Pumpkin Salad (One Bowl)
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Quick and easy pumpkin salad recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot or bowl in 20 minutes. Loaded with roasted pumpkin, lemon vinaigrette and feta cheese.
It is the season for all things pumpkin! Why not add it to your salad? The warmth and color from the roasted pumpkin makes this salad delicious and so visually beautiful. It’s just as warm and delicious as this Harvest Fall Salad (One Bowl) and this Thanksgiving Salad (One Bowl).
How To Make Pumpkin Salad From Scratch?
- Make vinaigrette– Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, basil, parsley.
- Mix in vegetables- This includes red onions, baby spinach, lettuce.
- Add toppings– This includes roasted pumpkin slices, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds and feta cheese.
- Enjoy– Serve immediately and dig in!
Pumpkin Salad Dressing
Whisk together the following ingredients to make this honey lemon vinaigrette:
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- SaltÂ
- PepperÂ
- Garlic powder
- Thyme
- BasilÂ
- ParsleyÂ
How To Roast Pumpkin?
Check out this Oven Roasted Pumpkin (One Pan) post for my simple procedure. Basically, this is the process:
- Clean and slice the pumpkin into thin wedges.
- Spread them in a baking tray.
- Toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, honey.
- Bake until tender.
What To Serve With Pumpkin Salad Recipe?
Soup makes a wonderful companion to a salad. The contrasting textures keep the meal tasty and exciting. Try soups such as: Turkey Noodle Soup (One Pot), Carrot Ginger Soup (One Pot), or Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup.
Chicken is another great option such as: Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken (One Pot), Lemon Pepper Chicken (One Pan), or Grilled Chicken Breast (One Pan). You can even add rotisserie chicken to the salad for a complete meal.
The addition of turkey turns this salad into the perfect Thanksgiving side. Serve this salad with this Roast Turkey Breast (One Pan) or Easy Thanksgiving Turkey (One Pan) to round out your holiday feast.
Storage
Refrigerate– You can store the salad and dressing separately for 2 days in the fridge and mix right before serving. If you try to store it mixed together already, the salad will be soggy and leaves will be wilted.
Freeze– You can not freeze salad because the water content in the leaves will cause it to wilt and become a soggy mess, as it thaws.
Variations
Roast pumpkin salad– Roast the pumpkin according the directions listed above! This adds a depth of flavor that is worth the time it takes to roast a pumpkin.
Pumpkin feta salad– Sprinkle feta cheese for a salty bite to accompany the sweet pumpkin.
Add beetroots– Add 1 peeled and roasted beetroot for additional color and flavor.
Add quinoa– Mix in 1/2 cup boiled quinoa for a heartier salad.
Add couscous– Mix in 1/2 cup of cooked couscous for a more filling salad.
Add chickpeas or beans– For added vegetarian protein!
Add meat- Such as rotisserie shredded chicken, cooked ground beef, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Add pasta– I suggest using small boiled pasta like ditalini, macaroni, elbow, or orzo.
Toppings/garnish options- Try pine nuts, chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, bacon bits, apple chunks, dried cranberries, or cherries.
Vary the cheese– Use goat, Gorgonzola, or smoked Gouda.
Sweetener options- Use honey or maple syrup or agave.
Tips And Techniques
For a beautiful salad presentation (like shown in the pictures)– Prepare the salad dressing/vinaigrette and keep it aside. Spread the spinach and lettuce in large salad dish or salad bowl. Top it off with slices of roasted pumpkins and garnish with feta cheese crumbles, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top, just before serving. I usually only do this for dinner parties because it’s elegant and looks fancy.
Serve immediately- Because this prevents the salad from wilting and becoming soggy.
What kind of greens to use? I like to use a combination of lettuce and fresh baby spinach, but you can use whatever greens you prefer. Kale would be a great addition.
Wash and dry salad– If you are washing the greens, be sure to pat it dry to prevent the dish from becoming too “watery.” You can also use a salad spinner to dry the salad.
Adjust sweetness– Add more or less honey based on your personal preference.
Adjust seasoning– Add more or less according to taste.
More One Pot Salad Recipes
- Tabbouleh Salad (One Bowl)
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (One Bowl)
- Italian Chopped Salad (One Bowl)
- Strawberry Spinach Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing (One Bowl)
- Creamy Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad (One Bowl)
One Pot Pumpkin Salad
Ingredients
Salad Dressing/ Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1.5 tbsp Honey , Or maple syrup
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Fresh thyme, Roughly chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh basil, Roughly chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh parsley, Roughly chopped
Salad
- 1/3 cup Red onions, Thinly sliced Or can be replaced with 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
- 1 cup Baby spinach, Fresh, Not frozen
- 1 cup Lettuce
- 1.5-2 cups Leftover roasted pumpkin slices or wedges, Equivalent to a small 2 pound pumpkin, Can also cut into cubes instead of slices
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate seeds, For topping
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds, For topping
- 1/4 cup Feta cheese, For topping
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, basil, parsley until combined.
- Add red onions, baby spinach, lettuce and toss everything together.
- Top it off with roasted pumpkin slices, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds and feta cheese.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
- For a beautiful salad presentation (like shown in the pictures), prepare the salad dressing/vinaigrette and keep it aside. Spread the spinach and lettuce in large salad dish or salad bowl. Top it off with slices of roasted pumpkins and garnish with feta cheese crumbles, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top, just before serving. I usually only do this for dinner parties because it's elegant and looks fancy.
Notes
- Read all my tips above.Â
- Tastes best when served immediately. I don’t recommend storing leftovers for later because if the vinaigrette has already been mixed with the greens, they will become soggy over time. You can store the salad and dressing separately for 2 days in the fridge and mix right before serving.
