Pumpkin and Goats Cheese Salad is a simple, healthy and colourful salad recipe that packs a flavour punch. Spice roasted pumpkin and a kick of chilli flakes balanced out with that creamy goats cheese, it’s got all the flavours and textures! Gluten free and vegetarian (with a dairy free option in the recipe notes for you!).
Published October 2014 | Updated November 2020
Hello, I am addicted to roasted pumpkin. Despite it not being a huge hit with my toddlers at the moment, I’m obsessed and I basically roast half a pumpkin up every week and eat it! In my salads, as a side to dinner or chopped up and served in a frittata, I am in love.
Roasted pumpkin has such a lovely sweet flavour, and I love how roasting it gets you that caramel-like browning on the edges. The sweetness of pumpkin is perfect paired with warming spices like chilli, cinnamon and cumin. They work perfectly together to create a balanced dish, like this roasted pumpkin and goats cheese salad!
How to serve this salad
This salad makes a substantial side dish. For a simple (but very delicious meal) I just serve alongside a protein such as:
- boiled eggs
- chickpeas (I mix these into the salad)
- grilled or BBQ chicken (who doesn’t love BBQ chicken with a salad for a quick meal!)
- grilled salmon
- roast lamb
In the recipe card below, I’ve said that the recipe serves 4 but you may find it serves more or less people depending on how you’re planning on serving it. As we are coming up to Christmas, this beautiful salad makes a nice addition to a larger festive spread (keeping in mind that this year, our celebrations are not likely to be as huge as usual, of course!).
Alternatives to goats cheese
Not a huge fan of goats cheese? It definitely has quite the distinctive flavour, which personally I love but appreciate that not everyone may feel the same. You can swap the goats cheese for feta cheese if you prefer.
Need a dairy free option? You can replace the goats cheese for nuts, seeds or legumes. Try 1/3 cup walnuts or 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, or 1/2 cup chickpeas. Crispy roasted chickpeas would be AWESOME. They are available in some supermarkets (if you’re in Australia, I’ve seen them in the health food aisle) or you can make some yourself by roasting cooked chickpeas until crunchy.
If you make this salad, let me know! Take a snap and tag me on Instagram @moniquecormacknutrition or leave me a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
p.s. For my fellow pumpkin lovers, make sure you also check out my Honey Roast Pumpkin Quinoa Salad, it is one of the most popular recipes on the blog!
Pumpkin and Goats Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 600 grams pumpkin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 120 grams rocket
- 30 grams flat leaf parsley – about 1/4 of a bunch of parsley
- 4 spring onions
- 100 grams goats cheese
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tsp chilli flakes – you can add more if you want it spicier!
- salt & pepper to season
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for roasting the pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180˚C. Cut the pumpkin in to thin wedges. Place on a lined baking tray, drizzle over olive oil. Sprinkle on spices, salt and pepper. Toss around in the seasoning and then spread out evenly across the tray.
- Bake the pumpkin for approximately 30-40 minutes or until soft, but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.
- Prep the salad ingredients. Rinse the rocket and the parsley. Trim the rough thick inner stems from the parsley, and roughly tear up. Trim and finely slice the spring onions.
- Assemble the salad. Layer the pumpkin wedges and rocket in a large salad bowl. Break the goats cheese into little chunks and distribute over the top of the salad. Scatter over the spring onions, flaked almonds, chilli flakes and parsley.
- For the dressing, combine the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey in a small jar, and shake to combine. Pour over the salad just before serving.
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