Description

A hearty, budget-friendly salad featuring roasted sugar pumpkin, fresh spinach, toasted walnuts, and feta cheese with a simple apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

Scale

2–3 pounds sugar pumpkin (peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes)
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6–8 ounces fresh baby spinach
½ cup walnuts (toasted)
½ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic (minced)
¼ cup olive oil (for dressing)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Toss pumpkin cubes with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast pumpkin for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and caramelized. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
While pumpkin roasts, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant, or on the baking sheet for the last 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil while whisking to emulsify.
In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, crumbled feta, and toasted walnuts.
Add warm pumpkin cubes to the bowl.
Drizzle dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat without mashing the pumpkin.
Serve immediately while pumpkin is warm.

Notes

Use a sugar or pie pumpkin, not a carving pumpkin, as it is sweeter and less watery. Do not overcrowd the pumpkin on the baking sheet to ensure proper roasting rather than steaming. The salad tastes better the next day as leftovers. Do not freeze this salad as the spinach and pumpkin will become mushy upon thawing.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 220
Sugar: 8
Sodium: 250
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 3
Carbohydrates: 22
Fiber: 4
Protein: 6

Keywords: pumpkin salad, fall dinner, budget meals, healthy salad, roasted pumpkin, spinach salad, family dinner, quick recipes