Roasted Pumpkin Spinach Salad with Feta Recipe
A delicious and vibrant Roast Pumpkin, Spinach, and Feta Salad featuring tender roasted pumpkin cubes, fresh baby spinach, tangy feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and a balanced balsamic dressing. Perfect as a light lunch or side dish, this salad combines sweet, savory, and nutty flavors with a delightful texture contrast.
CourseSalad
CuisineMediterranean
Keywordroast pumpkin salad, spinach salad, feta salad, roasted pumpkin, balsamic dressing, pine nuts, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, Baking
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings4 servings
Ingredients
Pumpkin
- 600 g pumpkin (after peeling), cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Dressing
- 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper
Salad
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (35 g)
- 150 g baby spinach leaves (4 handfuls)
- 60 g feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C/430F for a standard oven or 200C/390F if using fan/convection.
- Toss the pumpkin cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them evenly on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the pumpkin pieces, then roast for an additional 10 minutes until they are golden but still firm. Use a spatula to loosen the pumpkin from the tray while hot to prevent sticking. Let cool if serving at room temperature.
- In a jar, combine extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Shake well to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning to keep a slightly sharp flavor to balance the salad.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts until they turn light golden and become aromatic, about a few minutes. Remove immediately to prevent burning.
- Place the baby spinach in a large bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of dressing and gently toss to coat the leaves.
- Add roasted pumpkin, a portion of the crumbled feta, and pine nuts to the bowl with spinach. Gently and briefly toss to disperse the feta evenly without breaking it up too much.
- Transfer the salad to a serving plate. Sprinkle the remaining feta and pine nuts on top. Just before serving, drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad for the best flavor distribution. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Any type of pumpkin or squash can be used as a substitute for the pumpkin in this recipe.
- If pine nuts are not available or are too costly, chopped almonds or macadamia nuts make excellent alternatives.
- Be careful not to overcook the pumpkin to avoid mushy texture. The pumpkin should be tender with a golden surface on the baked sides.
- Loosen the pumpkin from the baking tray immediately while hot using a spatula to prevent sticking.
- Most of the dressing tends to settle at the bottom because it doesn’t stick well to baby spinach, so calories from dressing in the salad are likely less than calculated.