Roast pumpkin salad tossed with fresh rocket leaves, toasted pine nuts, crunchy pumpkin seeds and creamy goat cheese, all drizzled with a savoury olive oil dressing. A beautiful combination of textures and flavours, made with only a handful of simple ingredients. Serve it up for lunch, dinner or as a side salad for BBQs and gatherings.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 6 basic ingredients are all you need.
- Quick and easy – the entire salad can be made in the time it takes to roast the pumpkin. Then, just toss together (warm or cold) and serve!
- Customisable – swap the pumpkin for sweet potato, squash or any leftover roasted vegetables. While I use rocket (arugula), you can also use spinach or your favourite leafy greens.
- Versatile – perfect for any occasion! Pumpkin salad is perfect for lunch, easy dinner or a fantastic side dish for Christmas, BBQs, gatherings or any time you are asked to “bring a salad”.
- Make ahead – it can be prepped ahead of time, making it perfect to transport or store ahead for entertaining or easy lunches. And it tastes even better the next day!
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Pumpkin – I use Kent, Butternut or Jap pumpkins for this salad. Any type of roasting pumpkin can be used. Or, swap for sweet potato or a mix of roasted vegetables like beetroot, potato and carrot if preferred.
- Rocket – Rocket (arugula) gives this beautiful salad a lovely, peppery flavour. But if you prefer something milder, you can also swap it for baby spinach, or use a mix of both.
- Goats cheese – Goats cheese gives a lovely creamy and slightly salty flavour to the salad. While you can use any type of goat cheese, I prefer to buy the marinated kind for extra flavour. That way, you can also drizzle some of the herb-infused oil over the finished salad for extra flavour. Alternatively, you can make your own, or use feta or grilled haloumi instead, if you prefer.
- Pepitas – crunchy pumpkin seeds are added to the salad for texture and flavour. You can find pepitas in most supermarkets and health food stores.
- Pine nuts – are toasted and added to the salad for texture and flavour. They give a lovely, earthy flavour and crunch to balance the salty cheese and sweet pumpkin. Or, swap them for your favourite nut of choice like walnuts or roasted hazelnuts.
Step by step instructions
**Full ingredient list and detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Roast the pumpkin;
The pumpkin needs to be diced and tossed through some olive oil and a little salt before roasting at high heat until it is golden, tender and crispy around the edges.
Step 2 – Make the salad;
While the pumpkin is roasting, toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat, stirring continually to prevent burning.
Once the pumpkin is cooked, allow it to cool on the tray before tossing the remaining salad ingredients together. This will prevent the cheese from melting and the rocket from wilting. The pumpkin can be added warm, if you are going to serve it immediately.
Expert tips
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Cut the pumpkin cubes to the same size, to ensure that the pumpkin cooks consistently.
- Use a good quality cheese for the best results. I choose a good quality marinated goat cheese, but you can also use a creamy feta or grilled halloumi.
- Add a drizzle of reserved oil from the marinated goat cheese for extra flavour and to coat the salad leaves. Or use olive oil instead.
- If making the salad ahead, make sure the pumpkin is fully cooled before tossing the ingredients together, so the rocket doesn’t wilt.
FAQs
Kent or Jap pumpkins are my go-to for roasting and salads. But butternut pumpkin/squash or any type of sweet, firm pumpkin with a hard rind will also work.
If you are not serving it immediately, store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If the oven temperature is too low, the pumpkin will sweat and become soft and soggy instead of crisp and caramelised. Set the oven temp to 240 C/464 F to draw out the moisture and make the pumpkin lovely and golden. Be careful not to overcook it, or it will become mushy and not hold its shape in the salad.
Related recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or leave a review below and let you know how you went!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for the latest recipes and news.
Roast Pumpkin Salad with Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg pumpkin Kent or Butternut, peeled and cut into small 1-2cm cubes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
- salt to taste
- 120 grams marinated goats cheese marinated in olive oil and herbs (or regular goats cheese is fine)
- 4-6 cups baby rocket leaves
- â…“ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup pepitas pumpkin seeds
To serve
- 4 tablespoons reserved oil from the marinated goats cheese or olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 240 °C/464 F.
- Cut the pumpkin into small, 1-2 cm sized cubes and toss the pumpkin pieces through the olive oil and add a little salt. Arrange the pumpkin pieces in a single layer on 1-2 baking trays.
- Roast the pumpkin in the oven until it is golden and crispy on the edges, but still holding its shape (around 15-20 minutes, depending on the size). You may need to turn the pumpkin halfway through roasting.
- Allow the pumpkin to cool on the tray while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Add the pine nuts to a dry frying pan (no oil). Using a wooden spoon, stir the nuts over medium-low heat, until the nuts have browned slightly. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- In a large salad bowl, mix the cooled pumpkin, goats cheese and rocket together until combined. Add a drizzle of reserved oil from the marinated goat cheese (or use some olive oil instead) and sprinkle the pine nuts and pepitas over the top. Serve immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator and serve cold when required.
Notes
- Pumpkin – I use Kent, Butternut or Jap pumpkin, or a mix. Any type of roasting pumpkin can be used, or swap for sweet potato or a mix of roasted vegetables like beetroot, potato and carrot if preferred.
- Rocket – Rocket (arugula) gives this beautiful salad a lovely, peppery flavour. But if you prefer something milder, you can also swap it for baby spinach, or use a mix of both.
- Goats cheese – Goats cheese gives a lovely creamy and slightly salty flavour to the salad. While you can use any type of goat cheese, I prefer the marinated kind (Meredith Dairy) for extra flavour. That way, you can also drizzle some of the herb-infused oil over the finished salad for extra flavour. You could also use feta or grilled haloumi instead, if you prefer.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Cut the pumpkin cubes to the same size, to ensure that the pumpkin cooks consistently.
- Use a good quality cheese for the best results. I choose a good quality marinated goat cheese, but you can also use a creamy feta or grilled halloumi.
- Add a drizzle of oil from the marinated goat cheese for extra flavour. Or use olive oil instead.
- If making the salad ahead, make sure the pumpkin is fully cooled before tossing the ingredients together, so the rocket doesn’t wilt.
- Storage; If you are not serving it immediately, store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If the oven temperature is too low, the pumpkin will sweat and become soft and soggy instead of crisp and caramelised. Set the oven temp to 240 C/464 F to draw out the moisture and make the pumpkin lovely and golden. Be careful not to overcook it, or it will become mushy and not hold its shape in the salad.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the salad being divided into 5 individual bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the salad.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
Are you following us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest?
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in December 2018, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in July 2022.
Ann says
Delicious.
Andrea Geddes says
Thanks so much Ann! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂