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Salads with sliced pork tenderloin is a favorite at my house. Pork tenderloin is a lean and tender cut of meat. It is easy to prepare and is best when cooked at high heat for a short period of time.

The tenderloin is a muscle that runs along the spine in pigs. It is used for maintaining posture resulting in its tender nature.

The tenderloin is covered in a silver membrane which needs to be removed before cooking. The pork can be rubbed with spices or marinaded before cooking.

Most grocery stores sells pork tenderloins that are already packed in a marinade as well as plain tenderloins that you can prep yourself. For this recipe, I used an Italian marinaded tenderloin from Aldi that is nicely seasoned. When using a plain tenderloin, I marinade it in fat free Italian dressing and sprinkle it with a bit of garlic powder, pepper and salt before popping it in the oven.

Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.

Ingredient Round Up

  • Pork tenderloin
  • Spring greens
  • Thinly sliced onion
  • Fat free crumbled feta cheese
  • Gala apple
  • Ocean Spray reduced sugar dried cranberries
  • Panera poppy seed dressing or your favorite salad dressing

Making the Pork Tenderloin

  • In this recipe I used an Italian marinaded tenderloin by Roseland from Aldi. If you use a plain one, marinade it in your favorite Italian dressing.
  • Place your pork tenderloin in a shallow baking pan, lined with tin foil if you prefer.

    • Before cooking, trim off the excess fat and silver membrane. Pick up the edge of fat/silver membrane and with the sharp side of the knife blade facing away from your fingers holding the edge of the fat/silver membrane, gently work the knife blade under the fat/membrane.

Holding the fat/membrane with one hand raise it up as you slowly slide the knife down the length of the fat/membrane to be removed.


  • Turn the tenderloin over in the pan and continue to remove the fat/membrane until it has been removed from the entire piece of meat.

  • Place the pork tenderloin into a preheated oven. Depending on the size and thickness of the tenderloin it will take 15 – 20 min to cook. I normally check it at 15 min with a digital thermometer. The tenderloin is done when it reaches 145°F. The meat will be quite pink at this temperature. It will continue to cook while it rests. I normally cook mine to 150°F and it is still tender and juicy. I have also forgotten a tenderloin in the oven and it cooked to 165°F. While it was overcooked, it was still very tender and juicy. This cut of meat appears to be quite forgiving.
  • Full disclosure – I forgot to take a photo of the cooked tenderloin but I am posting a photo that was taken from a different time. Let the tenderloin rest before slicing.

Making the Salad

  • Rinse the spring greens or your preferred lettuce and pat dry. Spread the greens out on a dinner plate. I dress and toss the greens before I add any other ingredients to the salad.
  • Add thinly sliced onion, chopped apple and dried cranberries.

  • Top with the crumbled feta cheese and slices of pork tenderloin and serve.
  • Refrigerator left over pork tenderloin.

Serving Ideas

  • I normally serve a large version of this salad for dinner along with a diner roll or a piece of garlic bread.
  • A smaller version can be served for lunch.
  • A cup or bowl of soup along with a smaller version of this salad makes a nice dinner.

WW Recipe Link – 5 pt

Salad with Italian Pork Tenderloin

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 servings
Calories: 292kcal

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • filleting knife
  • shallow baking tray

Ingredients  

  • 1 pork tenderloin
  • 3 c spring greens or lettuce of your choice
  • 1 onion slices
  • 2 tbsp Ocean Spray reduced sugar dried cranberries
  • ½ medium gala apple, chopped
  • 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • 2½ tbsp Panera poppyseed dressing or dressing of your choice

Instructions

Making the Pork Tenderloin

  • Preheat the oven to 400℉ in a convection oven or 425℉ in a traditional oven.
  • I line a shallow baking pan with aluminum oil because I'm lazy. I use a Roseland Italian marinated pork tenderloin. If you use a plain pork tenderloin, either sprinkle it with Italian seasoning before baking or marinade it in your favorite Italian dressing.
  • Trim the excess fat and the silver membrane from the pork tenderloin using a filleting knife. I covered how to do this with photos in the body of the main post.
  • Bake the completely trimmed pork tenderloin into the oven and bake for 15-20 min depending on the size of the tenderloin. I normally check the meat after 15 min of roasting. You are looking for an internal temperature of 145℉. I normally cook mine to 150℉. The tenderloin will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven while it is resting.
  • Remove the tenderloin from the oven when done and let rest 10 min before slicing.

Assembling the Salad

  • Rinse your greens or lettuce and pat dry and place on a dinner plate.
  • I dress the greens before adding any other ingredients. You can do this or add the salad dressing at the very end.
  • Add the sliced onion, dried cranberries, chopped apple and feta cheese crumbles.
  • Slice the pork tenderloin and add the slices to the top of the salad.
  • Serve and enjoy.
  • Refrigerate the left over pork tenderloin.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.4g | Protein: 26.8g | Fat: 3.6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 575mg | Fiber: 9.2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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