Roast Pumpkin Salad - This pumpkin, feta and spinach salad is everything you look for in an easy, throw together salad. Light, and fresh, easily transportable for backyard gatherings and picnics and guaranteed to be your friends and a family favourite!
We are well into 2020 and I don't know about you, but I think I'm still recovering from my Christmas and New Year food coma! Anyone else? I am totally loving summer salads right now, and my roast pumpkin salad is an absolute crowd pleaser!
This roast pumpkin salad, has been a family favourite for a few years now, and never fails! It is so simple, and oh so delicious made even better with the honey mustard dressing.
How to Make Roast Pumpkin Salad
How to Roast Pumpkin
The pumpkin needs to be diced and dosed in olive oil, before roasting in the oven at 200C until it's golden and crispy.
I use Kent or Jap pumpkin, you can also use butternut pumpkin (aka butternut squash if you're American!). Alongside the pumpkin I throw in wedges of red onion.
How to Blanch Green Beans
I love crispy, bright green beans so I blanch my green beans in boiling water. Blanching is a cooking method whereby you dunk vegetables in boiling hot water, before immersing them in cold water.
To blanch the beans, lace the beans in a heatproof bowl, then cover with boiling water from the kettle. Leave for 3-5 minutes until they're crunchy, then remove water and run them under cold water until they are cold.
Honey Mustard Dressing
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar and shake well. You'll need;
- Good quality olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Honey
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Adjust the dressing according to your tastes. If it's too tart, add a little more honey, too sweet and adjust the vinegar.
What is in the rest of the salad?
Aside from the pumpkin, red onion, green beans and honey mustard dressing, you'll need;
- Washed spinach
- Feta - I use dutch feta because I love its creamy texture
That's it! Just 5 simple ingredients and a kick ass dressing!
How to Make Roast Pumpkin Salad Ahead
The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time. To do this;
- Roast the pumpkin and red onion in the morning
- Blanch the green beans
- Wash the spinach
- Make the honey mustard dressing
- Cut the feta
Keep all the ingredients in seperate containers, then when it comes time to eat it, place all the ingredients in a salad bowl and add the honey mustard dressing. Toss before serving
How to Store Roast Pumpkin Salad
One main thing to note - don't store this salad with the honey mustard dressing otherwise it goes super soggy.
If you want to store it for the next day, leave the dressing out of the salad and keep the salad in an airtight container. When it comes to serving the salad, drizzle a little bit of the salad on your serving plate!
So, so, so simple and so delicious! This salad will feed between 4-6 people depending on how hungry they are!
We usually pair it with a salmon fillet or steak if we are having a BBQ, but it can possibly go with anything!
So happy cooking friends and remember, if you make a recipe I'd love for you to leave a star rating and comment
Georgie x
Want more pumpkin recipes?
- Maple Feta Roast Pumpkin
- Wholesome and Healthy Grain Salad
- Prosciutto and Butternut Squash Pizza
📖 Recipe
Roast Pumpkin Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g pumpkin 1 lbs, around half a butternut squash or a ¼ of a whole kent pumpkin
- 1 red onion cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 250 g green beans top and tailed, around ½ lbs or a good handful
- 100 g feta cheese 3.5 oz, or a regular store bought block
- 2 cups spinach packed, washed spinach
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoon good quality olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F
- Toss the pumpkin and red onion in the olive oil and salt and pepper
- Lay pumpkin and onion out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until crispy and starting to caramelise.
- Meanwhile place the green beans in a bowl, and pour boiling water over them unitl they're covered. Sit the beans for 3-5 minutes until they're crunchy. Strain, then immediately rinse in cold water until they're cold to stop the cooking process.
Honey Mustard Dressing
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a jar, and shake until well combined.
- Assemble the salad. Place spinach in bowl, followed by pumpkin and onion, green beans then feta. Pour over the honey mustard dressing and toss until well combined.
Video
Nutrition
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Donna says
I made this recipe exactly and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Georgie says
thanks Donna!
Adelaide says
Hi,
Looking to make this for a side dish during a week-long river trip. Can I prepare the onion, pumpkin, and green beans ahead of the trip and freeze/refrigerate it? Will it keep well enough?
Thanks! Great recipes!
Georgie says
Hi Adelaide! I wouldn't suggest freezing the vegetables, and max I'd say two days in the fridge. The green beans will keep better, but the pumpkin and red onion have a tendency to go a little soggy after a while. The salad is really meant to be eaten on the day you make it! I hope that helps!
Meme from Living Well Kitchen says
Oooooh, this recipe is right up my alley!! I giggled at the pumpkin vs. squash comment. Gotta love how different countries use different terms 😉
But I want to make this year round with pumpkin and any squash I can find!!
Georgie says
ha ha it was SO confusing when I first got to the states! i still maintain it's pumpkin not squash but I'm bias! thanks meme 🙂
Annemarie says
This looks amazing! I wouldn't have thought to put pumpkin in a salad, but now I have to try it!
Georgie says
pumpkin/squash in salad is so so good! you must try it!
Ellen says
That is one great looking salad. Love the feta in it.
Georgie says
the feta is SO yum! adds a real tang to the salad!
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
Sounds yummy and a lot better than my every day salad!
Georgie says
I'm sure your everyday salads aren't that bad! i do love this one for lunches though when I'm feeling a little fancy!
Jessica Formicola says
This salad has so many wonderful ingredients! So light and fresh!
Georgie says
thanks jessica! it's perfect for summer or all year round!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
I had no idea butternut is pumpkin in Australia! But I guess I wouldn't have a reason to know that, haha :). This salad sounds delicious. I'll eat feta pretty much any way I can get it! Have a great rest of your week, Georgie!
Georgie says
ha ha so many people get confused! and it confused me so much when I first moved here! thanks Kelsey, enjoy your weekend too!
Lindsay | With Salt and Pepper says
I'm loving all of the textures and flavors you have going on here! Sounds and looks so delicious!
Georgie says
thanks Lindsey! it's one of my favourite salads to make, so easy!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
You have cleared something very confusing up for me!!! My in-laws from South African always call butternut squash "pumpkin"...so they must be similar to Australia in that sense. I was always so confused. Hahah anyway this "pumpkin" salad looks fab for summer!!
Georgie says
ha ha ha glad I could help! I get a lot of weird looks and confusion over some of the things I say! my bestie over in America refuses to let me say pumpkin! althought she is moving to New Zealand and will have to adapt! thanks Katherine 🙂
Milena | Craft Beering says
I am all for feta and thought that I've had it each and every way possible, but this combination of pumpkin and feta is impressive. Have to try it for sure. And the honey mustard dressing sounds just right!
Georgie says
Thanks Milena! the honey mustard dressing is what pulls this salad all together, it's SO good! thanks for stopping by 🙂