Healthy Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Nov 13, 2018 (Last updated Sep 12, 2021) by Hannah Sunderani
Healthy Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Hey guys! I wanted to share this quick and healthy recipe for my Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Chopped Green Beans and Pomegranate. This is a great healthy fall recipe that you can throw together to use up any leftover root veg like pumpkin, squash, or sweet potato.
In fact, I used some leftover pumpkin that I roasted up for my Spiced Roasted Pumpkin with Toasted Hazelnut and Hummus to top this salad. Sometimes I like to make recipes nice and gourmet, but more often it’s a simple recipe like a salad for lunch or dinner.
I think it’s a common misconception that us food bloggers eat gourmet meals all the time. But really a quick salad using leftover ingredients is my typical meal. It’s a great way to use up my leftovers, and has me feeling healthy and satiated.
A salad a day keeps the doctor away! Or at least, this is how I live my best life. I like to add a salad to my daily regiment. Especially for my lunch as they can be tossed together in minutes. For this salad recipe I’ve taken some leftover Spiced Roasted Pumpkin from my previous recipe post, and added it to a bed of salad greens with chopped green beans, pomegranate, avocado and toasted hazelnuts to sprinkle. Then drizzled with a quality balsamic dressing.
If using leftover roasted pumpkin, this salad takes about 10 minutes to toss together for a quick, easy and healthy lunch or dinner. But it also makes for a stellar side dish for dinner if you want to roast the pumpkin just for the occasion. I absolutely love how the spiced pumpkin adds depth and heartiness to the salad. Paired with crunchy green beans, creamy avocado, and a bit of pomegranate to sweeten, it’s a salad lovers dream.
Plus, if you’ve got Thanksgiving coming up you could make my Spiced Roasted Pumpkin with Toasted Hazelnut and Hummus AND this healthy pumpkin salad for the occasion. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Actually, let’s not kill any birds this Thanksgiving. hehe.
For the greens, I’ve used mache salad greens because they’re my absolute favourite! If you haven’t tried them before they’re sort of like a sweet spinach. I’m totally obsessed!! If you can’t find mache greens (I think it might only be a European thing), greens like spinach, arugula or kale would be just as good. The pumpkin can also be replaced for squash or sweet potato. I’ve had it all the ways and it’s always tasty.
So there you have it, a Healthy Roasted Pumpkin Salad that you can indulge in for lunch or dinner. A simple recipe calls for a simple description so I will leave it at that. I do hope you enjoy this tasty salad as much as I do. And that it inspires you to get in your five-a-day (five fruits and vegetables).
I also hope it sheds light on the fact that even us food bloggers opt-in for simple and lazy meals more often than not! Next time you see a recipe for roasted pumpkin with toasted hazelnuts and hummus, rest assured that I ate the leftover pumpkin in this easy salad for days after. And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
Lots of love,
Hannah
Healthy Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small cooking pumpkin (550g) or red kuri squash, kabocha squash, or butternut squash
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or quatre épices)
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- pinch sea salt
- 5 oz baby greens (140 g) i.e. baby spinach, kale or lambs lettuce
- 1/2 cup green beans chopped
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 avocado cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Chop cooking pumpkin into bite sized pieces. (If using butternut squash, peel skin). In a small bowl add neutral oil, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, garlic and sea salt. Whisk to combine. Drizzle mixture over pumpkin in a large mixing bowl, and toss to combine.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer pumpkin to tray. Spread pumpkin out so its not crowded (you might need two trays for this). Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. (Flip pumpkin pieces with spatula halfway through to ensure all sides are evenly roasted).
- While you're waiting for the pumpkin to cook finely chop parsley and place to the side. Toast hazelnuts by chopping and adding to a skillet, bring to medium-high heat and toast, stirring often, until browned and aromatic.
- In a large mixing bowl add roasted pumpkin, salad greens, chopped green beans, pomegranate seeds, and avocado. Drizzle with quality balsamic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle salad with toasted hazelnuts and serve.
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