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Looking for a simple yet impressive fall (or winter) salad recipe? This Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad is sure to hit the spot! A hearty salad with roast pumpkin and beetroot, salty feta, crunchy pine nuts and pepitas, peppery arugula and a delicious maple vinaigrette to bring it all together.
I was first introduced to the delicious flavor combo of roasted pumpkin and beetroot during our time living in Australia. If you are from the US or Canada (like me) then the word “pumpkin” probably makes you think of a big, orange Halloween pumpkin and you might have absolutely no idea what “beetroot” even is. I know that I was definitely confused by some of the food names in Australia. So let me clear things up before we move on!
The term “pumpkin” refers to what those of us from Canada and the US would call squash and “beetroot” simply means beets. However, “Squash and Beet Salad” doesn’t really have the same ring to it so I’ll stick to calling this a “Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad”. Sounds so much nicer and reminds me of the amazing years I lived in Australia!
Why You’ll Love This Salad Recipe
This beautiful roast pumpkin and beetroot salad is a fall/winter favorite around here and a must-try salad recipe in my humble opinion!
- Easy to prepare: Also the perfect meal prep salad!
- Great recipe for fall produce: This is the perfect fall salad recipe to make when pumpkin (squash) and beetroot are in season!
- Beautiful and delicious: This beautiful salad is full of color and features a delicious combination of flavors and textures (sweetness of the roast pumpkin and beetroot, crunch of the nuts/seeds, creaminess and saltiness of the feta, peppery fresh flavor of the arugula and a delicious homemade Maple Dijon salad dressing to tie it all together).
- Can be served as a side dish or main: This salad is hearty enough to serve on its own for lunch or a light dinner but also makes for a beautiful side dish. Also pairs well with holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you will need to make this pumpkin beetroot salad recipe…
- Pumpkin (Squash): I recommend using Kent (Jap) or butternut pumpkin (if you are in Australia) or the equivalent kabocha or butternut squash in North America.
- Beetroot (Beets): Look for medium sized or smaller beets since they tend to be sweeter and more tender (and also roast faster).
- Seasoning: Some olive oil, salt and pepper for roasting the pumpkin.
- Feta Cheese: Crumbled or diced. Or substitute with your favorite soft goat cheese.
- Pine Nuts and Pepitas: I like to toast the pine nuts first in a dry pan. Pepitas may also be called pumpkin seeds.
- Arugula (Rocket): You could also use some baby spinach, mixed baby greens or salad sprouts instead.
- Maple Dijon Vinaigrette: A simple homemade salad dressing made from extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.
How To Make Roasted Pumpkin Beetroot Salad
The good news is that this beautiful, impressive looking salad is easy to make! Simply…
STEP 1: Prep pumpkin and beetroot
Peel and cut the pumpkin/squash into cubes. Trim the tops off the beets, wash them and wrap them individually in foil. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the beet packages on one side and spread out the cubed pumpkin on the remainder of the baking sheet. Drizzle the pumpkin cubes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread out evenly.
STEP 2: Roast
Place the baking sheet in a 400F/200C oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour (flipping the pumpkin cubes halfway through) or until you can easily poke a knife through the beetroot and the pumpkin is tender on the inside and golden on the outside. The beetroot may take a little longer to cook than the pumpkin depending on size.
Remove from oven and carefully open the beetroot foil packages to let steam escape. Set aside to cool.
Once the beetroot is cool enough to handle, remove the skin. If cooked long enough, it should peel away easily either under cool running water or rubbed off with a paper towel. Cut peeled beetroot into cubes or slices.
STEP 3: Prepare salad dressing
Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl or shake together in a jar.
STEP 4: Assemble salad
To assemble, gently toss together the roasted pumpkin and beetroot with the dressing. Add to a serving bowl or platter and scatter the feta, pine nuts, pepitas and baby arugula over the top. Or you can choose to add the baby arugula or baby greens of choice first as the base for the salad.
A Few Shortcuts
Here are a few shortcuts to make this salad super quick and easy to prepare:
- Purchase pumpkin/squash that has already been peeled and cubed to save on some prep work.
- Purchase precooked beetroot that simply needs to be cut up and added to the salad.
- Use your favorite store bought vinaigrette.
Possible Variations
Like most salads, this one can be customized in a variety of ways. Here are a few options…
- Use different nuts and seeds: Toasted slivered almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios and sunflower seeds could also be used.
- Use different cheese: Halloumi, blue cheese or a soft goat cheese would all be great substitutes for feta.
- Add quinoa, wild rice or cooked lentils: Turn this salad into a really hearty meal by adding one of these.
- Switch the dressing: This pomegranate vinaigrette would be delicious or just use your favorite dressing instead.
- Drizzle on a balsamic glaze: This is a beautiful and delicious addition.
- Make it dairy free or vegan: Simply substitute the feta for a plant based cheese or leave it out altogether.
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: The veggies can be roasted ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Add the dressing and assemble when ready to serve.
- Storage: Roast pumpkin and beetroot will be good in the fridge for up to 5 days. Once the salad has been dressed and assembled it is best served immediately.
- Meal Prep: This salad is hearty enough for lunch. Assemble the salad in containers (minus the dressing) and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Drizzle on the dressing right before eating.
What To Pair With This Salad
This salad is hearty enough to stand on its own for lunch or a simple dinner. It is also a great side dish that pairs well with…
- Grilled and roasted meats like grilled chicken, these Marinated Grilled Steaks or this Herb Mustard Crusted Roast Beef.
- Seafood dishes like pan seared or grilled salmon or shrimp like these Easy Pan Seared Shrimp.
- Holiday meals! Makes a wonderful and impressive side dish alongside this Spatchcock Turkey with Herb Butter or any of your other favorite holiday mains.
A Few Questions Answered
You want to use a variety that holds its shape when roasted. I recommend Kent/Jap/kabocha (goes by many names depending on where you live) or butternut.
The roasted pumpkin and beetroot in this salad can be served warm, at room temperature or cold. Super versatile!
You sure can! Since they would not need to be roasted, simply cut them up and continue on with the salad after the pumpkin has finished roasting.
This is my favorite way to roast beetroot since roasting concentrates the beet’s sweet flavors but I also like them to have a tender texture. The foil traps the moisture, allowing steam to tenderize the beetroot resulting in a soft, tender texture.
Of course not! Substitute with another nut or seed or simply add a few more pepitas. I love the buttery richness of pine nuts but I realize that they are expensive. I tend to buy a large bag from Costco and it lasts me a very long time since only a small amount gets scattered on dishes. Store them in the freezer since they are rich in oil and can go rancid quickly otherwise.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Love salads? I’ve got loads more delicious salad recipes for you to try! Here are a few that you might like…
Let me know if you try this Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad. I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment below.
Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 to 6
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Looking for a simple yet impressive fall (or winter) salad recipe? This Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad is sure to hit the spot!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 pounds (900 grams) pumpkin/squash, peeled and cut into cubes (recommended varieties: Kent/Jap/kabocha or butternut)
- 4 medium sized beets (beetroot), tops removed and scrubbed clean
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup diced or crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1–2 large handfuls baby arugula (rocket), or baby spinach or mixed baby greens
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prep pumpkin and beetroot: Wrap the beets individually in foil and place on the side of the baking sheet. Place the cubed pumpkin on the remainder of the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread out evenly.
- Roast: Roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (flipping the pumpkin cubes halfway through) or until you can easily poke a knife through the beetroot and the pumpkin is tender on the inside and slightly golden brown on the outside. Note: The beetroot may take a little longer to cook than the pumpkin depending on size. Remove from oven and carefully open the beetroot foil packages to let steam escape. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare dressing: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shake together in a jar.
- Peel and slice beetroot: Once the beetroot is cool enough to handle, remove the skin. If cooked long enough, it should peel away easily either under cool running water or rubbed off with a paper towel. Cut peeled beetroot into cubes or slices.
- Assemble salad: Gently toss together the roasted pumpkin and beetroot with the dressing. Add to a serving bowl or platter and scatter the feta, pine nuts, pepitas and baby arugula over the top. Or you can choose to add the baby arugula (or baby greens of choice) first as the base for the salad.
Notes
- Make Ahead: The veggies can be roasted ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Add the dressing and assemble when ready to serve.
- Storage: Roast pumpkin and beetroot will be good in the fridge for up to 5 days. Once the salad has been dressed and assembled, it is best served immediately.
- Shortcuts: In order to make this salad super quick and easy to prepare, you could purchase pumpkin/squash that has already been peeled and cubed so that it is ready to roast. You can also use precooked beetroot that simply needs to be cut up and added to the salad.
Perfect salad for fall. We added some rotisserie chicken to make it a meal. Delicious!
That’s a fantastic idea!
Yum! That looks delicious! I can’t wait to try making this at home. Thanks for sharing!
Is it really so difficult to spell out Japanese? Besides, no store is going to label Kabocha as “Jap” squash, at least no store I’ve shopped at since the 60’s; or do they really still use the pejorative in Australia? That said, I’ve made this dish using a similar recipe, and I really like the balance of sweet, earthy, nutty, crunchy and acid.
Many foods go by different names in different countries. As mentioned in the post, this type of pumpkin/squash is typically called a Kent or Jap pumpkin in Australia and is labelled as a kabocha squash usually in North America. So you might not see something labelled a certain way in your store but that doesn’t mean it isn’t called that somewhere else! Another example is bell peppers in North America will be labelled as capsicum in Australia.
So tasty! I love the combination, this is super comforting on a cold day and my kids love it too. Thanks!
That’s awesome! Glad your family loves it!
This is my kind of salad, it’s so beautiful and a picture perfect example of the warming flavours of all and winter. Can’t wait to make this again.
I agree! It is such a beautiful salad using produce easily available in the fall/winter.
The color alone makes me want to gobble this up, but I especially love how healthy it is!
You eat with your eyes first, right! 😉
We often pair squash and beets, mainly roasted like you did, and they are amazing together. Your salad is so colorful, healthy, nutritious, and delicious and it is the perfect Fall side dish (even though I would make a meal out of it!).
I make a meal of it quite often – definitely hearty enough!
The colours are fabulous!! This salad is just the thing we need to brighten up the dark winter days. And isn’t it funny about the different countries and the food names – like aubergine and capsicum instead of eggplant and peppers – and we are all speaking English! haha
I agree – it is so interesting how the same language has so many different terms depending on where you live.
What a delicious and perfect looking salad looking salad for fall! It would be great on a Sunday dinner table!
Thank you! It definitely would be a beautiful addition to Sunday dinner.
I’m all for non-boring salads and this totally qualifies! Love the pumpkin and beets and feta…it’s a great flavor combination! Thanks for sharing this!
Haha – you are welcome! Definitely not a boring salad with all the flavours and textures going on in this one.