In this delicious marinated pumpkin salad, all of the best sweet and savory flavors come together to make the PERFECT fall salad!
I am so happy that today I get to share this DELICIOUS recipe with you! Last month, I met up with the beautiful Kimberly from “The Little Plantation” and we had the most fun morning cooking, shooting and chatting together! Kimberly and I started blogging around the same time, and I’ve followed along with her cooking journey since the very beginning. She is one of the best food photographers I know and seeing all the creative recipes she comes up with is so inspiring! You can see Kimberly’s take on this delicious salad here.
Sometimes the blogging world can be a bit isolating, and we had a really nice chat about this while I was there. Living in Switzerland and blogging in English, I sometimes feel like I haven’t really integrated in the Swiss blogging community, and I can’t really integrate in the British one, because I’m not physically around to meet people and collaborate. I spend a lot of my days on my own and every now and then I feel a bit sad and wonder if blogging is really for me.
Then, when I do get to meet people like Kimberly and let my cooking creative self run wild, I realise that this IS the right thing for me, and I’m so happy that I get to spend time around such creative people, and obviously, so much food.
This salad is pretty special, let me tell you a bit about it. The pumpkin itself is marinated overnight in a glorious mix of garlic, ginger and spices to absorb as much flavour as possible, before being roasted and served with some fresh coriander and sweet pomegranate seeds. All together these contrasting flavours compliment each other beautifully, it really is a wonderful Autumnal taste!
Pumpkin Salad
Ingredients
Pumpkin and Marinade
- 1 pumpkin small (around 2lb before peeling)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 thumb ginger finely grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground turmeric
- 3-4 tbsp maple syrup
Quinoa
- 1/3 cup quinoa
- 1 + 1/3 cup water
Salad
- 1-2 large handfuls nuts and seeds pinenuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.
- 1 large handful coriander roughly chopped
- 1 pomegranate small
Instructions
- Peel and remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin into 1 inch cubes and place in an airtight container. In a small bowl or glass mix together the oil, garlic, ginger and all the spices and the maple syrup. Mix until nicely combined then pour over the pumpkin. Stir and/or shake in the airtight container until the pumpkin is fully covered with the marinade, close the container if you haven't already and place in the fridge overnight.
- The following day, place the marinaded pumpkin on a baking tray and roast for about 40-50 minutes at (350 – 400F) (175 – 200C), stirring half way through so that the pumpkin doesn't roast on one side only. The pumpkin should feel almost crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.
- As the pumpkin is roasting, prepare your quinoa by cooking it in the suggested amount of water with a pinch of salt. This should take about 15 minutes over a medium flame. Once done, drain away the excess water and set aside.
- Wash and chop the coriander.
- Once the pumpkin is ready, remove it from the oven, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Next combine it with the quinoa, coriander, nuts and seeds and pomegranates.
Notes
Tip 2: You a keep ahold of the pumpkin seeds and roast them for a healthy late night snack.
Tip 3: I’m well aware that coriander isn’t everyone’s favourite, so feel free to use parsley if you prefer.
Tip 4: For a sweeter version replace the pomegranate with chopped dates.
Tip 5: Find quinoa too expensive? The use pearled barley or buckwheat instead!
Nutrition
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Hi Lauren! I love your collaboration with Kimberly! It’s so good to see different takes from the day (yours and hers), and both are just as beautiful and awesome!!! :) Great job, and don’t give up blogging, you are awesome at it and your pictures are just fab! Will be visiting more often! :) xxx
That’s so sweet Anna, thank you so much!! It was so much fun to collab and see two different kinds of photos come out of the same day! xxx
Looks wonderful perfect salad to take to work in my lunch box too, Im always looking for ideas for that. Blogging can definitely be isolating its a good job everyone is so lovely in the online community.
It is isn’t it. It honestly makes me appreciate every comment I get from people, I love having little chats in the comments, and I appreciate how many comments you leave me <3
This is a perfect lunchbox salad, infact I just chopped up a pumpkin tonight and it is marinating now in the fridge ready for tomorrow!
How lovely is to see the same dish and recipe on 2 different but so beautiful places!
The recipe is really lovely, can’t wait to give a try to ‘like this marinated pumpkin’!
Thanks so much for the sweet comment Natalia! It was really special to spend time with someone who shares so many of the same passions I do creating something so delicious! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Letting your cooking self and creativity run wild….that is when I’m in my purest happiest element too :)
It’s a great place isn’t it!
I LOVE your take on the day. And the pictures came out PERFECT!
Thanks so much for coming to cook with me. I genuinely hope we can do it again soon and know you’re always welcome. Big hug
Kimberly
Thank you so much lovely! It’s great to see the same dish in two different styles! I look forward to the next time very much!