Pumpkin Spinach Salad with Maple Pumpkin Dressing
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This roasted pumpkin salad is layers of tender baby spinach leaves, sweet roasted squash, creamy goat cheese, and crisp apples, all drizzled with a homemade pumpkin dressing. It makes a fall side dish or light lunch, and it’s ready in just 40 minutes!
This roasted pumpkin salad is one of those recipes I make on repeat all autumn long. The sweet roasted squash, creamy goat cheese, and crisp apple come together in a way that feels cozy, fresh, and completely satisfying.
The homemade pumpkin dressing ties everything together and adds so much flavor. It makes enough for a few salads, which means I’ll enjoy it for dinner one night and happily pack the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients needed
If you ever wondered how to roast pumpkin for salad, this recipe is for you! This salad with roasted pumpkin is our go-to autumn salad recipe drizzled with an easy but very flavorful dressing made with pumpkin purée.
Here’s everything you need for the salad:
- Butternut or kabocha squash: butternut squash and kabocha squash work wonderfully in this recipe. They both have a delicious creamy texture when cooked but kabocha squash tends to be a more firm (similar to sweet potato).
- Olive oil: we use extra-virgin olive oil for roasting but coconut oil and avocado oil work great as well.
- Sea salt, cinnamon, and cayenne: this simple mix of seasonings adds a pop of warmth.
- Baby spinach: we like using baby spinach leaves with this salad but you can use other greens like peppery arugula or a spring mix.
- Goat cheese: goat cheese is mild and creamy which works really well in this salad. Feta cheese is tangier but works great, too. Omit the cheese to keep this salad vegan.
- Pumpkin seeds and fried onions: these optional toppings add a bit of crunch and flavor to finish things off.
- Apple: thinly sliced apple adds a sweet element to the salad. Any variety of crisp apple will work such as gala, honey crispy, ambrosia, or even a tart granny smith.
What goes into the pumpkin dressing?
The maple pumpkin dressing is wonderfully simple. Here’s what you need to make it:
- Canned pumpkin: Canned pumpkin purée lends this dressing a distinctly autumnal flavor and adds body. You can also use a homemade pumpkin purée if you have some on hand.
- Olive oil: We use extra-virgin olive oil, but other oils, such as grapeseed oil or flax oil, work equally well.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar brightens and balances the flavor of this dressing. You can also use fresh lemon juice.
- Maple syrup: Genuine maple syrup boasts a rich flavor with hints of caramel and vanilla. You can use a little more or a little less, depending on your preference for sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds flavor and serves as an emulsifier, bringing everything together.
- Garlic: For a pungent punch of flavor.
- Sea salt: Sea salt enhances all the amazing flavors, so be sure not to skip it. A couple of grinds of black pepper tastes great, too!
Variations to try
While we love this salad as the recipe is written, we feel strongly that salads are supposed to be versatile. Feel free to swap some of the ingredients to your taste, or use what you have on hand. Here are some easy and delicious ideas:
- Swap the squash for roasted sweet potato, and use sliced pear instead of apple.
- Add a cup of cooked quinoa to make it more filling.
- Try other nuts or seeds in place of the pumpkin seeds. We also love using roasted walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, or sliced almonds.
- Add some crumbled crispy bacon or pancetta.
- Sprinkle on some pomegranate seeds to give it a festive feel!
What to serve with roasted pumpkin salad
This is a salad you can serve any night of the week, and we love it with mains like our lemon butter roasted chicken or cranberry pork chops. It’s also elegant enough to serve at special occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas alongside the turkey, and other easy side dishes like wild rice stuffing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and more!
Roasted Pumpkin Salad Recipe
Ingredients
The Salad
- ½ butternut or kabocha squash (about 1 lb, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch EACH: cinnamon and cayenne
- 10 ounces baby spinach (or spinach/ arugula mix)
- 2 ounces goat cheese (crumbled)
- ⅓ cup EACH: pumpkin seeds and fried onions (see notes)
- 1 apple (sliced)
The Dressing
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix!)
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic (very finely minced)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Set your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the baking sheet, add the olive oil, sea salt, cinnamon, and cayenne and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway, until the squash is soft and starting to brown in some places. Remove from the oven and let it cool before using it in the salad. TIP: Roast the whole squash and make this salad for a few meals.½ butternut or kabocha squash, 1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 pinch EACH: cinnamon and cayenne
- While the squash is roasting, combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend on high until it is smooth and creamy about 30 seconds.¾ cup canned pumpkin, ⅔ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Pile the spinach, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, fried onions, and apple slices into a salad bowl. Top with the cooled roasted squash and some of the dressing. Toss and serve right away.10 ounces baby spinach, 2 ounces goat cheese, ⅓ cup EACH: pumpkin seeds and fried onions, 1 apple
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yep! You can get started on this salad ahead of time by making the dressing and roasting the squash. Like all salads, we recommend waiting until right before serving to toss it with the dressing.
How long does the dressing keep in the fridge?
The dressing recipe will make enough for three salads. Store the dressing in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for at least a week.
Can I make the dressing in a jar?
We don’t recommend simply whisking or shaking the dressing ingredients together. The texture is a bit gritty if you don’t use a blender.
Can I use a different dressing?
Definitely! This salad tastes great with a balsamic based dressing like our creamy balsamic vinaigrette, or try our delicious, fall-inspired maple tahini dressing.
More savory pumpkin recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our salad recipes!
This was really delicious! Where we live it’s still sort of summery weather but with a hint of fall, so still too hot for something super heavy but I was craving something that had fall flavor and this was perfect. Everything was really well balanced. I’m glad I stumbled on your blog, I’ve already bookmarked a whole bunch of recipes. Looking forward to trying them soon!
I’m so happy to hear that the recipe was a hit! Thank you for coming back to let us know!!
I’m on team pumpkin year round, too!
Very yummy. Mine turned out quite thick, my Vitamix had a tough time blending it through. What size can did you use? I used 3/4 of a 14oz which is about the smallest you can get around here.
Oh no! The recipe is actually for 3/4 cup not 3/4 of the can. You could thin it out by adding extra oil and vinegar. 🙂
Isn’t it the best?!! I found out about it a few years ago and now it’s always what I reach for. It’s so much tastier than other squashes!
I don’t see the notes for the fried onions and pumpkin seeds
It was a note for paleo and gluten-free diets. Thank you for the heads up! It’s in there now. 🙂