A tasty pumpkin quinoa salad with diced pumpkin, pomegranate arils, pumpkin seeds and pecans, all lightly tossed with quinoa sprouts and a tangy maple vinaigrette.
This seasonal pumpkin quinoa salad makes a beautiful lunch or light dinner served with leafy greens and is super easy to make.
This is such a gorgeous and tasty salad filled with some favourite seasonal ingredients. I use raw pumpkin diced nice and small for this recipe to keep it easy to eat.
Sprouting Series
If you love the idea of sprouting your own food you may like to check out the other articles in my sprouting series, such as: How to grow broccoli sprouts, How to sprout lentils, How to sprout chickpeas, sprouting quinoa, sprouting adzuki beans and sprouting buckwheat groats.
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Ingredients
For this quinoa salad with pumpkin, I used the ingredients below. For exact quantities, please see the full recipe card.
- Quinoa sprouts, for instructions on how to sprout quinoa, visit my blog post here.
- Butternut Squash, with a mild, earthy, lightly sweet flavour and bright colour.
- Pomegranate arils, for their juicy sweetness.
- Fresh chives, for their mild onion flavour.
- Parsley & thyme, for flavour.
- Pecan nuts, for their sweet, nuttiness.
- Pumpkin seeds, for their mild nutty flavour and added crunch.
Dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar to give a touch of seasonal acidity to the dressing
- Maple syrup for fall seasonal sweetness
- Mustard powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
Step-by-step instructions with images
Making this raw vegan pumpkin quinoa salad is quick, easy, and ready in 15 minutes.
See the step-by-step instructions below with images, or visit the recipe card for full instructions.
Step 1 - to prepare the flavourful dressing, add the dressing ingredients to a jar, pop on the lid and shake until thoroughly combined.
Step 2 - peel and dice the pumpkin, finely chop the fresh herbs.
Step 3 - add quinoa sprouts to a bowl together with the remaining ingredients and lightly toss together. Drizzle this salad with some of the dressing on serving.
Step 1 - prepare the salad dressing
Step 2 - chop ingredients
Step 3 - add ingredients to a bowl and lightly mix together
Leftovers and storing
This quinoa salad with pumpkin may be stored in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The dressing is best stored in the fridge separately from the salad to avoid a soggy salad.
Not suitable for freezing.
Top tip
If it’s freezing outside, I might steam pumpkin, squash and sweet potatoes before adding them to my meals.
So, if you prefer, lightly steam the finely diced pumpkin (or squash, if using) for about 6-8 minutes before adding it to your salad.
Substitutions and variations
This fall pumpkin quinoa salad is versatile, and you can play around with the flavours by using some of the suggestions below.
They all make brilliant alternative flavours in this dish and go well with pomegranate and pumpkin.
- Pumpkin - can be swapped with your preferred autumn squash, sweet potato or carrot.
- Pomegranate - use chopped apple or dried cranberries.
- Fresh chives - finely chopped red onion, shallots or spring onions work well.
- Parsley - can be substituted with your favourite fresh herbs such as coriander or basil.
- Pecans can be swapped with almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios or walnuts. Or go nut-free and add sunflower, sesame, or flax seeds.
- Apple cider vinegar - use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead.
- Smoked paprika (not raw) and thyme - instead, consider sweet paprika with sage or rosemary.
- Add spice with a bit of powdered cumin and fresh or dried chilli.
- Maple syrup can easily be swapped with agave or date paste.
FAQ
Yes, you can enjoy quinoa salad cold. Removing salad from the fridge at least 15 minutes before eating will help it come to room temperature and make the flavours more enjoyable.
Yes, pumpkin can be enjoyed raw. Peel it first and remove the seeds before blending, grating or dicing, then adding to smoothies, soups or salads.
I hope that I have answered any questions you may have about this recipe. If you have made this recipe, I'd love to know what you think. If you have any questions for me please let me know. Please comment below or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with pumpkin quinoa salad:
- Apple Cucumber Salad15 Minutes
- Vegan Cucumber Salad10 Minutes
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
Equipment
- Chopping board.
- Sharp knife.
- Glass jar with a lid
- salad bowl.
- Fork.
- Teaspoon.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (148g) pumpkin or butternut squash
- 1 cup (180g) freshly sprouted quinoa
- ¼ cup (44g) pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup (25g) raw pecan nuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
- 2 small sprigs thyme, stems removed
Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prepare dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a glass jar, secure the lid and give it a good shake so that the ingredients combine. Set aside.
- Chop ingredients. Half the butternut squash lengthways and carefully peel with a sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard, then finely dice the squash. Finely slice the chives and parsley and remove the thyme leaves from their stems.
- Mix. Add the quinoa sprouts, diced pumpkin, pomegranate arils, and fresh herbs to a bowl. Toss everything together lightly with a fork to evenly combine. Drizzle with dressing to serve.
Notes
Food safety
The UK Food Standards Agency recommends people in vulnerable groups always cook any sprouts until steaming hot all the way through before eating them.
This is because sprouts sometimes contain bacteria, which some people may be susceptible to. Vulnerable groups include the elderly, young children, those with a weakened immune system, and pregnant women.
Never eat sprouts or microgreens that look or smell bad or weird. If you're unsure, then throw them out and start again.
Not all seeds or beans are suitable for sprouting or eating raw. Please be sure to check first.
Check the FSA website for more details.
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