This absolutely delicious Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad is made using lightly seasoned and roasted pumpkin and beetroot with baby spinach, topped with goats cheese as well as toasted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Finished off with an olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey and wholegrain mustard dressing, this salad is sure to impress when you have guests!
Salads are definitely something I get excited about! If you get excited over salads too then you might like to try my Kale, Apple and Cranberry Salad, Golden Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad, my Autumn Roasted Vegetable Salad with Tahini Dressing or my Prosciutto, Fig and Goats Cheese Salad. If you’re not a fan of apple cider vinegar then you might also like to try this salad with my balsamic dressing or lemon herb dressing instead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Adding roasted vegetables to a salad is always a winner, and this roast pumpkin beetroot salad is no different. I know you’re going to love this salad and here’s why:
- the salad dressing adds healthy fats to this delicious salad.
- easy to meal prep on the weekend for an easy lunch or three throughout the week.
- this beet salad is the perfect side dish to your main course (think Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas or your next barbecue).
- simple to make and healthy, this recipe use a homemade salad dressing, which is refined sugar free.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Salad Ingredients
- Kent pumpkin – you could also use butternut squash or any other favourite squash.
- Beetroot – red beets can be swapped for any other root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes or parsnips.
- Baby spinach leaves – use any other salad greens such as arugula (rocket) or mixed lettuce leaves. You could also use beet greens if they are fresh.
- Goat’s cheese – I used goat’s chèvre, which is a soft goat’s cheese. You could also use your favourite feta cheese.
Dressing Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil – other oils that I love to use in salad dressings are macadamia oil, avocado oil or flaxseed oil.
- apple cider vinegar – if you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you could use lemon juice.
- honey – swap for pure maple syrup if desired.
- wholegrain mustard – can be swapped for 1 teaspoon dijon mustard.
- sea salt & black pepper to taste
See ingredients quantities on the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Note: Pumpkin and Beetroot are commonly known by different names in America and Canada, beetroot is known as beets and the pumpkin that we commonly use in Australia is known as squash.
How Do You Prepare and Roast Beetroot
Roasting beetroot is my favourite way to eat this vegetable. If this is your first time roasting beetroot then don’t worry, I’ve got your back! Here’s how to prepare and roast beetroot:
- Cut both ends off the beetroot.
- Beetroot can be roasted with the skin on or off. If you would like to eat beetroot with the skin off than use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the beetroot before slicing.
- Cut the beetroot into either cubes or wedges.
- Transfer cut up beetroot to a roasting dish. Drizzle in olive oil and toss to coat. Season with sea salt if desired.
- Place the roasting dish into a preheated oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. The beetroot is done when you can easily pierce the beet with a fork. Once cooked to your liking, remove from the oven.
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Method
Making this great side dish is so simple! Here’s how.
The first step is to roast the pumpkin and beets and toast the seeds. The diced pumpkin and beetroot can be roasted on either two baking trays lined with parchment paper or two large baking dishes. Add the beetroot and pumpkin into seperate trays, drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine. Season before placing into the oven to roast.
Meanwhile add the seeds to a small loaf tin and place into the oven to toast for around 10 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on them as they will burn easily!
While the veggies are roasting, make the simple dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Whisk until well combined and dressing is emulsified.
Next, assemble the salad. Add the baby spinach to a salad bowl and topped with cooled beetroot and pumpkin. Next crumble over the goats cheese, top with the toasted seeds and drizzle with the salad dressing.
Health Benefits
Making a wholesome dish like this roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad is a delicious way of increasing your vegetable intake. This salad has plenty of health benefits and is loaded with nutrients. Here are some of the health benefits:
- red beets have been shown to lower blood pressure.
- baby spinach is filled with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.
- pumpkin (or squash) is high in beta carotene and vitamin A, which makes it amazing for the immune system and skin health.
- apple cider vinegar helps to increase digestive acids, helping to digest food.
- adding extra virgin olive oil helps to increase the absorption of fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, E, D and K from the vegetables in this salad.
FAQ
Allow the beetroot to cool to room temperature in the baking dish once roasted before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Roasted beetroot salad goes perfectly with grilled steak or chicken. For a vegetarian option, serve with roasted chickpeas.
To get roast pumpkin that is crispy, make sure to spread out the pumpkin so that there is space between each piece of pumpkin. Roast at 200 degrees Celsius for 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown.
Yes you can, however it is better if beetroot is roasted in a seperate tray to other vegetables as otherwise it will turn the other vegetables purple.
Roasted Pumpkin & Beetroot Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Whisk
- Kitchen scales optional
- Salad bowl
- 2 Large roasting dish
Ingredients
- 1 kg Kent pumpkin, skin and seeds removed and diced
- 0.6 kg beetroot, ends removed, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 250 grams baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- 90 grams goats cheese, soft
- 3 tablespoons pepitas, pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Sea salt, to taste
Salad Dressing
- 30 mL apple cider vinegar
- 60 mL extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Black pepper , to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Drizzle a large baking dish with olive oil. Add the pumpkin and toss to coat evenly in olive oil, before spreading out. In a second large baking dish repeat this process with the beetroot. Season both the beetroot and pumpkin with salt.1 kg Kent pumpkin skin and seeds removed and diced, 0.6 kg beetroot ends removed, peeled and diced, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, Sea salt to taste
- Place the vegetables into the oven to roast for 50 minutes or until the pumpkin is slightly golden brown and tender. Once roasted, set aside to cool to room temperature.
- While the vegetables are roasting, place the pepitas and sunflower seeds onto a baking tray and into the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, 3 tablespoons pepitas pumpkin seeds
- To make the dressing add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk until smooth and emulsified.30 mL apple cider vinegar, 60 mL extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, Sea salt to taste, Black pepper to taste
- To assemble, add the baby spinach to a bowl along with the roasted beetroot and then pumpkin. Crumble goats cheese over the top and sprinkle with toasted seeds. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.250 grams baby spinach rinsed and dried, 90 grams goats cheese soft
Notes
Storage
If making salad ahead of time, it is best to not add salad dressing until just before serving. Store salad in the fridge in an airtight container or in a covered salad bowl for up to 2 days (depending on how fresh the baby spinach is).Serving Suggestions
- grilled steak
- grilled chicken
- salmon
- serve as part of a buffet dinner with other salads and sides and your choice of proteins.
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