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A delicious, comforting whole meal of kale, roasted sweet potatoes, pomegranate, and warm pork tenderloin, this bowl is sure to become a favorite. Paleo, Whole30, and AIP
Bowls like this make such great options to eat because they have a little bit of everything. Plus they are full meals, so it makes that whole meal planning thing a lot easier on your brain. Who couldn't use that these days?
This Winter Bowl is quite simple to make but features items that are usually readily available in the winter, lending to a comforting, warm dish of roasted veggies, kale, and juicy pork.
It takes less than 45 minutes to make from start to finish, including prepping the veggies, plus can be saved for later in the week, making is ideal for meal prep. I hope you enjoy this bowl soon!
Table of contents
What's in this Winter Bowl?
Lots of comforting yet nutritious things in this bowl:
• Sweet Potatoes -Roasted with some fennel to make it have a bit of a crunch and a licorice-like flavor
• Pork Tenderloin – Seared to get a great crust and then finished in the oven for a juicy, flavor-packed protein
• Kale – What's a winter meal without this nutrient-packed green?
• Pomegranate arils – also called pomegranate seeds, these juicy bits provide a pop of color and flavor
• A sauce/dressing – made of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, and sea salt to tie the whole dish together
Find the complete recipe with measurements and instructions on how to best cook each for the maximum time efficiency see below.
How to Make this Winter Bowl:
While the list of instructions may seem long, it's really quite simple. Everything is placed in an order of operation to make the best use of time – chopping the kale while waiting for the sweet potatoes and pork to roast for example.
If you want the full, detailed instructions, see the recipe below. However, here's a summary:
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Dice the fennel. Toss with oil and salt and roast in the oven.
Sear the pork and then place it in the oven.
Chop the kale, de-seed the pomegranate (unless you just bought pomegranate seeds/arils), and whisk up the dressing.
Slice the pork and assemble the bowls!
Voila, delicious meal at your fingertips.
Meal Prep and Storing This Bowl:
If you want to make this bowl ahead of time, great! Here are some things to note:
• Save the dressing/sauce on the side until time of serving so the kale doesn't get soggy
• When reheating the pork, do so gently because it can quickly go from “just right” to overdone in a matter of seconds in the microwave. I recommend if possible to reheat in a pan on the stove.
• Store the entire meal in the fridge up to 5 days
Diets This Bowl Is Suitable For:
Because it doesn't have any grains, nightshades, seeds, nuts, etc, it's fully Autoimmune Paleo (AIP diet) friendly and Paleo.
It also doesn't have any sort of sugars, natural or not, making it also Whole30 friendly.
And of course it's gluten-free (all my stuff is on account of my Celiac disease).
More Bowls You Might Also Like:
Green Goddess Bowl (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Harvest Bowl (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Steak Bowl (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Nourishing Breakfast Bowl (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
More Helpful AIP & Paleo Resources in the Freebie Library
If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.
Winter Bowl Recipe
If you make this bowl, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
Winter Bowl (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Ingredients
For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fennel:
- 3 Medium/Large Sweet Potatoes
- 1 bulb Fennel
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil (or melted Lard)
For the pork tenderloins:
- 2 12 oz Pork Tenderloins
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp dried Thyme
- 1 tsp dried Sage
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil (divided)
For the Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
To complete the bowl:
- 4 cups Kale (approx 2 bunches)
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Arils
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure there are 2 racks in the oven – one for the sweet potatoes and one for the pork.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Then dice the bulb of fennel (not the leafy fronds). Toss the sweet potatoes and fennel together with the sea salt and oil, then spread out on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven on the bottom of the 2 racks for 30-35 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, pat the tenderloins dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, thyme, sage, and 2 tbsp olive oil into a paste. Rub the paste over the tenderloins.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown the tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the upper rack in the oven and roast for 10 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 145 F. (Sometimes bigger tenderloins will take longer)
- While the pork is in the oven, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- Remove the tough stems from the kale and then chop into small pieces. Remove the pomegranate arils from the pomegranates if you purchased a pomegranate and not just the seeds.
- Once you've removed the pork from the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice it into 1/2-inch slices.
- Divide the kale and sweet potatoes between the plates. Then add several slices of pork to each plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils over the kale and then drizzle with the sauce. Enjoy!
