Roasted Pumpkin Salad with feta and almonds
Sweet roasted pumpkin, salty crumbled feta cheese and crisp dry roasted almonds on spicy arugula with an orange vinaigrette. A perfect fall salad any time and for Thanksgiving.
Servings 4
Calories 430kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh pumpkin cubed
- 6 cups arugula or a half-and-half mix of baby spinach and arugula
- ½ cup almonds
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Orange vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Place the pumpkin cubes on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, lightly salt and pepper. Toss to coat.Bake pumpkin for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- While the pumpkin roasts, add the almonds to a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until they are golden brown and fragrant (just a few mintues). Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- To make the dressing combine the orange juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. This can be done in a bowl and whisked together or in a jar, seal and shake to combine.
- Divide the arugula between four plates. Distribute the pumpkin, almonds and feta cheese evenly between the plates. Divide baked squash, roasted almonds, and arugula leaves into two bowls. Drizzle with the orange vinaigrette.
Notes
Dressing yield: the dressing ingredients makes 3/4 cup of dressing. Use extra dressing on other salads.
To double or triple the salad: double the salad ingredients (or triple). The dressing will not need to be fully doubled. Consider making a 1 1/2 batch.
How to store
Store undressed salad for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Variations
Use other greens. Other options are mixing arugula with baby spinach, or only use baby spinach or mixed baby greens.
Goat cheese swap. Feta has a wonderful salty flavor that's perfect for this salad but tangy goat cheese is delicious too.
Pomegranate seeds. Adding some pomegranate arils (seeds) on top adds beautiful color and some additional crunch.
Swap the nuts. Try swapping the almonds for pecans or walnuts. Dry roast in the same way. Chop or leave whole.
Use butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Butternut squash is easier to find any time of year and is a delicious swap in for the pumpkin. Roast in the same way as pumpkin. Sweet potatoes would be a great substitute too. Kabocha squash is another option.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 685mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 10733IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 263mg | Iron: 2mg