Roast Pumpkin Salad with Pine Nuts

a bowl of roast pumpkin salad on a table.

4.92 from 12 votes

This crunchy, creamy, delicious roast pumpkin salad features chunks of caramelised pumpkin, fresh rocket, toasted pine nuts and soft goat’s cheese, drizzled with herb-infused oil. It’s the perfect salad for picnics, parties and entertaining, because it can be made ahead and tastes even better the next day!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

1.5 kg pumpkin Kent or Butternut, peeled and cut into small, bite-sized (2cm) cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
salt to taste
120 grams marinated goats cheese marinated in herb-infused oil. Or swap for feta or grilled halloumi
6 cups baby rocket leaves
⅓ cup pine nuts
¼ cup pepitas pumpkin seeds

To serve

4 tablespoons reserved oil from the marinated goats cheese or olive oil

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 240 °C/464 F.
Cut the pumpkin into small, 2 cm sized cubes.
In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin pieces with the olive oil and add a little salt. Arrange the pumpkin pieces in a single layer on 1-2 baking trays.
Roast the pumpkin for around 15-20 minutes, or until it is tender, golden and crispy on the edges, but still holding its shape. Turn the pumpkin halfway while roasting, to stop it from sticking on the tray.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow it to cool on the tray while you prepare the other ingredients. Taste the pumpkin and season with more salt, if needed.
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 the 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

Try to make the pumpkin cubes evenly sized, to ensure they cook through at the same time.
Don’t overcook the pumpkin. It will become mushy if cooked for too long and will fall apart in the salad. It should be tender, with crispy, caramelised edges.
Flip the pumpkin as it roasts, to stop it from sticking to the tray.
Use a good quality goats cheese marinated with oil and herbs, for best results. The oil is used to flavour the salad.
Add your other favourite roasted vegetables, such as beetroot, carrot, sweet potato or eggplant.
If you don’t have oil from your goat’s cheese, use olive oil instead.
While you can serve this salad warm, I recommend letting the pumpkin cool slightly before tossing the salad ingredients together. If the pumpkin is too hot, the cheese will melt and the salad leaves can wilt.
To keep the salad nut-free, swap the pine nuts for sunflower seeds, more pumpkin seeds or your preferred seed of choice.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To make this salad ahead of time, roast the pumpkin cubes and prepare all of the other ingredients. Keep the components in separate, airtight containers and toss them together when you are ready to serve. Or, mix everything together and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the salad being divided into 5 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 metric cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition