In summary: The enticing dish sides for pork tenderloin include Cucumber Celery Salad, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes With Caramelized Onions, Balsamic Kale Mushroom Couscous, Sweet And Spicy Mexican Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and many more. And you should pair it with sauces to prevent dryness.
Pork tenderloin, also known as the pork filet and gentleman’s cut, is the most tender of all the meat cuts, but it has very little to no fat, and if overcooked, it can be very dry.
It’s always a good idea to serve a sauce with your pork; a honey and mustard sauce is always a good option.
When it comes to sides to serve with pork tenderloin, sweet notes work well and compliment the meat. Think cranberries, apples, sweet onions, caramelized fennel, roast carrots, and grilled peaches.
Not sure what to serve with pork tenderloin or what goes well with pork tenderloin? Here are my suggestions for pork tenderloin side dishes.
Here’s What To Serve With Pork Tenderloin:
#1. Cucumber Celery Salad
This is a slaw-like salad with clean and fresh flavors. The cucumber, celery, and fennel are thinly shaved and tossed with olive oil, lime juice, chopped fresh dill, parsley, and mint.
The vegetables are seasoned with salt and pepper and placed on an almond “cheese” spread.
#2. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes With Caramelized Onions
These cheesy scalloped potatoes are saucy, sweet, and the perfect side to serve with pork tenderloin. The onions are caramelized in white wine, and the sauce ingredients are combined.
The potatoes are thinly sliced and layered up with caramelized onions. The potatoes are covered in the cream sauce ingredients, topped with grated cheese, and baked until soft and golden on top.
I love roasted fennel, and it makes great sides for pork tenderloin. The fennel is roasted in the oven until soft and caramelized, and the green beans are blanched to al dente.
The vegetables are then tossed in a fresh “green” sauce made up of chopped mint, parsley, capers, lemon juice, and olive oil. The salad is finished with flaked toasted almonds on the top.
#4. Sweet And Spicy Mexican Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potato is another great vegetable for pork tenderloin sides; the sweetness compliments the meat. The sweet potato is cut into thick rounds, tossed in cumin and chili powder, and roasted until soft and caramelized.
The roast potato rounds are drizzled with honey and finished with a squeeze of lime, garnished with pumpkin seeds and coriander.
I feel that beans get a bad rap as far as vegetables go, but they can be super delicious. These beans are marinated and full of flavor.
The marinade is made up of red wine vinegar, minced shallot, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. The beans, sliced courgettes, chopped tomato, and basil are mixed with the marinade.
For the best results, let the beans marinate overnight; if not, then marinate them at least for a couple of hours.
These cheesy leeks are rich and delicious and perfect for serving with your pork tenderloin. The leeks are chopped and sautéed in butter with garlic and thyme until caramelized.
The cream, grated cheddar, parmesan, and brie are added to the leeks, and then the dish is baked in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes.
This is a hearty side to serve with your pork. The onions are sautéed until soft, and the mushrooms and minced garlic are added to the pan and cooked.
The cooked couscous is added to the pan and stirred through the mushrooms. The balsamic is drizzled over and mixed in, and the dish is finished with the crumbled goats’ cheese.
#8. Spring Root Vegetable Salad With Pistachio Vinaigrette
Give me roast root vegetables every day, and I would be happy, but serve it with a pistachio vinaigrette; now that’s something special.
The vinaigrette is made up of olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, honey, and chopped pistachios. The roasted vegetables are mixed with arugula and spinach leaves, dressed with the pistachio vinaigrette, and finished with Greek yogurt.
As mentioned, pork is complemented by sweet flavors, and these sweet roasted maple carrots are just that. The carrots are tossed in a harissa and maple syrup and roasted with cranberries.
The carrots are baked until caramelized and tender, and the cranberries are soft and jammy. The carrots are platted up, topped with the cranberries, and finished with toasted flaked almonds and fresh thyme leaves.
Apples are a classic side for pork, mixed with celery and fennel; this is a great combination of flavors to serve with your pork tenderloin.
The apples, celery, and fennel are thinly sliced and tossed together with the chopped scallions, dill, and nuts. The creamy dressing is made by combining crème fraîche, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and honey.
The salad is generously tossed in the creamy dressing and garnished with leftover fennel fronds.
Pork is popular in Asian cuisine, and these stir fry noodles make great sides with pork tenderloin.
The noodles are cooked as per packet instructions, and in another bowl, the sauce ingredients are combined.
The shitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and green onions are sautéed. The cooked noodles are added to the mushrooms in the pan with the sauce and tossed to combine.
The noodles are finished with carrot ribbons and spinach leaves, and the noodles are served garnished with toasted sesame seeds.
As mentioned before, fennel is great with pork, and this fennel dish is so easy to prepare and delicious. The fennel bulbs are cut in half and boiled until tender.
The bulbs are brushed with butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, and topped with grated parmesan and thyme. The fennel is baked in a hot oven until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.
#13. Sautéed White Beans With Garlic, Sage And Tomatoes
These beans are saucy and delicious and could easily be eaten on their own with some crusty bread. That’s how good they are.
The chopped garlic and sage are heated in oil until lightly toasted, and then the wine is added and left to cook for about 3 minutes until almost evaporated.
The beans and tinned tomatoes are added to the pan, seasoned with salt and pepper, and left to simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce is reduced but not dry.
This is a light side if you are not looking to have a heavy meal. The dressing makes this dish, and it has the perfect balance of sweet, salt, and sour flavors.
The dressing is made up of fish sauce, water, sugar, lime, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and chopped chili.
The glass noodles are cooked as per packet instructions, and the julienned cucumber and carrots are added together with the fresh chopped herb and tossed all together with the dressing. The noodles are served with a garnish of chopped peanuts.
Not sure what to eat with pork tenderloin? Fruit is always a great side to serve with pork; think how apple works great with pork; peaches can be just as good.
The peaches are grilled until nicely charred and then drizzled with a balsamic reduction and a good grinding of black pepper. The tart pepperiness of the vinegar and pepper is the perfect counterpart to the sweet peaches.
This is the ultimate summer salad for your tenderloin. The zucchini, tomatoes, and corn are grilled until nicely charred.
The vegetables and arugula are tossed in a vinaigrette of lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, and garlic. The vegetables are seasoned and garnished with crumbled goat’s cheese.
I love Lebanese flavors think, paprika, turmeric, lemon, cilantro, parsley, and dill flavors.
The recipe gives many ways to cook the potatoes, but whichever way you choose to prepare the potatoes, the spices, garlic, and lemon juice are added halfway through cooking the potatoes. The fresh chopped herbs are added at the end to the cooked crisp potatoes and tossed together.
I love a smooth purée, and a cauliflower and parsnip purée is delicious. This purée makes use of frozen cauliflower and fresh peeled and chopped parsnip.
The shallot and garlic are sautéed until golden in the pot, and the vegetables are added with the broth. The vegetables are cooked until tender, blended with the broth to a smooth purée and seasoned with salt and pepper.
This pumpkin is full of sweet and salty flavors with a bit of a bite from the chili.
The pumpkin is roasted with maple syrup and chili flakes until caramelized, sweet, and tender. The pumpkin is finished with crumbled feta, freshly chopped chili, and parsley.
This is a quick and easy side dish and a go-to if you are short on time. The leeks are chopped thinly and sautéed with olive oil and garlic until soft; the spinach is added and cooked until wilted.
The vegetables are seasoned with salt and pepper and then sprinkled with grated parmesan.
A good side for pork tenderloin could be quinoa salad, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, or a pear and arugula salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, adding a variety of flavors and textures to the meal.
What side goes with pork roast?
A side that complements a pork roast well is garlic mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, sautéed green beans, or a simple arugula salad with a light vinaigrette, offering a mix of flavors and textures to the dish.
Having completed three years at cooking school, Gabi then went into the realm of private cheffing where she got to travel the world, cooking for the rich and famous in their luxury homes and holiday homes. Through her travels, she has experienced different cuisines, which she has added to her cooking repertoire.
