This roast pumpkin salad with a mix of seasonal salad greens – spinach, rocket, celery, green and red amaranthus – is a wholesome meal in a bowl. Especially in winter when you need something warm and fulfilling – this salad is a healthy, delicious and comforting meal.
Farm-to-table is probably the best way towards good health. It may not always be possible for everyone to grow everything but I really believe that we all should grow at least a few things. Be it a mint plant on a windowsill, spinach in a pot on your balcony, tomatoes in your garden or a mini-kitchen garden set-up. The joy of digging in the soil and having a little friendly conversation with your plants is a sure-shot way to being happy (and healthy!).
Mindful Eating
This salad was one of our menu dishes for a sattvic high tea event on the farm – AAHAAR (आहार) – Food that nurtures, food that nourishes. According to Ayurvedic teachings, the significance of food transcends its mere nutritional content – it embodies the essence of आहार।
From nourishing to nurturing, what we eat plays a big role in our health and wellness journey. Ayurvedic practitioner and coach, Kriti, led the session on importance of mindful eating, the value of meditation, and Ayurvedic principles.
The high-tea menu was designed using farm-fresh ingredients. For this roast pumpkin salad, we actually harvested the ingredients on the farm, while the sessions were going on. For the participants, it couldn’t have been fresher, more seasonal or more local than this.
The pumpkins were growing right behind them.
And the salad greens and the cherry tomatoes right in front. We used baby spinach leaves, arugula, few celery leaves and green and red amaranthus leaves. The red amaranthus leaves add a striking colour contrast to the dish.
We had prepared the lemon salad dressing earlier. Then it was about a 30-minute preparation including roasting the pumpkins, tearing the salad leaves, and assembling the whole salad.
Vegan Roast Pumpkin Salad
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 1 kg pumpkin
- 150 g mix salad leaves (spinach, arugula, amaranthus greens)
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp roasted mixed nuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C
- For the dressing: In a small glass jar or bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, and about 1⁄2 tsp salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Peel and cut the pumpkin into even bite-sized pieces. Toss with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking tray, and bake for 20-25 minutes till soft. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
- Place the salad leaves in a bowl. Drizzle with a bit of dressing and toss.
- Add roasted pumpkin, nuts, and the remaining dressing. Gently toss with just your hands.
- Set aside for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to meld together before serving.
- Transfer to serving plates. Sprinkle over with nuts and some dressing (if required).
Notes
- You can make the salad dressing in large quantities and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Pumpkins can be roasted a day in advance and kept in the fridge.
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