I’m doing my best to put together salads that are hearty, flavorful, work well for meal prep, keep well in the refrigerator all week, and can be thrown together in two shakes for a satisfying lunch of quick dinner. I’ve knocked it out of the park with this pork posole salad (if I say so myself) and I can’t wait to make it again and again all summer.
The idea for this soup-made-salad situation came up because I was simply perusing a menu and thought, hey, that would be great as a salad! Posole, if you haven’t had it, is a Mexican pork stew full of hominy, beans, peppers and loads of flavor. It was frankly the best kind of dish to salad-ify.
One of the facts that I’ve often lamented is that any salad that I make at home has never quite come together in the same way that one does when I order it out. Since ordering salads to go can be pricy, I’ve had to come up with a way to recreate the same magic at home. The trick, I’ve discovered, it ensuring that there are enough components, flavors and textures to make it interesting. Some crunchy, some creamy, some hearty to make the lettuce more than a pile of greens, but more like a composition where one part compliments another to make each bite something to look forward to.
Back to this one, we’ve got pork tenderloin, simply marinated, skewered and grilled (or broiled). Poblano and red onion are also charred to crispiness, toned down and cooked just the way I like them. Hominy and black beans add a bit more protein. Avocado was an obvious addition, as were tortilla chips to serve. Cheese and cilantro, because like with traditional posole, it’s all about the accompaniments. And finally, the whole thing is dressed with a tomatillo ranch dressing, made simply by combining salsa verde with store-bought ranch dressing.
Soups and stews almost make for natural transition to salads because they tend to bring together ingredients in a way that we already know works. I started crafting salads this way with my chicken tagine salad, and since I couldn’t’ get enough of this pork posole salad a few weeks ago, it’s a trend that I’m going to keep going, so stay tuned for more!
Pork Posole Salad
Traditional Mexican hominy stew is transformed into a delicious pork posole salad with crispy onions, grilled tenderloin and garnishes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 1 TB cumin
- 1 TB minced garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 TB olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, sliced
- 1 14-oz can hominy
- 1 14-oz can black beans
- 1/2 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- Tortilla chips, to serve
- 4 cups lettuce, your choice
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare the pork: cut the pork tenderloin into cubes. In a small bowl, add the cumin, garlic, paprika, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Mix well. Add the pork and coat well. Refrigerate one hour.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, mix together the onion and pepper. Coat with 1 TB olive oil. Set aside.
- Step 3 Preheat the grill to medium-high (or alternatively, the broiler).
- Step 4 Slide the pork cubes onto skewers. Grill over medium-high heat about 4 minutes per side until the meat is thoroughly cooked.
- Step 5 On a grill pan, add the onion and pepper, and cooked until charred.
- Step 6 Place the hominy and beans in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes.
- Step 7 Combine the ranch and salsa in a bowl. Mix well.
- Step 8 Assemble the salads: Divide all the ingredients between the four bowls. Toss with the dressing and serve with tortilla chips.
