This beautiful roast pumpkin, spinach and feta salad is our favorite seasonal 30-minute dinner! No matter if it’s on a semi-busy weeknight or if you are looking for a healthy side dish during the holiday season, our colorful plant-based salad is just what you need.
With a little bit of meal prep, you can put this gorgeous meal together in even less time — plus, it works wonderfully for any leftovers you may have!
From roasted vegetables to cooked grains, sliced lentil loaf, homemade hummus or mango chutney, there’s almost nothing you could not add to this roast pumpkin and feta salad.
It’s easy recipes like these that help you stay sane during crazy times, save you money by reducing food waste and support a healthy diet full of fresh produce!
Even if you haven’t been the biggest fan of salads, our plant-strong recipe offers so much flavor, texture and color that you probably need to reconsider your relationship with this kind of meal.
The Best Pumpkin and Feta Salad
- 30 minutes from start to finish
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free & vegan
- Endlessly customizable
- Really healthy yet comforting
- Bursting with color & flavor
- Seasonal side or main dish
The combination of crunchy greens that are slathered in sweet and tangy mustard dressing together with tender roasted pumpkin, caramelized pear and herbed tofu feta is just one of a kind and will swoon any dinner guest!
Ingredients for This Recipe
- Hokkaido Pumpkin — probably our favorite winter squash but you can use any variety.
- Pears — any good salad needs a fruity touch! We’ll roast them to caramelized perfection and add them at the end.
- Red Onions — these also get roasted along with the pumpkin and pears but you can just add raw onion if that’s more your thing.
- Tofu Feta — we adjusted this delicious pumpkin and feta salad recipe to be fully vegan by using homemade herbed tofu feta!
- Spinach & Arugula — our greens of choice for this seasonal salad. Feel free to adjust the ratio depending on how much raw food you want to have in your meal!
- Toppings — you really cannot go wrong here with any nuts, seeds or herbs that you usually enjoy; our favorites are toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves.
- Vegan Honey Mustard — the sweet, creamy and tangy dressing that brings all of the other flavors together wonderfully!
You can find more ideas for what to add to your roasted pumpkin and feta salad below so you can easily create your own perfect version of this colorful bowl!
How to Make Pumpkin, Spinach & Feta Salad
1. Roast Pumpkin, Onion & Pears
Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wash and slice the pumpkin, pears and onion, then arrange them in a single layer on your prepared tray.
Put everything into the oven for around 20-25 minutes, until your produce has become golden, tender and fragrant! At this point, remove your tray from the oven and let the plant-based goodness cool slightly before assembling your pumpkin feta salad.
By the way, you can simply add your favorite nuts to the baking tray for the last 5 minutes to have a delicious toasted, crunchy topping!
2. Prepare Spinach & Arugula
While your veggies and pears are in the oven, wash your leafy greens and place them into a large bowl (or several smaller bowls).
3. Make the Dressing
We love this vegan honey mustard dressing over roast pumpkin and feta salad! While you can go for a store-bought one, whisking the simple ingredients together only takes around 2-3 minutes and it’s always worth it for us.
4. Assemble the Salad
Finally, you can add your warm roasted pumpkin slices, onion and pears on your prepared spinach and arugula. Top with vegan tofu feta (easy recipe here), pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and toasted walnuts.
Drizzle with vegan honey mustard dressing and enjoy immediately!
Adjustments and Substitutions
Try this pumpkin feta salad with some dried cranberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pecans or apple slices! If you’re a big fan of roasted vegetables, you can add some eggplant, beetroot or bell peppers along with the pumpkin on your tray.
We personally like to have some beans or lentils in any salad we make. It not only increases the calories and satiety level but also bumps up the protein and fiber content!
Similarly, some cooked grains like farro, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, bulgur or couscous can upgrade this pumpkin, spinach and feta salad to a deserving main meal!
Other dressings you can use for this recipe are this blueberry vinaigrette, herbed tofu ranch, orange mustard dressing or our vegan garlic yogurt sauce.
35+ Delicious Vegan Dressings →
Storage & Prep Tips
You can put this beautiful pumpkin, spinach and feta together even quicker if you prepare some of the components ahead of time!
The mustard dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to one week, the homemade tofu feta can be made for up to a week in advance and you can even pre-roast the veggies! Just let them cool and store in the fridge for 2-3 days, then reheat once you’re ready to enjoy this salad.
Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for around 3 days, although it would be best to store the delicate greens separately from the dressing to avoid a soggy mess.
More Vegan Salad Ideas
Looking for more easy and healthy plant-based lunch or dinner recipes? We’ve hand-picked a couple for you to try next!
- Spinach Quinoa Salad
- Lima Bean Arugula Salad
- Creamy Potato Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Vegan Pad Thai Salad
Best Roast Pumpkin + Feta Salad Recipe
This 30-minute roasted pumpkin and feta salad recipe is bursting with color and flavor! We love this easy gluten-free vegan main or side during fall or winter with a creamy dressing and toasted nuts on top. Perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks or during the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 medium Hokkaido pumpkin, cut into slices (1 lb or 450 g)
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 2 pears, cut into slices
- ¾ cup vegan feta (190 g)
- 5 cups fresh spinach (150 g)
- 1 cup fresh arugula (40 g)
- ½ cup toasted walnuts (50 g)
- ½ pomegranate, seeds only
- Fresh mint leaves
Dressing
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp vegan yogurt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
Roast Pumpkin, Onion & Pears
- Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Arrange the pumpkin slices, pear and onion in a single layer on the tray and roast for 20-25 minutes.
- If you want to sprinkle some toasted walnuts on your pumpkin feta salad, you can put them on the same tray next to the pears for the last 5 minutes of baking!
- Once the pumpkin, onion and pears have become tender and golden, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
Prepare Greens & Dressing
- In the meantime, put the washed spinach and arugula into a large bowl.
- In a jar or small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients or give it a good shake with a leak-proof lid on to combine.
Assemble the Salad
- Finally, arrange your roast pumpkin and feta salad by adding the baked and still warm goodness on your leafy greens, then top with herbed tofu feta, pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts.
- Finish off with some fresh mint leaves and drizzle with mustard dressing. Toss to combine and enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Pretty much any type of winter squash works for this salad. If they are not in season, you can use sweet potato instead!
- Some components, like the dressing or tofu feta, can be prepared ahead of time (see article).
- Other delicious toppings include pumpkin seeds, almonds, sliced apple, pecans or dried cranberries.
- To make this salad more filling, you can add some avocado, legumes or grains and have a proper main meal that way!
- You can also cube and season your winter squash before baking it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 274Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 282mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 8gSugar: 19gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed. Just focus on whole plant-based foods and eat until satiety!
Did you follow this recipe and like it? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to rate it. You can also Pin the pumpkin feta salad here and tag us on Instagram if you made it — we’d love to see your creations.