Amazing Grilled Pork and Veggie Salad
Don’t underestimate this grilled pork and veggie salad. It’s incredible! The veggies are grilled, too, and the flavors are out of this world good.
This amazing grilled pork and veggie salad totally blew me away. It is one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten.
The ingredients are simple. But don’t underestimate them.
Thanks to a few small steps, this salad is loaded with flavor. Grilled pork. Grilled onions. Grilled green beans (yesssss!). And one tiny ingredient decision you’re going to have to make all by yourself.
Choose wisely.
How to Make Sure Pork Chops are Juicy and Not Terribly Dry
How do you ensure juicy, tender pork?
You marinate it. And not just any marinade. You use a tried-and-true recipe with over 100 5-star reviews. Trust me, it makes the best pork chops ever.
I’m using behemothly thick boneless pork chops. You can use bone-in pork chops or thinner cut pork chops. With this marinade, you really can’t mess up the pork.
- olive oil
- soy sauce
- steak seasoning
That’s it! Let the pork marinade for at least three hours or up to 24 hours.
Grilling the Veggies
One of the huge flavor components to this recipe is: GRILLED VEGGIES.
Please, please, please don’t skip them or cook them another way. And if you normally hate onions, will you, for my sake, at least try grilling them before making a final decision to cut them out of your life completely?
They are incredible. And so are the grilled green beans.
I don’t have a grill basket so I use a cast iron skillet right on the grill for the beans. They get ever so slightly charred on the edges but stay crisp-tender with just a tiny bit of crunch. Yum.
Once the pork, green beans and onions are grilled perfectly, they get a little choppy-do into bite-size pieces.
Don’t forget to let the pork rest for a few minutes after coming off the grill! This will keep all the juices inside instead of leaking out if it’s cut too soon. Also, you can decide whether to toss the pork pieces in the salad or serve slices of grilled pork alongside.
The biggest choice of all
The biggest, and perhaps most defining, choice of this salad is whether to use:
- feta or blue cheese
Your decision will speak volumes about your soul. 🙂 I am a HUGE blue cheese fan. Huge. So there is no question where I stand, but only one of my children has my perfect genetic taste buds, so the rest of the family goes for feta.
It really is delicious either way.
Fresh basil
Another punch of flavor comes from the fresh basil. Heavenly yumminess in a bundle of greenery.
It’s worth waiting to make this salad until you can get your hands on some. I’m not sure dried basil will compete – but I suppose you could experiment with another fresh herb. Parsley? Tarragon? Cilantro?
If you live on the edge and vary the fresh herbs, please do report back.
My process for assembling:
- toss the romaine lettuce, grilled green beans, and grilled onions together in a serving bowl
- whisk together the delightfully simple but absolutely necessary dressing and toss with the salad ingredients
- choose whether to add the chopped or sliced pork or serve alongside
- add feta or blue cheese and thinly sliced or torn basil to the top of the salad and give a light toss…or not
- serve immediately
- try not to die from the deliciousness
Really, you guys, this is easily one of my favorite main dish salads of all time. It’s one of those meals you could serve to me on a gold platter every single night, and I would never be mad.
Although the ingredient list looks long, it comes together really fast once the pork has marinaded.
Grilling notes
It’s time to reconnect with your grill! Be it charcoal, propane or pellet. I have a pellet grill. I’ve owned both a CampChef and Traeger at different times – highly recommend them both.
I used to be intimidated by grilling until about a decade ago, I decided to conquer it once and for all. What I found? It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. And I’ve never looked back. #yearroundgriller
My plea(s) to you: please fire up the grill and make this recipe. Please find a way to make the grilled onions and green beans happen. Please grow or find some fresh basil. Please hop on board Team Blue Cheese. 🙂
Mostly, please let me know what you think when you try this recipe! I’m going to be eating it all summer.
What to Serve With This
One Year Ago: Fluffy Baked Pancakes
Two Years Ago: Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three Years Ago: Cuban Sandwiches {Slow Cooker or Instant Pot}
Four Years Ago: Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers with Yogurt-Hummus Sauce
Five Years Ago: Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs with Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Six Years Ago: Greek Pita Salad
Seven Years Ago: Berries on a Cloud {Best Dessert of the Summer!}
Eight Years Ago: Honeydew, Blueberry and Mango Salad with Lime-Ginger Reduction
Amazing Grilled Pork and Veggie Salad
Ingredients
Pork + Marinade:
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds pork chops (see note)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce, I use low-sodium
- 2 teaspoons steak seasoning , such as Montreal Steak Seasoning or see note for a homemade version
Salad:
- 8 to 12 ounces fresh green beans
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 3 medium heads romaine lettuce
- ½ cup feta or blue cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup thinly sliced or torn fresh basil
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- For the pork, mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning together in a small bowl. Add the pork chops to a large ziploc bag or flat dish and pour the marinade ingredients over the top, turning so the pork is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to grill, heat a charcoal, propane or pellet grill to medium or medium-high heat (I set my pellet grill to 375 degrees F).
- Toss the green beans with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of coarse, kosher salt and pepper. Rub another tablespoon or so of olive oil over both sides of all the onion slices (carefully so the onions don’t separate into rings) and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Grill the pork chops for 6-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees F. If your grill is large enough, grill the onions and green beans alongside the pork (or grill in batches – the pork should rest for 5-10 minutes after grilling).
- Place the onion slices directly on the grill grates and grill for 4-5 minutes per side until tender. Grill the green beans in a grill basket or cast iron skillet until sizzling and crisp tender, 6-8 minutes.
- Chop the romaine hearts into bite-size pieces and add to a serving bowl. Chop the grilled onions and green beans into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with the romaine lettuce.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the salad and toss to combine.
- After the pork rests, chop into bite-size pieces or cut into thin slices. Toss with the salad ingredients or serve alongside.
- Add feta or blue cheese crumbles and fresh basil to the salad. Give a light toss. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: sent to me by an awesome reader, Kristen R. (I owe you big time, my friend) – looks like it was originally from a Better, Homes and Garden magazine from October 2015 (I adapted it quite a bit: marinating the pork, changing the dressing)
This was my first time making this tonight and I had some sirloin steaks in the freezer so I used those instead of the pork chops, but with the same marinade and it was really delicious. I also didn’t have a grill basket or cast iron pan so I made a high sided “pan” from foil which worked just fine for the green beans. It does take longer doing that but it works in a pinch!
Just in case anyone is looking to make this without grilling: I roasted onions, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes in the oven at 425 for 18 mins and put boneless pork chops in the air fryer at 400 for five minutes each side. It was delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing this amazing salad!!! I was looking for your infamous pork marinade and this recipe came up. Wowee was this the BEST Sunday Summer Supper. We went the Feta route and it was a perfect combination with everything. I made your Aunt Marilyn’s Parkerhouse Rolls as you suggested, they were just as you described INCREDIBLE!!
Can I leave six stars!? This was so delightful. I’ve been struggling to find food that stays down because I’m pregnant and this passed all the deliciousness boxes, not too overwhelming smell, and amazing crunch!
Trust Mel when she says try the grilled onion. It made the dish! And I’m going to be making that dressing to have in my fridge on a regular. I added some lemon pepper and Italian seasoning to it and could have drank it.
This is going on my regular rotation all summer long.
We’ve loved these pork chops for a long time (they’re my 4 yr old’s favorite food) so I figured it was time to try this salad, too. I added some grilled sweet potato with the onion and green beans and it was delightful!
Love the addition of sweet potato!
SHOCKED AT HOW GOOD THIS WAS! do not let its humble appearance and ingredients deter you! Mel, thank you!!! We had it twice in row. Day 1: chicken, green beans, onions, on spinach. TeamFeta. Day 2: pork, asparagus, onions, on spinach. Team chèvre. Both FANTASTIC. more healthy, inclusive recipes like this, please! I feel like minus the dairy, and so many different diets could accommodate this meal. So grateful. So happy. Thank you!
We just ate this last night!! I’m so glad you loved it, Rania! Thanks for letting me know!
This is a phenomenal meal!! The grilled pork chops have been one of our favorite recipes for the last couple of years. So simple to make, but flavorful and moist chops every time. I was excited to find this new meal based around our beloved chops. The grilled green bean and red onion salad is also simple too make and assemble but results in the midst impressive, pretty, and delicious meal. My husband said it was fine dining at home!
Thanks for the review, Emy! So happy this was a hit with you and your husband.
This was excellent! Will make again. I thought the dressing needed something, it’s a little sharp but I’m not sure what Still delish!
Thanks, Lisa!
I love your salad’s Mel, really, but this one was just ok. I used pork tenderloin and I liked the salad but it’s not nearly as good as most of your other ones.
That’s ok, Sandy – sorry you didn’t love this one.
I was wondering about grilling pork & veges about an hour in advance of serving. Do u think it will still be really good?
Probably! I think the ingredients are really good at room temperature (don’t need to be overly warm in my opinion).
Loved this! Used a pork loin as it was less expensive this week and it turned out delicious! The salad is amazing (went the feta route).
Thanks for letting me know!
Made this last night, even the picky four-year-old ate it! Husband is still talking about it. Absolutely delicious. Another winner!
Yaaaaay!
Mel, you are a genius! I just bought a grill and this is the first thing I made. Big heat with the entire family.
Congratulations on your new grill!!
Forgot to add that the grilled onions and beans are my new favorite side! So good!
This salad is SO delish!! My favorite salad of the summer for sure! And thanks for continuing the “What’s for dinner at Mel’s” on insta. I love the ideas!
Thanks, Kristi!
Hi Mel!
So excited to make this tonight! I was just reviewing and realized I don’t have a grill basket or a pan that would work…do you think it would taste as good to put green beans in foil?
Yes, I would definitely try that!
Update: I chickened out on the foil method and decided it was worth the trip
For a $10 grill basket from Lowe’s. I’m glad I did, Everything was DELICIOUS, a hit with everyone! Thanks Mel!
Yay, Pam! Thanks for the update!
I cannot believe how delicious this meal was. My husband has been raving about it all night and even my picky 7 year old enjoyed it. (Veggie hating baby isn’t on board but she is basically on an all blueberry and mandarin orange diet) We made it exactly as written. We used thick cut boneless pork chops, really good quality bleu cheese and we bought disposable grill pans for the veggies. The marinade lived up to Mel’s promises, I haven’t enjoyed pork chops this much in a long time. Thanks for another new favorite for the permanent rotation, Mel!
So, so, so happy to hear this! And mostly, just so glad that you loved it as much as I did!
My husband and I had this for dinner last night and it was spectacular! Grilled onions for life. I’ll be making this all summer.
I wholeheartedly agree: grilled onions FOR LIFE.
I made this tonight for dinner. It was delish! I followed all the instructions (basil, blue cheese etc). The pork was very flavorful and the salad was unique and refreshing. I loved it and will definitely be making it again very soon!
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know, Michelle!
We just had this for dinner….. and can I just say, I am in love!! This was so delicious. So many good flavors going on at once! I could eat this every week. The grilled vegetables were amazing, and the basil and blue cheese put it over the top. The pork was super tender and flavorful, and pork is not always my favorite. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you so much, Shanna!
We made the pork loin chops tonight for dinner. A dress rehearsal for Sunday. I cooked them in a scanpan grill pan after 3 hours of marinading them. I sliced them and put on a bed of micro-greens, butterhead lettuce , feta cheese, etc. just what we had. It was fantastic! Did not need dressing even. So when it is grilled on Sunday with the salad and dressing it will be fabulous!!!
Thanks for the review, Annette – glad you loved the pork chops!
Thank you Mel! We made this last night and it was so good. My husband Mario says to tell you that it’s out of this world.
We used pork steaks and chipotle gouda for him. I had gorgonzola cheese on mine, yum. I love that you use olive oil and salt and pepper and just let the grill being out the wonderful flavor of the veggies. I admit I never thought of grilling onions for a salad.
Loudly applauding BOTH of your cheese choices over here. YUM!
SO. Dang. Good! My husband was apprehensive at first. He made the marinade and subbed blackened seasoning for one of the spice seasoning for the homemade steak seasoning. It turned out great and my husband ate it up and dibbed the leftovers door lunch! Haha
I also love the green bean soup in this. I always like a crunch in my salad and this gives the perfect, subtle, healthy crunch!
So happy you guys loved this one – thanks, Whitney!
Mel,
We had this tonight. I used center cut bone in pork chops. The marinade with the pork was delicious. We have used it with beef many times, but not pork. I used feta on the salad but snuck in some blue cheese crumbles on mine. Had it with jasmine rice. It was delicious! I love green beans in a salad, who knew?
So happy you loved this one, Ann! Thanks for letting me know. I’m with you – I had no idea green beans in a salad could make me so happy. 🙂
This looks amazing! I’ll have to try it out when I have some fresh beans in my garden in a few weeks! I’m completely in the feta cheese camp. I’ve tried to like blue cheese, but I just can’t do it!
That’s ok! I think it’s kind of like cilantro – our taste buds are either attuned to loving it or hating it immediately.
I made this last night and it was just as you said- amazing ! I used pork tenderloin and cut it into 1 to 1 1/2 inch medallions and was careful to watch the temp when I grilled. I grilled some zucchini and yellow squash along with the red onions and green beans and can highly recommend that as addition/substitution. I didn’t have blue or feta cheese (sadly, I love blue too and could just imagine how good that would have tasted!) but I subbed goat cheese. I left all ingredients separate to let my picky 20 year olds put together as they desired. Everyone loved how tender and tasty the pork was, which is great to be able to achieve from such a simple ingredient list. You rock, Mel! 🙂
Thanks so much for the review, Becky! Glad to know pork tenderloin worked so well as others have asked about that below in the comment thread. And I can’t wait to try it with grilled zucchini and squash. YUM!
This is a superb Mel… i really loved your recipe and i will trying to make it with my hubby…at weekend…thanks for sharing……!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi Mel. I have had a Traeger Grill for several years now, and I am finally getting brave enough to use it. I have several of your grilled recipes ( sesame grilled chicken, grilled pork chops…) on my monthly dinner menu for June, but I am confused about how to adapt the directions for a pellet grill. Is the time the same no matter what kind of grill I use? This is the first recipe I have noticed specific directions for the traeger- so I am excited about that. I will be trying it soon.
Hey Christina – great question. I use my Traeger for all grilling (I don’t own a propane grill anymore) and for almost every grilling recipe (pork/steak/chicken/hamburgers), I set it to 375 degrees, let it preheat fully, and grill that way (with the lid closed, flipping halfway). I’d say the cooking times are about the same as “normal” grilling. I don’t do much adapting for a pellet grill other than setting to a specific temperature (i.e. 375 degrees) vs adjusting the flame on a propane grill.
Thank you so much! If you don’t mind me asking one more question. Does it matter very much what type of pellets you use? This has been another point of confusion for me.
The type of pellets depends on how much smoke flavor you want – hickory is a classic bbq flavor & smoke flavor, cherry is on the stronger side – while apple & maple are lighter & more mild. Several others options to choose, plus many blends – Plenty of great tips online – be sure to use 100% wood pellets without fillers!
Thank you!
Hi Christina – I usually pick up the pellet blend from Costco because I like the general flavor without one prominent note (like hickory, etc).
We had this tonight. It was delicious!! I had blue cheese and my husband had feta, and we both enjoyed this delicious summer salad. Our picky kids had the pork without the salad and loved it as well. My husband and I always go first to your website to look for dinner ideas. He looked this morning and saw this and decided to make it. I have to tell you we love your recipes and refer to you as “our friend Mel” when we serve them to friends and family. Thanks for another great one!
Stephanie – what a sweet comment! Thank you so much! I am thrilled your husband has an eye for good recipes (haha) and that you guys made this so fast! And mostly, that you liked it. Thanks for letting me know!
I’m so glad you tried it! It seriously is so good. I couldn’t stop thinking about how good it tasted while i was eating it! And I’m glad you loved it.
It is such a phenomenal recipe, Kristen – thanks for sharing it with me! We had unexpected company show up at our door about 10 minutes before eating dinner and we invited them to eat with us, and they loved it, too!
Looks delicious. Any pointers for using pork tenderloin instead? Wondering if I should cut them into 2 inch thick medallions?
Yeah, if you have pork tenderloin, I’d cut it into 1- to 2-inch slices and marinate that way!
Oh yum! And blue cheese… yes please!♥️
YES!
My husband is going to LOVE this! Thanks for sharing. What a perfect summertime meal. I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Shantal – it really is the perfect summer meal! My husband, and all my rational-minded children, ahem – loved this.
Looks delicious!! Do you think a sliced pork tenderloin would work? I have one in my fridge & would love to make this recipe soon!
Yes! Totally worth using and making work.
The tenderloin worked great! The whole family enjoyed it & kids even ate the onions. Used Feta, but forgot the basil 🙁 & I love basil!! Thanks for another great recipe!! I don’t comment often, but you have been my go to site for years. Love that your recipes are simple with no processed ingredients.
Thank you so much, Tami!
Loved this recipe! Used a toothpick in the side of the onion slices to keep together while grilling, worked great!
GREAT tip on the toothpicks, Rebekah. Thank you!
Can’t get to the store fast enough! Thanks a million for another amazing recipe…I already know it will be the best!!! Mmmmmmmm
I so hope you love it, Jennifer!
Yes! We’ve been making our pork chops that way for years thanks to you! We call your tender grilled pork chop recipe “steakhouse pork chops” at our house. That’s what they taste like to us. You’re awesome, can’t wait to try the salad with the grilled veggies. Looks like a perfect summer dinner!
Thanks, Kim! It makes me happy you are already a fan of those pork chops (it’s the only way to make pork chops in my opinion!)