Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
4 - 5 people
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Calories
264 kcal
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Cuisine
American, Vegetarian, gluten-free
Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad
Description
The recipe begins by roasting peeled pumpkin cubes in olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden and firm but tender, taking care to avoid mushiness by monitoring bake time and flipping the pieces. The dressing is a sharp, slightly sweet mixture of balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper, shaken to emulsify and balance the flavors across the salad.
Toasted pine nuts are quickly browned in a dry pan until fragrant and golden, adding a crunchy contrast to the soft pumpkin and fresh spinach leaves. The spinach is lightly dressed and tossed before being combined with the cooled pumpkin, crumbled feta, and pine nuts, taking care not to break up the feta too much. The salad is finished with an additional drizzle of dressing just before serving.
This salad is suitable as a side dish or light main, pairing well with meals that benefit from a balance of sweet, savory, and fresh notes. Variations allow swapping nuts or pumpkin types according to availability and preference.
Ingredients
Pumpkin:
- 600 g / 1.2 lb pumpkin (after peeling), cut into 3cm / 1.25" cubes (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Dressing:
- 2.5 tbsp / 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- salt
- black pepper
Salad:
- 1/4 cup / 35g pine nuts (Note 2)
- 150 g / 5 oz baby spinach leaves 4 handfuls
- 60 g / 2 oz feta cheese crumbled (or more!!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan/convection).
- Toss pumpkin with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on baking tray, bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip, then bake for a further 7 - 10 minutes until golden but not mushy. (Note 3) Loosen pumpkin with egg flip (it can adhere as it cools), then if serving salad at room temperature, leave to cool.
- Shake Dressing in a jar. Taste and adjust to taste. I like it a bit sharp because it balances out the flavours in this salad.
- Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until light golden and it smells nutty. Remove pine nuts from skillet as soon as it's ready.
- Place Spinach in a bowl. Drizzle with a bit of dressing then toss.
- Add pumpkin, just a bit of feta and pine nuts, then GENTLY BRIEFLY toss just to disperse the feta. (If you toss vigorously, the feta can make it look messy).
- Transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle over remaining feta and pine nuts. Just before serving, drizzle with remaining dressing (dressing doesn't stay on baby spinach well, so worth drizzling at end). Serve!
Notes
- Any type of pumpkin or squash can be used; peel and cube before roasting.
- Use pine nuts if possible for their flavor and texture, though chopped almonds or macadamias are reasonable substitutes.
- To prevent the pumpkin from sticking and becoming mushy, flip and loosen the cubes with a spatula while still warm.
- Note that not all dressing will cling to the spinach, so the actual calories consumed may be less than estimated if some dressing remains at the bowl's bottom.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 5 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 264 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 226g | |
| Calories | 264cal | 13% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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