhile, add onion and tomatoes in the pan and cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are softened. Add vinegar and sugar, stir until well combined.
5. Stir kale, asparagus and basil into the pan. Taste, add more salt if desired. Cook 1 minute or until the kale is wilted.
6. Transfer the salad to serving plates; slice pork and arrange on top of the salad. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 325
• Sugar: 8.7g
• Sodium: 140mg
• Fat: 12.3g
• Saturated Fat: 2.9g
• Carbohydrates: 17.5g
• Fiber: 3.5g
• Protein: 35.6g
• Cholesterol: 89mg

About the Author

Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.