Amping up roasted spiced pumpkin salad with delicious sweet roasted red onions, pine nuts, coriander and a flavour-packed tahini miso dressing. This pumpkin salad recipe is perfect for hot roast dinners, barbeque or festive entertaining.
Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and insides of the pumpkin. Cut pumpkin into large slices (approximately 2 cm thick wedges) and place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and rub with paprika and sea salt.
Peel and cut red onion into half. Then cut each half into thirds. You end up with 6 pieces per onion.Tumble in cut red onion on the other side of the oven tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with sea salt. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, check to see if the pumpkin flesh and red onion is becoming tender. Keep roasting for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. It’s ok to have a few burnt bits on the edges of onion and pumpkin for extra caramelisation. Once cooked, remove from the oven.
Wash and roughly chop coriander to yield ½ cup.
Over a medium-hot heat, dry toast pine nuts, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a medium sized fry pan until lightly brown. It will take about 1-2 minutes. Keep the nuts and seeds moving in the pan as they can burn quickly.
Salad Dressing
In a small mixing bowl, add tahini, miso paste and warm water and mix well together to combine. Tahini and miso paste are thicker in consistency so using warm water will help dilute it and create a smoother paste. If you prefer a thinner consistency, adjust with a little more water.
Add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and maple syrup. Mix until well combined.
Assembly
Layer roasted spiced pumpkin first and then scatter roasted red onion in between the spiced pumpkin wedges.
Scatter coriander and toasted seeds and nuts.
Drizzle tahini miso dressing throughout the salad and serve.
Notes
Butternut pumpkin would be a suitable alternative to Japanese pumpkin if not available.
If you don’t have space to place both pumpkin and red onion together, roast separately. They take similar time to roast.
This tahini dressing can also be placed in a bowl next to the salad so that your guests can scoop their own serve onto their plates.
Omit pine nuts in the recipe for a nut free option.
Switch coriander for continental parsley or even spinach leaves to add freshness.