A 30‑minute warm roasted pumpkin salad featuring fluffy quinoa, peppery arugula pesto and caramelised pumpkin seeds – totally vegan and gluten‑free.
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Why You’ll Love This Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- Big autumn energy: Sweet roast Hokkaido pumpkin and crunchy seeds.
- Complete protein: Quinoa adds 8 g plant protein per serving.
- Rocket pesto twist: A fresh change from basil pesto – perfect for seasonal greens.
- Naturally vegan & gluten‑free: Fits most dietary needs with no swaps.
This recipe is perfect for autumn and winter because of the abundance of pumpkins, but I eat this anytime I have a spare one!
It’s really grown on the kids, too, and if I can get them to eat all these nutrients so easily it’s a massive win for me at the dinner table!
By the way, if you haven’t yet invested in a good knife for prepping, I highly recommend one like this.
It makes things like cutting pumpkin MUCH easier and a really good one can be surprisingly affordable, too. It really speeds up time in the kitchen!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Hokkaido pumpkin: Butternut or kabocha work – adjust roasting time.
- Cooked quinoa: Use white or tri‑colour; bulgur works for non‑GF.
- Rocket pesto: Blend rocket (arugula), walnuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon, nutritional yeast.
- Apple cubes: Optional sweetness – swap with dried cranberries.
- Red onion slices: Shallots for a milder bite.
- Pumpkin seeds: Toasted for crunch; sunflower seeds in a pinch.
- Maple syrup & olive oil: Light glaze for sweet roast notes.
- Sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika: Seasonings.
How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Quinoa Salad with Rocket (Arugula) Pesto
Roast pumpkin
Toss 2 cm cubes with olive oil, maple syrup, paprika, salt. Roast 200 °C for 20 minutes.
Toast seeds
Add pumpkin seeds to tray for final 5 minutes until shiny and puffed.
Cook quinoa
Simmer 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water, 15 minutes. Fluff with fork.
Blend rocket pesto
Blitz rocket, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast until thick.
Assemble salad
Layer quinoa, roast pumpkin, apple, onion. Drizzle pesto, scatter seeds.
Pro Tips
- Skin‑on roast: Hokkaido skin is edible – saves prep time.
- Keep it warm: Toss quinoa and pumpkin together straight from oven for a true warm pumpkin salad.
- Extra crunch: Caramelise pumpkin seeds in 1 tsp maple + pinch sea salt for 2 minutes in pan.
Variations
- Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad: Add crumbled vegan feta for tang.
- Gluten‑free pumpkin salad: Already GF – just double‑check pesto ingredients.
- Orange & Thyme Pumpkin Salad: Swap maple for orange juice and add fresh thyme leaves.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with crusty gluten‑free bread.
- Pair with a bowl of Greek tomato soup for a cosy supper.
- Pack into jars – perfect pumpkin quinoa salad meal prep for lunchboxes.
Warm roasted pumpkin salad with quinoa, rocket pesto and crunchy seeds – vegan, gluten‑free, ready in 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F.
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Wash the Hokkaido pumpkin, scrape out the seeds and cut half of it in small cubes (1x1cm). You don’t need to peel the skin.
½ Hokkaido pumpkin
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Put the pumpkin pieces on an oven tray and sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes – poke with a knife to check they’re soft.
1 ½ tsp salt, 5 tbsp olive oil
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Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the package.
¾ cup quinoa
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Cut the apple into small cubes.
1 apple
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Wash the rocket well and put half of it into the blender with 4 tbsp oil, 1 tsp of salt, lemon juice and zest.
½ lemon, 2 cups rocket/arugula
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In a small pan, heat up 2 tbsp of sugar on low-med heat – when it starts to brown toss in 3 tbsp of pumpkin seeds and let it caramelize for a couple of seconds. Let it cool, take the mix out of the pan then crush with a knife into pieces.
2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
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In a big bowl, toss the pumpkin, the quinoa, apple and the rest of the rocket together. Plate it and drizzle rocket pesto on top – finally add the caramelized pumpkin seeds.
To cook quinoa, I find it best to use double the amount of water to quinoa, add a little salt, and cook until the water has evaporated. Then take it off the heat and cover with a tea towel for five minutes. It should expand and go fluffy and light.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Pumpkin Quinoa Salad with Rocket Pesto
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use butternut squash instead of pumpkin?
Yes – roast for 25 minutes as cubes are firmer.
Is rocket the same as arugula?
Exactly – rocket is the British name, arugula in the US. Both work in this rocket pesto.
How long does the pesto keep?
Up to 5 days in fridge with a layer of oil on top.
Storage & Meal‑Prep
Keeps 3 days in fridge. Best eaten warm – reheat in microwave 90 seconds, stir in fresh pesto.