Asian Pork Salad with Quinoa

This Asian Pork Salad recipe is made with glazed slices of pork tenderloin atop a colorful salad loaded with crunchy vegetables and quinoa. It’s a super flavorful dish to enjoy for lunch or dinner.

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Don’t you just love that as spring arrives, so do colorful recipes with plenty of fresh produce? After all of that delicious comfort food, it’s time some for lighter, fresher meals.

This Asian Pork Quinoa Salad recipe is exactly the type of meal to get the season started off right. The salad is a mix of quinoa, cabbage, carrots, red pepper, and cilantro. And, the pork is cooked in an incredibly flavorful Asian-inspired sauce.

This salad, along with this recipe for Southwestern Chicken Salad and this Shrimp Quinoa Salad with Corn and Honey Lime Dressing are the perfect way to start the season.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is a nice change from the norm. It’s full of delicious Asian flavors, healthy veggies and quinoa.

It’s a great way to get more raw vegetables into your diet.

This recipe doesn’t take too long to make and can even be made ahead of time.

You can modify this recipe to make it gluten free. See the notes section in the recipe card at the bottom of this post for more information.

How to Make Asian Pork Quinoa Salad

What You Need to Make This Recipe

To make this recipe, you will need a pork tenderloin, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, purple cabbage, a red pepper, carrots, cilantro, quinoa, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full amounts and printable instructions.

Prep!

There really isn’t much prep work to do before you begin cooking. Simply mince the garlic and ginger.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Tip: you can wait to prepare the vegetables. There will be time to do that while the pork and quinoa are cooking.

Create!

Season the pork with salt and pepper.

Combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly, divide in half. Reserve one half to use when serving.

Place the pork on a foil-lined baking sheet. Baste with half of the remaining sauce.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, basting again halfway through cooking. Continue to cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

While the pork cooks, start the quinoa by combining the water and quinoa in a medium pot over high heat.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed and the germ of the quinoa is visible, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.

Cut the cabbage, red bell pepper, and carrots into bite sized pieces. Roughly chop the cilantro.

Once the pork is done cooking, remove it from the oven and set it on a cutting board to rest.

While the pork rests, divide the quinoa, cabbage, carrots, and pepper evenly between 4 bowls.

Slice the pork and place on top of the salads with the extra sauce, if desired.

Present!

Garnish with the cilantro.

How to Make This Recipe Gluten Free

This recipe can be easily modified to suit a gluten free diet.

Simply swap out the soy sauce and hoisin sauce for gluten free versions.

Gluten free hoisin sauce can be a little harder to find in stores. If you can not find it, you can substitute an equal amount of brown sugar or purchase it from Amazon.

Tips and Techniques

• Save a little time by preparing the vegetables for the salad while the pork and quinoa are cooking.
• You can prepare all parts of this recipe ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the salads.
• Store leftovers in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days.

FAQ’s

How Do You Know When Pork Is Done Cooking?

Pork is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. The pork should rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to disperse.

Can You Use Other Cuts Of Pork To Make This Recipe?

Yes, you can make this recipe with most cuts of pork. Just be aware that the cooking time may vary greatly depending on the cut.

More Pork Dinner Recipes to Try

If you enjoyed this recipe, then you will likely also love these Asian Pork Tacos. They are made with ground pork and topped with cabbage slaw and a simply spicy mayonnaise.

Looking for something a little different? Check out these recipes for Cuban Pork Tenderloin and Pork Carnitas too!

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This recipe was originally published April 4, 2018. It was updated with an improved recipe, more thorough instructions, new images, tips, techniques, and FAQ’s in April 2020.