Roasted Pumpkin Chickpea Salad

5 from 1 vote

This Roasted Pumpkin Chickpea Salad is perfect for fall! It's tossed with a Mediterranean balsamic dressing, fresh greens, and feta cheese.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: pumpkin salad, roasted pumpkin salad, pumpkin feta salad

Servings:

Calories: 206kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

For The Salad:

6-8 cup pumpkin sugar or pie pumpkin
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 15 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
4 packed cups greens such as kale, arugula, or spinach
½ cup feta cheese crumbles

For The Dressing:

2 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Peel and Cut The Pumpkin:

Remove the stem from the pumpkin. The stems is inedible and may be removed with your hands. Discard the stem once removed.
Cut the top and bottom of the pumpkin off with a sharp knife. This will create a flat surface on both the top and bottom of the pumpkin. Laying it on one of those flat surfaces will allow you to peel and cut it without the pumpkin rolling around.
Remove the outer skin from the pumpkin with the knife and discard in the compost bin or trash. Place either the top or bottom of the pumpkin on the cutting board and run the knife down the outer surface, moving from the top to the bottom.
After the skin is removed, cut the pumpkin in half.
Scoop out all of the seeds and membranes from the inside of the pumpkin. Feel free to discard the membranes and seeds, or the seeds may be roasted in the oven.
Cut the two pumpkin halves in half and then cut into quarters. Once each pumpkin half is cut into quarters, it's easy to cut the quarters into slices.
Cut the quarters into slices and then cut the slices into chunks. Make sure the chunks are relatively even in size to ensure that they cook evenly.

Roast The Pumpkin:

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 6-8 cups of diced pumpkin on a large baking sheet. Drizzle the pumpkin with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to coat.
Sprinkle 2 tsp. each garlic powder and smoked paprika, along with ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper over the pumpkin and toss until completely coated.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 22-24 minutes. Cooking times may vary, depending on the size of the diced pumpkin. The pumpkin is finished cooking when it is easily pierced with a fork or knife. It should be soft, but not mushy.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool.

Prepare The Dressing:

Mince 2 cloves of garlic.
In a small bowl, add ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, the minced garlic, and ¼ tsp. each Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until completely combined with a fork or small whisk.

Assemble The Salad:

Drain and rinse 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas.
Place the cooled pumpkin in a large mixing bowl, along with the drained and rinsed chickpeas and 4 heaping cups of hearty mixed greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, arugula, or spinach, or a mixture of greens.
Pour the dressing over the top of the ingredients and toss until completely combined.
To Serve: Place on serving platter or bowl and sprinkle ½ cup of feta cheese over the top.

Notes

Feel free to use any greens of choice to make this salad. Keep in mind that the greens will wilt a bit after the dressing is added to the salad. The greens will wilt more the longer the salad sits.

Butternut squash or any winter squash may be used in place of pumpkin.

This salad may be served over grains like quinoa, wild rice, or brown rice.

The pumpkin seeds may be cleaned and roasted in the oven. Feel free to use the roasted pumpkin seeds to top the salad.

Nutrition