Roast Pork Tenderloin with Broccoli-Pea Mash (30-Min Recipe)
Anybody else just given up on roast chicken?
I’ve got some lovely recipes I make again and again with chicken, but roast chicken just doesn’t cut it for me anymore. Sometimes I stick a chicken (or two) in the slow cooker at the weekend and use the pulled chicken meat for lunches throughout the week, but I get far too bored with chicken for Sunday lunch to have it regularly. Instead, when we have a roast, I tend to go for lamb, beef, or my personal favourite: pork.
Pork is easy to feed to the kids, as they love it, and it goes really well with fresh vegetables and springtime flavours. This particular roast is my way of making a smaller amount of affordable meat stretch further. I love the tenderloin, which is sweet and soft and ready in little time. It is so delicious as a cut that it requires very little work or ingredients to prepare in order to make it taste amazing, and it pairs perfectly with sweet roasted tomatoes and springtime peas and broccoli.
The mash is my version of mushy peas, which I’m actually not a big fan of. I love it this way though! It is super simple and uses frozen ingredients to keep costs down, nutrients up, and prep time minimal. The mash is sweet and minty and a very kid-friendly veggie side.
So if you are looking for a weeknight dinner, or even a special weekend light roast, this is a brilliant simple and easy recipe to have on hand. Tenderloin is lean and easy to cook, and it is surprisingly affordable since you only need a small amount for this meal (I spent £4.49 for a free range good-quality one for the four of us, but it means using the meat as a flavouring and side rather than the focus – for that you will probably need two tenderloins).
And if it doesn’t look big or indulgent enough for a weekend feast, throw some crusty bread (preferably wholegrain and/or sourdough) or cooked potatoes, and a side of roasted carrots and/or fennel on the table, which go beautifully with this meal. You’ll get more veg in you and still feel full without spending any more on meat!
A delicious, simple, affordable 30-minute roast. Perfect as an easy weeknight dinner, or bulk it out with more veg and a bit of crusty bread as a perfect springtime weekend supper.
- 300-500 g (10.5oz-1lb) pork tenderloin (1-2 tenderloins - I find 1 usually stretches for the 4 of us with the veggie sides)
- 1 tbsp pesto (ideally homemade)
- 300-500 g (10.5oz-1lb) cherry tomatoes, ideally on the vine
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 700 g (4 cups) frozen broccoli florets (or 2 heads fresh broccoli)
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Rub the pesto over the pork tenderloin and place in a roasting dish with the cherry tomatoes on the vine. Season with salt & pepper and drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil. Roast the pork and tomatoes in the oven for 25-30 mins or until the juices run clear when the pork is poked with a skewer. For best flavour, allow to rest for at least 10 mins, but this is optional if you are pressed for time!
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Meanwhile, make the mash: cook the broccoli and peas by steaming or boiling until soft (about 5-10 mins for the broccoli, add the peas for the last 2-3 mins). Drain, then blitz in a food processor with salt & pepper, 2 tbsp of fresh mint and 2 tbsp olive oil until smooth.
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Serve slices of pork over the broccoli mash with the tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining chopped mint and some mustard on the side. Some crusty bread or an extra side of roasted carrots or fennel go really with with this, too.
