This Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Salad is one of my favourite ways to make salad feel right for autumn. Sweet roasted pumpkin and red onion are seasoned with paprika and cumin, then piled onto crisp leaves with earthy beetroot, creamy goat's cheese and crunchy pine nuts. A simple balsamic and Dijon dressing brings everything together.
When the weather starts getting cooler, I still want something fresh, but I also want those warmer, comforting autumn flavours. This easy roasted pumpkin salad gives you both, with plenty of colour and texture too.
The pumpkin can be served warm or at room temperature and, while it is roasting, you can get everything else ready.
It makes a filling vegetarian lunch, but we also serve it as an easy side dish with chicken or salmon. It's colourful enough for entertaining too and looks lovely as part of an autumn or festive spread.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 8 September 2021 and was updated in September 2026 with expanded instructions, serving suggestions, tips and FAQs.
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Why You'll Love It
- Full of autumn flavour - Sweet pumpkin, earthy beetroot and warming cumin and paprika make this feel much more seasonal than a standard green salad.
- Lots of texture - You get soft roasted pumpkin, crisp salad leaves, creamy goat's cheese and crunchy pine nuts in every bite.
- Easy to prepare - Most of the cooking time is hands-off while the pumpkin and onion roast.
- Easy to adapt - Change the leaves, cheese or nuts depending on what you have.
- Serve it warm or cold - This works as a warm pumpkin salad, at room temperature or chilled.
- Lunch or side dish - Enjoy it on its own or serve it alongside your favourite protein.
Recipe Overview
- Pumpkin: Cut into roughly 2cm cubes so it cooks evenly.
- Oven temperature: 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
- Roasting time: Around 40-45 minutes, until tender and starting to caramelise around the edges.
- Dressing: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.
- Best texture: Let the pumpkin cool slightly before adding it to the leaves.
- Serves: 2 as a main meal, or more if serving it as a side dish.
- Make ahead: The pumpkin and red onion can be roasted ahead and kept separately from the salad leaves until you are ready to assemble.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pumpkin - The star of this autumn salad. Cut it into evenly sized 2cm/1 inch cubes so everything cooks at the same rate. Butternut squash works really well instead and is often easier to peel and cut.
- Red onion - Roasting the onion with the pumpkin softens it and brings out its natural sweetness.
- Olive oil - Used for roasting the vegetables and as the base of the dressing.
- Paprika and cumin - These add warmth and a little smokiness without overpowering the pumpkin.
- Salad leaves - I use a mixture of butterhead, radicchio and rocket (arugula). Little gem or romaine will give you more crunch, while baby spinach also works well.
- Beetroot - This is such a good combination with roasted pumpkin and goat's cheese and gives the salad even more colour. I use ready-cooked beetroot that isn't pickled to keep things quick, but you can roast fresh beetroot yourself.
- Pine nuts - They give the salad some much-needed crunch. Toasting them briefly in a dry pan gives them even more flavour.
- Goat's cheese - The creamy, slightly tangy cheese balances the sweetness of the pumpkin and beetroot. Feta is the easiest substitute, or you could use Stilton or Parmesan-style shavings if suitable for your diet.
- Balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard - These make a quick, tangy dressing that cuts through the creamy cheese and sweet roasted vegetables.
How to Make Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Salad
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C (fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Arrange the veg: Put the pumpkin and red onion onto a large baking tray. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the paprika, cumin and a little salt and pepper. Toss everything together until well coated and spread it out across the tray.
- Roast for 40-45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and beginning to caramelise around the edges.
- Make the dressing: While the pumpkin is roasting, mix the remaining olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.
- Cool the pumpkin: Remove the pumpkin and onion from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
⚠️ You don't want the cooked pumpkin and onion piping hot when they hit the salad leaves, otherwise the leaves can wilt.
- Make the salad: Put the salad leaves into a large bowl and toss them with the dressing. Add the beetroot, roasted pumpkin and red onion.
- Serve:Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and crumble over the goat's cheese. Finish with the pine nuts and serve.
How to Cut a Pumpkin
Pumpkins can feel awkward to prepare, so the most important thing is to make sure they are stable before cutting them.
- Slice a small amount from the top and bottom so the pumpkin sits flat.
- Cut it in half and then into quarters, which makes it much easier to handle.
- Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh with a metal spoon. Keep the seeds if you want to roast them later.
- Carefully remove the skin with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, then cut the flesh into roughly 2cm cubes.
- Try to keep the pieces a similar size. If some are much smaller than others, they will soften before the larger pieces are cooked.
What to Serve with Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Salad
This pumpkin and goat's cheese salad is filling enough for a light lunch, especially when the pumpkin is still slightly warm.
For a more substantial dinner, we like it alongside our Perfect Roast Chicken or Greek Yogurt Chicken. The creamy goat's cheese and balsamic dressing also work really well with Herb Crusted Salmon.
It makes a lovely alternative to heavier vegetable sides with a roast too. Try it with Easy Roast Turkey Breast for an autumnal Sunday dinner or as part of a smaller festive meal.
If you want to turn the salad itself into more of a main meal, add some sliced roast chicken, butter beans or chickpeas.
Make Ahead and Storage
This salad is definitely at its best when it is freshly assembled, because dressed salad leaves soften quite quickly.
To get ahead, roast the pumpkin and red onion and allow them to cool completely. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also prepare the other ingredients ahead, but keep the leaves, dressing, roasted vegetables, cheese and nuts separate.
When you are ready to eat, bring the pumpkin closer to room temperature if you don't want the salad fridge-cold, then assemble and dress everything just before serving.
I wouldn't recommend freezing the assembled salad.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Give the pumpkin plenty of room on the baking tray. If the pieces are crowded together, they will steam rather than caramelise.
- For extra protein, add sliced roast chicken, butter beans or chickpeas.
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes before serving if you like a little heat.
- Swap the pine nuts for walnuts, pecans or flaked almonds.
- Scatter over pomegranate seeds for extra colour and a sweet, juicy contrast.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes for extra flavour.
- Drain and pat the cooked beetroot dry before adding it so it doesn't make the salad watery.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin is mushy | The pieces are too small or have cooked for too long | Keep the cubes around 2cm and roast only until tender enough to pierce with a fork |
| Pumpkin is soft rather than caramelised | The tray is overcrowded and the pumpkin is steaming | Use a large tray and spread the pieces into one layer |
| Salad leaves have wilted | The pumpkin was added while piping hot or the salad was dressed too early | Let the pumpkin cool slightly and dress the leaves just before serving |
| Salad looks watery | Excess liquid from the cooked beetroot has mixed with the dressing | Drain the beetroot well and pat it dry before adding |
| Goat's cheese disappears into the salad | It has been tossed too much or added while the vegetables were very hot | Crumble the cheese over the top as the final step |
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose a firm cooking pumpkin that holds its shape when roasted. Butternut squash is also a really good option and is easy to find throughout autumn.
Yes. Butternut squash works really well in this recipe and you can use it in exactly the same way. Keep the cubes roughly the same size and cook until tender.
Yes, and I actually think this is especially good in autumn when the pumpkin is still slightly warm. Let it cool for a few minutes first so it doesn't wilt the salad leaves or melt all of the goat's cheese.
You can also serve the salad at room temperature or cold.
Feta is the closest easy substitute and still gives you that salty, creamy contrast with the pumpkin. Stilton also works if you want a stronger autumn flavour.
Yes, but prepare the components separately rather than assembling the whole salad.
Roast the pumpkin and onion ahead of time and refrigerate them once cooled. Keep the dressing, salad leaves, beetroot, cheese and pine nuts separate and combine everything just before serving.
The finished salad is best eaten fresh because the dressed leaves will soften.
If you have leftover roasted pumpkin and onion, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and assemble another salad when you are ready to eat.
You can. I love the earthy sweetness it adds alongside the pumpkin and goat's cheese, but the salad still works without it. Pomegranate seeds, roasted carrots or extra leafy greens are all good additions instead.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you've tried this roasted pumpkin salad recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Salad
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Salad:
- 400 g (14 oz) of Pumpkin - cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 Red onion - cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon of Paprika
- ½ teaspoon of Cumin
- 130 g (2 cups) of Lettuce
- 2 Beetroot - cooked and diced
- 30 g of Pine nuts
- 60 g of Soft goat's cheese
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons of Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C (fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Arrange the veg: Put 400 g of Pumpkin and 1 Red onion onto a baking tray with 1 tablespoon of Olive oil, ½ teaspoon of Paprika, ½ teaspoon of Cumin ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper. Toss everything together until well coated and spread it out across the tray.
- Cook: Roast for 40-45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and beginning to caramelise around the edges.
- Make the dressing: While the pumpkin is roasting, mix 2 tablespoons of Olive oil with 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper.
- Cool the pumpkin: Remove the pumpkin and onion from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
- Make the salad: Put 130 g of Lettuce into a large bowl and toss them with the dressing. Add 2 Beetroot (diced), roasted pumpkin and red onion.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and crumble over 60 g of Soft goat's cheese. Finish with 30 g of Pine nuts and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Give the pumpkin plenty of room on the baking tray. If the pieces are crowded together, they will steam rather than caramelise.
- For extra protein, add sliced roast chicken, butter beans or chickpeas.
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes before serving if you like a little heat.
- Swap the pine nuts for walnuts, pecans or flaked almonds.
- Scatter over pomegranate seeds for extra colour and a sweet, juicy contrast.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes for extra flavour.
- Drain and pat the cooked beetroot dry before adding it so it doesn't make the salad watery.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Toni says
Such a perfect blend of flavors! Everyone at my house enjoyed it!
Alison says
Such beautiful fall flavors in this salad! I love how the roasted pumpkin pairs with the beetroot! Yum!
Wajeeha Nadeem says
Such a gorgeous salad! I made this yesterday, and it turned out so delicious!
Shannon says
This was great! The pumpkin and beet are such a lovely combination.
Kristen says
This is a wonderful salad! I'll definitely make it again!
Tara says
Such a wonderful salad! I love all that color and the variety of fall flavors. It comes together so easily too!
Nathan says
What a unique salad! I don't eat a lot of goat cheese but this is a great opportunity. Can't wait to try it out!
Tavog says
My kind of salad! Full of colors and umami flavors!
Emily says
This is such an amazing Fall salad! Love all the flavors in this and the combo of goat cheese and pumpkin. I'll be making this all season.
Angela says
What a fabulous fall salad! Love the flavor combo of the beets, pumpkin, and goat cheese. Definitely a favorite!
Toni says
I really loved the combination of flavors in this salad! Fantastic!
Diana Reis says
Such a gorgeous fall salad. I really love pumpkin and beets. The tangy goat's cheese really perks up the earthy flavors.
Jennifer says
I loveeee tangy goat cheese but have never paired it with pumpkin! I can't wait to dig into this salad that's perfect for fall!
Jenn says
Hellooooo delicious! This flavor combination is so epic and perfect for Fall!