Roast Pork Loin with Apples and Parsnip Puree
This roast pork loin is the most delicious Sunday dinner. The caramelized apples, parsnip potatoes and juicy pork loin make the perfect winter meal for your family.
A Note From Teri on Roast Pork Loin
I was first inspired to make this dish when I read Hugh Acheson’s cookbook, The Broad Fork, and made his pork tenderloin with roasted apples and parsnip puree. I absolutely loved the recipe, and we’ve now made a nocrumbsleft version inspired by his.
What I love about this recipe is that it is perfect for a special occasion, and while it requires a little fuss, you aren’t in the kitchen all day to make it happen. You’ll sear the pork loin, and while that finishes in the oven, you can finish the other parts of the meal, like this incredible parsnip potato puree. It’s such a fun twist to mix it up, and it pairs perfectly with the pork.
One of my favorite parts is this incredible apple cider au jus that you make with the leftover fat, broth, and vegetables. The bit of apple cider vinegar creates an amazing flavor that takes the pork to a whole new level. Then you serve it with these amazing caramelized apples, and it is truly divine.
This roast pork loin is such a celebration of flavors. I love serving it on a big platter with a simple arugula salad. It has everything you want in a family meal. It makes everyone at the table feel loved, and it tastes like it took all day, even though it comes together in less than two hours. What could be better?
Why Use Celtic Sea Salt?
The Celtic Sea Salt is in many ways the star of the show. It flavors the recipe every step of the way, and using a high quality salt like this one truly makes such a difference in your final dish. The Celtic Sea Salt has a unique makeup with over 70+ trace minerals and elements and no additives, and it’s never bleached. This means you are getting better flavor and you don’t need to use as much salt to get that amazing taste. Once you try it, you won’t want to use any other salt!
Ingredients and Variations
- Yukon gold potatoes – I find yukon gold makes the absolute best mashed potatoes
- Parsnip
- Chicken stock
- Kosher salt – we used Celtic Sea Salt but you can also use kosher salt
- Butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pork tenderloins
- Marjoram – we opted for marjoram over oregano because it’s a bit sweeter and milder, but you can use oregano in a pinch
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Carrot
- Celery
- Shallot
- Bay leaf
- Apple cider vinegar
- Small apples – we used pink lady but you can use fuji
- Sugar
- Arugula
- Lemon wedges
You can always opt for regular mashed potatoes as well. This roast pork loin would go great with any of your favorite winter side dishes.
How to Make Roast Pork Loin
Step One: Prep Your Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350F. Peel and quarter the potatoes, and peel and cut the parsnip into pieces about the size of the potatoes. Place vegetables in a bowl, cover with cold water, and set aside.
Pat the pork tenderloins dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine salt, marjoram, and black pepper. Rub a thin layer of olive oil all over the tenderloins and sprinkle evenly over the tenderloins. Set aside.
Holding the apple on its side, slice the apples through into rounds about ¼- inch thick and carefully poke out the seeds. Use a toothpick on the stubborn ones.
Step Two: Make Apples and Parsnip Potatoes
Heat butter and olive oil in a large, oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Layer half the apple rings in a single layer and sprinkle sugar evenly over them. Cook for 7 minutes, flipping often, until golden brown, tender, and caramelized, lowering the heat if the sugar browns too quickly. Remove apples from the pan and repeat with the remaining apple slices, adding another tablespoon of butter and olive oil, and sprinkling with remaining sugar. Set the apple rings aside. Rinse the pan.
Drain the potatoes and parsnip, put them in a pot, and cover with chicken stock and water, if needed, to cover. Add salt (unless your chicken stock is salty) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring the heat down to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes and parsnip are fork- tender.
Drain the potatoes and parsnip over a bowl to reserve the cooking liquid. Add the vegetables back into the pot and give them a quick mash with a potato masher. Add butter and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth and continue mashing the vegetables, adding a little more broth as needed until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot and keep on the back of the stove to keep warm. (See the recipe card below for instructions on mashing with a hand mixer instead.)
Step Three: Cook Pork Loin and Vegetables
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the pork and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes total.
Place the skillet in the oven and roast the pork for about 12-14 minutes, depending on size, until it reaches an internal temperature of around 137-140F. Remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts. Place the loins on a cutting board, loosely cover with aluminum foil and let rest. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the drippings and if there’s less than that or none, that’s okay.
Keep the same pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil, use more or less depending how much of the drippings are in the pan. Add celery, carrots, and shallots, and saute for 2 minutes until they start to brown slightly. Add the bay leaf and vinegar. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a bubble, and cook to reduce by half, about 7-9 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the butter. Set the sauce aside.

Step Four: Serve and Enjoy
To serve, slice the pork. Place a handful of arugula on one side of a large serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and squeeze ½ lemon over the top. Arrange the apple slices on the other side of the platter. Spoon the mashed parsnip-potatoes in the middle and arrange the sliced pork on top. Pour the juices from the cutting board over the pork and a few spoonfuls of the sauce over the loin slices and mashed parsnip-potatoes. Serve with remaining sauce on the side at the table and additional lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days. I love enjoying the leftover pork cold in a salad or sandwich, but you could also gently reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Try These Other Roasted Dinner Recipes
- Sesame Marinated Roast Chicken
- The Perfect Holiday Pot Roast (Gluten Free)
- Winter Pork Roast with Apple Cider Gravy
- Hot Clementine Sumac Roast Chicken
If you make this Roast Pork Loin recipe, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!
Print
Roast Pork Loin and Apples
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Make this roast pork loin recipe for the perfect Sunday dinner!
Ingredients
For the mashed parsnip-potatoes:
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 6)
- 1 parsnip
- 2 cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt, we used Celtic Sea Salt
- 3-4 tablespoons butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the pork tenderloins and sauce:
- 2 trimmed pork tenderloins, about 1 to 1 ¼ pounds each
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 2 teaspoons marjoram
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the apples:
- 4 small apples (we used pink lady but you can use fuji)
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
For serving:
- Arugula
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Peel and quarter the potatoes, and peel and cut the parsnip into pieces about the size of the potatoes. Place vegetables in a bowl, cover with cold water, and set aside.
- Pat the pork tenderloins dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine salt, marjoram, and black pepper. Rub a thin layer of olive oil all over the tenderloins and sprinkle evenly over the tenderloins. Set aside.
- Holding the apple on its side, slice the apples through into rounds about ¼- inch thick and carefully poke out the seeds. Use a toothpick on the stubborn ones.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Layer half the apple rings in a single layer and sprinkle ½ tablespoon sugar evenly over them. Cook for 7 minutes, flipping often, until golden brown, tender, and caramelized, lowering the heat to medium if the sugar browns too quickly in the pan Remove apples from the pan and repeat with the remaining apple slices, adding another tablespoon of butter and olive oil, and sprinkling with remaining ½ tablespoon of sugar. Set the apple rings aside. Rinse the pan.
- Drain the potatoes and parsnip, put them in a pot, and cover with 2 cups chicken stock and water, if needed, to cover. Add 2 teaspoons of salt (unless your chicken stock is salty) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring the heat down to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes and parsnip are fork- tender.
- Drain the potatoes and parsnip over a bowl to reserve the cooking liquid. Add the vegetables back into the pot and give them a quick mash with a potato masher. Add butter and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth and continue mashing the vegetables, adding a little more broth as needed until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot and keep on the back of the stove to keep warm.
- I like to hand-mash but alternatively, once the potatoes and parsnip are fork-tender, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the stock and place directly in a large bowl and mash with a hand mixer. Add butter and 1/4 cup of stock, and turn the mixer on low to mash, about 15 seconds. Be careful not to overmix or you’ll get gummy mashed potatoes! Season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the pork and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes total.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast the pork for about 12-14 minutes, depending on size, until it reaches an internal temperature of around 137-140F (the temperature will rise as it rests). Remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts (the pan will be very hot!). Place the loins on a cutting board, loosely cover with aluminum foil and let rest. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the drippings and if there’s less than that or none, that’s okay.
- Keep the same pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, use more or less depending how much of the drippings are in the pan. Add celery, carrots, and shallots, and saute for 2 minutes until they start to brown slightly. Add the bay leaf and vinegar. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a bubble, and cook to reduce by half, about 7-9 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the butter. Set the sauce aside.
- To serve, slice the pork. Place a handful of arugula on one side of a large serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and squeeze ½ lemon over the top. Arrange the apple slices on the other side of the platter. Spoon the mashed parsnip-potatoes in the middle and arrange the sliced pork on top. Pour the juices from the cutting board over the pork and a few spoonfuls of the sauce over the loin slices and mashed parsnip-potatoes. Serve with remaining sauce on the side at the table and additional lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 691
- Sugar: 18.2 g
- Sodium: 921.7 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.5 g
- Protein: 40.3 g
- Cholesterol: 138.4 mg
the pork is only in the oven for 4 minutes?
5 minutes in the oven?
What a stunning and elegant autumnal dish! The combination of the savory, herb-crusted pork loin with the sweet roasted apples and earthy parsnip purée is absolute perfection. I can almost smell it through the screen.
Your instructions are wonderfully clear, especially the emphasis on resting the pork to keep it juicy. The parsnip purée tip—starting them in cold water for even cooking—is the kind of simple, professional advice that makes all the difference in the final texture.
This is exactly the kind of special-yet-approachable recipe that makes a dinner feel like an occasion. It’s going straight to my “must-make” list for my next gathering. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and flavorful creation!
This dish is absolutely stunning — not just for the flavors but for the love and intention behind every step.
I appreciate Teri’s note on the inspiration from Hugh Acheson’s cookbook, The Broad Fork, which led to this delicious roast pork loin recipe, and I’m curious about the benefits of using Celtic Sea Salt in this dish.
Roast Pork Loin with Apples and Parsnip Puree is delicious and amazing, and the recipe is very detailed.