Pumpkin Quinoa Salad is a satisfying, sense stimulating salad with the contrast of tangy sundried tomatoes and lemon, sweet pumpkin, chewy quinoa, crunchy pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs.
I love a salad that can satisfy as a meal. This salad sure does.
How to serve pumpkin quinoa salad
Combing all the ingredients of this salad together makes for a rustic-looking salad. It’s not necessarily a salad to look beautiful but to satisfy taste and hunger.
It could be plated, with the pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top with some sprigs of parsley and mint.
It can be served hot or cold on its own or with crumbed feta or a few slices of grilled halloumi or avocado. A few wedges of lemon would be a great addition if served with grilled halloumi.
You could pre-roast the pumpkin and pre-cook the quinoa to assemble this salad quickly.
Your choice of quinoa
The quinoa in this recipe gives a nice nutty texture while making it a sustaining salad.
Quinoa is finer and moister than rice, which works well in this salad.
You could choose white or tri colour quinoa in this recipe. Tri colour quinoa looks lovely against the other colours in this salad. However, the choice depends on what you have available.
Over to you to try this recipe for yourself and modify it to your taste preferences. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Roast Pumpkin
- 500-600 g pumpkin skin removed and cut into ~ 2.5 cm cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Salad
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
made from ~ ¾ cup uncooked quinoa - 1 cup peas fresh or defrosted
- 400 g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes thinly sliced
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds raw or dry-fried
- 2 tablespoons parsley or mint finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Roast Pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 200oC fan-forced.
- Place pumpkin, oil and seasoning in a bowl. Toss to coat.
- Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and tender.
Quinoa Salad
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. See link to instructions below.
- Once the quinoa is cooked and cooled slightly, place the quinoa in a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Then add all the remaining ingredients. Stir through.
- Then gently toss the pumpkin through the quinoa salad.
- Serve on a large platter with a sprig of parsley or mint.
Notes
Did you make this recipe for pumpkin quinoa salad?
I’d love to hear if you tried this recipe and how it turned out. Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #joyfuleatingmoment.
Want to try other salad recipes with quinoa?
Check out my other salad recipes that contain quinoa:
Alternatively, you can invent your own satisfying salad by following my formula for delicious and satisfying grain bowls, which can include quinoa.
