By:Nagi
171 Comments
Try this Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing for your next Sunday lunch! Terrific as a side or as a meal, this is a really magical combination of flavours.
Make-ahead winner: Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad
I want to regale you with tales of how Ialways make this Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad for lunch with the girls. How perfect it is for a lazy weekend get together because it’s make ahead and a crowd pleaser because it’s got enoughoomph to be a meal in itself whilst still being healthy and gluten free too. (Who else needs to cater for varying diets at get togethers??)
I’ve even recommended this to numerous friends who have come to me asking for ideas for make ahead lunch recipes.
But truthfully, I have never made this for my friends. I can’t ever embellish about what I’ve made for friends because weirdly, some of them actually read my blog and they would call me out. Some of these friends are serious corporate types, jet setting around the world, taking important meetings and working on top secret projects. It amuses me no end that in between reading board papers and information memorandums, they read my posts as I dribble on about whatever deliciousness I’m sharing on that day and Dozer antics. Te he he!!!
Today’s deliciousness -> This Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad that I’ve never made for them.
This is a really terrific combination of flavours, and I think of this as quite a classic salad. I’m sure I picked it up from a Women’s Weekly magazine many years ago.
The roasted pumpkin is sweet and juicy, the feta adds pops of salty creaminess, the pine nuts add a warm, earthy crunch, the freshness from spinach, all lightly dressed with a Honey Balsamic Dressing. You really don’t need that much dressing for this salad, just enough to coat the baby spinach. Plus, I don’t know if it’s just Aussie baby spinach, but dressing just never sticks well to baby spinach.
So I really mean it when I say this salad is light on the dressing!
I know pine nuts are quite expensive so are a bit of an indulgence, but you don’t need much. You can substitute it with other nuts, but if you’re making this to impress guests, it’s worth using pine nuts. No other nuts have that same soft, creamy crunch and the distinct flavour of…. well, pine nuts. 😉
This is not a difficult salad to make but I have a few tips that I’ve picked up over the years, like roasting the pumpkin so it’s golden but still holds its shape rather than turning into mush.
I usually serve this at room temperature but it’s great warm too. Also, rocket lettuce (arugula for those on the other side of the pond) works well with this if you want a bit more of an edge to it. I like using baby spinach because the flavour and texture is quite soft, unlike other lettuces that are really crunchy.
Good way to kick off a new week, with a healthy salad! Giving myself a pat on the back. 😉 – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad recipe video! PS That pumpkin Dozer gets at the end is raw. RAW. 😳
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Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad
Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 25 minutes mins
Total: 35 minutes mins
4.99 from 66 votes
Servings4 - 5 people
Tap or hover to scale
Recipe video above. Try this Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad for your next Sunday lunch! Drizzled with a Honey Balsamic Dressing, this is a magical combination of ingredients. I usually serve this at room temperature but it's also great warm. Serves 2 - 3 as a meal, 4 - 5 as a side.
Ingredients
Pumpkin:
- 600 g / 1.2 lb pumpkin (after peeling), cut into 3cm / 1.25" cubes (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Dressing:
- 2.5 tbsp / 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper
Salad:
- 1/4 cup / 35g pine nuts (Note 2)
- 150 g / 5 oz baby spinach leaves (4 handfuls)
- 60 g / 2 oz feta , crumbled (or more!!)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220C/430F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan/convection).
Toss pumpkin with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on baking tray, bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip, then bake for a further 7 - 10 minutes until golden but not mushy. (Note 3) Loosen pumpkin with egg flip (it can adhere as it cools), then if serving salad at room temperature, leave to cool.
Shake Dressing in a jar. Taste and adjust to taste. I like it a bit sharp because it balances out the flavours in this salad.
Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until light golden and it smells nutty. Remove pine nuts from skillet as soon as it's ready.
Place Spinach in a bowl. Drizzle with a bit of dressing then toss.
Add pumpkin, just a bit of feta and pine nuts, then GENTLY BRIEFLY toss just to disperse the feta. (If you toss vigorously, the feta can make it look messy).
Transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle over remaining feta and pine nuts. Just before serving, drizzle with remaining dressing (dressing doesn't stay on baby spinach well, so worth drizzling at end). Serve!
Recipe Notes:
1. You can use any pumpkin or squash for this recipe.
2. Pine nuts are expensive but worth using in this recipe, it's the perfect finishing touch However, you can sub with any other nuts of choice. Chopped almonds and macadamias are great.
3. Pumpkin turns to mush if baked for too long. You don't want mush in your salad. So keep an eye on it - it should be tender with a nice golden surface on at least 2 sides (i.e. the sides that were in contact with the tray during baking). And also, loosen pumpkin from tray using an egg flip / spatula when you take it out of the oven - if you don't do this while hot, it might stick to the tray.
4. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings and that all the dressing is consumed. Reality is that most of the Dressing ends up at the bottom of the bowl because dressing doesn't stick that well to baby spinach. So actual calories will be less than this.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 226gCalories: 264cal (13%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.
LIFE OF DOZER
Contemplating whether this meatless meal is worth begging for.
Hi, I'm Nagi!
I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!
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171 Comments
Aisha says
Delicious! Made this as part of an Easter lunch spread and it was a hit. I almost used walnuts but decided to splurge on some pine nuts and it was definitely worth it. Great combo of textures and flavours, highly recommend!Reply
- Mez says
Delicious, - April says
Amazingly delicious!! I used an acorn squash and pecans because that’s what I had handy. I will definitely make this again!!Reply
- Brenda says
Delicious! Made as written, except used toasted walnuts. This was filling enough to be a meal on its own! Such wonderful textures/flavors with a nice balance of healthy fats and protein from the nuts & cheese , combined with the high vitamins/fiber from the veggies.Will definitely make again!Reply
- Nat W says
This salad is easy & tasty. I used to just drizzle my pumpkin & spinach salad with caramelised balsamic, but this dressing is so tasty. I use goats cheese, which adds a bit more creaminess & less salt than the feta.Reply
- Tanya Braine says
Yummy pumpkin salad. I cooked the pumpkin day before. Took out of the fridge an hour before serving to get to room temp and added the other ingredients then.
Definitely do this one again!Reply
- Davne says
I have tried to get your free recipe book several times but without success. Help please😃
Reply
- RG says
I’m a slap-dash cook always looking for things I can make ahead of time. Everyone loved this and now I will happily put my hand up to “bring a salad”Reply
- SF says
Hello Nagi😊 is there a way I could add brown rice or orzo to this salad to give it a bit more body?
Reply
- Mark says
Just add brown rice or orzo to give the salad some body.
Reply
- Fiona says
Great recipe- my favorite work lunch- I just roast the pumpkin, toast the pine nuts and make the dressing, keep all in the fridge, then put it together each morning before work! Just delicious – and a home made lunch I really look forward to!
Reply
- kathleen murdoch says
my daughter makes this,it’s superbReply
- Katya d'Entremont says
I made this yesterday for a BBQ. I have a lot of pumpkins from summer harvest. I used a kent pumpkin for this recipe and WOW, what an awesome salad. The dressing really makes it. Great flavour, can’t wait to eat the left overs today.Reply
- Chané says
How do I ho about it if I am using frozen pumpkin? Do I defrost or should I roast from frozen?
Reply
- Ama zee says
I grow my own pumpkin, cut it and freeze it. Cut frozen pumpkin is place in the Airfryer on high for 20 min and then I drizzle some olive oil and honey and continue cooking either oven or Airfryer in 180 for another 15 min until crispy.
Reply
- CP says
This was delicious – worked out well, I used toasted sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts.Reply
- Suzanne says
Quick, easy and deliciousReply
- Smita says
I’ve made this salad several times with either butternut squash or sweet potato chunks – I also use roasted peanuts instead of pine nuts, because they’re usually what I have on hand – and it has always been well received (even at a lunch for high schoolers!) This is a winner salad all the way!
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- Cheryl says
Absolutely beautiful thank you Nagi!Reply
- Kate Cross says
Another absolute hit for us. Used butternut (personal preference) and toasted pumpkin seeds (cheaper than pine nuts) and add chopped sundried tomatoes (because I had some in the fridge). Supper yummy and delicious and the kids enjoy too which is high praise from a 14 and 8 year old. Used your grilled chicken breast recipe from your Avocado pasta salad recipe and it was perfect sliced on the side. Your no yeast sourdough recipe finished off the Nagi recipe trifecta. Thank you! Was amazing.Reply
- Maxine says
Love this dressing. I didn’t have pine nuts so I subbed with walnuts and it was Devine. I also used butternut instead of pumpkin. Will definitely make again. Thanks Nagi and congrats on the new cookbookReply
- Micah says
This is a great recipe, although I’ve never made it properly before. Halloumi is cheaper than feta where I live, and sunflower seeds are much cheaper than pine nuts, so I sub those out. It’s so dang good though, crunchy, sweet, and squeaky chewy with the Halloumi which I adore. One of these days I’ll make the legit version 😅Reply
