Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta

This Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta is one of my favorite quick comfort food meals for cold winter nights. 

The natural sweetness of the pumpkin goes so well with the earthy taste of the lamb’s lettuce, the licorice flavor of the roasted fennel, the tangy pomegranate and the salty feta cheese. A real flavor explosion!

Did you know that lamb’s lettuce is a great source of calcium, betacarotene and other powerful antioxidants that keep you young and healthy? When you combine the leafy green with healthy fats and vitamin C, such as olive oil and fresh lemon juice, your body will be able to better absorb the nutrients too.

For a vegan and dairy free alternative, you can replace the feta in this winter salad with salty smoked tofu. The recipe goes great with cooked quinoa or baked chicken/turkey too as a protein rich post-workout meal.

Do you like to oven-roast your vegetables too? What’s your current favorite dish? Is there a specific recipe or meal you would like to see here on the blog? Let me know by leaving a comment down below. 

Enjoy!

Love,

Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Peel and remove the seeds of the pumpkin. Cut it into slices, as well as the fennel. Spread the vegetables onto one or two baking trays. Season with olive oil, pepper, sea salt and some fresh or dried thyme and rosemary.
3. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes or longer, until tender.
4. For the dressing: mix the juice of 1 lemon with ½ the amount of olive oil, 1 to 2 spoonfuls of mustard (to taste) and if you wish a few drops of stevia or a spoonful of honey/maple syrup. I don’t add salt to the dressing because the mustard en feta make this dish salty enough.
5. Mix the lamb’s lettuce with the salad dressing and serve it with the roasted vegetable dishes. Top with pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta and freshly cracked black pepper.

JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:

• Don’t have an oven at home? You can also pan-fry the fennel and pumpkin until golden-brown and tender.
• As a crunchy topping, you can add lightly roasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
• No time or motivation to de-seed a fresh pomegranate? Buy pre-packaged pomegranate seeds in your local supermarket.
• I also like to add a few drops of orange blossom water to the dressing, available in large supermarkets, organic stores or online.
• Try different variations of this salad by replacing the pumpkin with beetroot, parsnip, parsley root… or less sweet root vegetables such as celeriac or Jerusalem artichokes.

Now I would love to hear from you! Do you like to oven-roast your vegetables too? What’s your favorite dish at the moment? Is there a specific recipe or meal you would like to see here on the blog? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.