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A colorful roasted pumpkin salad is presented on a plate with red and green lettuce, goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Goat Cheese, Pomegranates, and Pepitas


  • Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison
  • Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

Scale

For the Vinaigrette:

  • ½ cup vegetable oil or other neutral-flavored oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt

For the Salad:

  • One – to 3-pound sugar or pie pumpkin, cut into 6 wedges and seeded
  • Several handfuls frisée or another sturdy green lettuce
  • Several handfuls red oak leaf lettuce, leaves of red endive or radicchio, or more frisée
  • 6 oz creamy goat cheese like chèvre, crumbled
  • ½ to ¾ cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate)
  • ¼ cup toasted salted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or fleur de sel

Instructions

For the Vinaigrette:

  1. Place all the ingredients in a glass bowl and combine. Stir well with a small whisk or fork until the ingredients are mixed.
  2. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

For the Salad:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet or line it with a silicon mat.
  2. Place the pumpkin slices on the baking sheet, brush each with about a teaspoon of vinaigrette and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until soft.
  3. Let cool briefly. Slice the wedge lengthwise into three thinner crescents, then slice the skin away from the pieces.
  4. Arrange a bed of the greens on a platter or in a large shallow bowl. Tuck red lettuces around the greens. Tuck pumpkin pieces around and throughout the salad. Drizzle with more vinaigrette. Scatter cheese, pomegranate arils, and pepitas over the salad, sprinkle with salt, and serve.

To Prepare Pepitas from Pumpkin Seeds: 

  1. Rinse pumpkin goo away from the seeds as best you can.
  2. Put seeds in a pan with water to cover by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes.
  3. Drain seeds and lay them out on a clean dishtowel or paper towels. Let cool and dry on the surface. Roll over the seeds lightly with a rolling pin or wine bottle. The outer shells will crack and, with your fingers, you can then work out the green seed pods, the pepitas.
  4. Toss the pepitas with just a touch of oil. Sauté in a small heavy skillet until just fragrant, and sprinkle lightly with salt.