Colourful, fresh and hearty enough to enjoy as a meal, this Pumpkin Salad Recipe is simple yet special.
Pumpkin Salad is a celebration of autumn. This recipe combines sweet roasted pumpkin with peppery rocket, creamy fetta, juicy bursts of pomegranate and crunchy seeds — and brings it all together with a tasty homemade dressing.
Yep, there are a million pumpkin salad recipes out there. I've tried many and have picked and chosen my favourite bits from here and there to create the ULTIMATE pumpkin salad.
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Ingredient notes
The best pumpkin varieties to use in this salad are Qld Blue, Kent or Butternut. These are dense, low-moisture and naturally sweet. The other ingredients you'll need are:
- baby rocket leaves (or substitute baby spinach leaves)
- pomegranate arils (or substitute dried cranberries)
- sunflower and pumpkin seeds (or substitute pine nuts, walnuts or pecans)
- fetta (or substitutue goats cheese or haloumi)
- for the dressing – olive oil, orange juice (fresh is best), honey (or substitute maple syrup), balsamic vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar) and Dijon mustard.
The ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Roasted Pumpkin Salad
It's all straightforward and set out in the recipe card below. Just keep these tips in mind:
- Think about whether you want to enjoy this salad with warm pumpkin or with the pumpkin at room temperature or cold, and adjust the timing to suit.
- The pumpkin should be cooked through and tender but not mushy. Make sure you follow the directions about the size of the pumpkin pieces and the temperature and time of cooking.
- Read my guide on cutting pomegranates first if you're unsure.
- You layer this salad rather than tossing – use a large platter and follow the layering instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Serving and storage
Add the dressing to the salad just before serving. As already mentioned, use a large platter to serve and follow the layering instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This salad pumpkin is best served immediately, and I prefer it to be served while the pumpkin is still a bit warm. However, the salad should last for 2-3 days, covered, in the fridge.
More sensational salad recipes
Salads don't have to be boring! Check out these:
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Pumpkin Salad Recipe
Equipment
- large serving platter
Ingredients
- 3 cups pumpkin (chopped into roughly 2-3cm x 2-3cm pieces) (about 650 gram slice of pumpkin)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 60 grams baby rocket leaves (aragula)
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils (about ¼ pomegranate)
- 100 grams fetta, crumbled
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius/390 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced).
- Place pumpkin pieces in a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Toss pieces to coat in oil and then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove pumpkin from oven and add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Use a spatula to toss the pumpkin and seeds and then place in oven to cook again for 10 minutes.
- Wash and dry baby rocket. Place on the serving tray.
- Add the next layer on top of the rocket - half of the pomegranate and half of the fetta.
- Place all of the roasted pumpkin pieces and seeds on top as the next layer of the salad. The pumpkin can be added while still warm or at room temperature.
- Add the remaining pomegranate and fetta as the final layer of the salad.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad just before serving.
- Serve the salad while the pumpkin is still warm, or you can let it reach room temperature or even place it in the fridge (I'm not a fan of cold pumpkin, but you do you!)
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