This week started out a little rough, I am not going to lie. Parks had his first tumble and hit his little nose on the coffee table pretty good leaving a little bruise and scrape and basically scared me to death. He was fine after he calmed down, and I on the other hand was shaken for the rest of the afternoon and was sure we needed to go to the doctor. It was a long day , and on days like Monday (or any day really), easy dinners are necessary and there isn't anything more simple than whipping up a fantastic salad. My pear, goat cheese, and pork tenderloin salad is literally on weekly rotation in our house and you are going to love it too!
I created this salad shortly after Parks was born. We were eating lots of easy meals like salads and I was tired of the same ole chicken salad over and over. Pork tenderloin is lean, easy to prepare, and was the perfect choice to swap out for our usual grilled chicken option. We were immediately hooked and Canean has stated that he could "eat this salad everyday"...no kidding.
There is something about the pork combined with creamy goat cheese, crisp pear, and the amazing dijon honey vinaigrette makes for a dynamite combination that will have you craving a salad every week!
Ingredients:
Salad-
- 1 Pork Tenderloin
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Steak Seasoning
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
- 4 Cups Mixed Greens
- 1 Pear, Sliced
- 1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 Shallot
- 2 Oz. Goat Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Toasted Pecan Halves
Vinaigrette-
- 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp. Honey
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Directions:
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees or medium high heat.
- Combine olive oil, Worcestershire, steak seasoning, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.
- Pour over the pork tenderloin and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
- Place pork tenderloin on the grill directly over the heat for 5 minutes per side to sear well.
- Once tenderloin has seared, move the pork to the top rack of the grill or over non-direct heat and close the grill lid. Continue to cook for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of your loin), turning once. You can do this on an indoor grill pan as well.
- Remove pork from the grill and tent with aluminum foil for 5 minutes, letting juices redistribute.
- In the meantime, layer salad ingredients.
- Slice pork tenderloin and place on top of the salad.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve immediately.
I am not kidding you when I tell you this salad is going to be one of your new favorites. It is a restaurant quality meal made right at home, and it's good for you too!
