A flavorful and cozy fall salad, these oven-roasted pumpkin pieces, are combined with feta and walnuts and seasoned with chilli oil and crushed dried sage leaves. It’s perfect for an informal family dinner or even for a holiday feast.
Roasted pumpkin is the quintessential fall flavor, and this warm salad perfectly balances its sweetness with the nutty flavor of walnuts and the fresh sapidity of Feta, with a touch of chili and herbs that will make this the perfect side dish to any main course.
How to roast different kinds of pumpkin
Pumpkin and squash are easy creatures when it comes to cooking them. The oven is probably the best ally when preparing them. Things can go as easy as just slicing them in half and tossing them in the oven – that’s how you make spaghetti squash for example.
With butternut squash, there is always some more prepping involved as I normally peel and dice it before roasting. With round squash like muscat or the traditional “lantern” pumpkins you can skip the peeling altogether, and just slice them and throw them in the oven with your seasonings for a perfectly roasted pumpkin to use in many different ways.
Ingredients for this Roasted Pumpkin Salad
You only need a few ingredients to make this cozy salad.
- Pumpkin, I love to use Muscat squash, but you can use any variety you prefer: butternut, hokkaido, delica (kabocha), etc.
- Feta, Feta cheese adds salinity, and freshness to the salad, perfectly balancing the nuttiness and the sweetness of the pumpkin. Alternatively, you can use grilled Halloumi cheese, Ricotta Salata, or goat cheese.
- Walnuts, they add crunch and nuttiness to the salad. You can use as is, or roast them lightly with a pinch of salt for extra flavor. You can also substitute with hazelnuts or pecan nuts.
- Herbs & Spices, rosemary, sage, chili flakes, and sweet paprika make this salad more flavorful and balanced, rounding up the flavors in such a perfect way.
How to serve this warm Pumpkin Salad
You can serve this delicious Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta and Walnuts in a large serving dish, to accompany main course dishes such as this Baked pork loin in hazelnut sauce, or this Chicken meatloaf with leek and bacon, or even a fall favorite Dried Porcini Risotto With Hazelnuts.
What to do with leftover pumpkin?
What to do with the other half of the pumpkin? Well of course if feeding a large party, you may as well double up all the quantities from the start and make a large bowl of this salad. I decided to slice it and roast it, and then save it for later in the freezer. Since I don’t know if I’ll be using it for a pumpkin curry with coconut milk or a Chocolate pumpkin Bundt cake, I preferred not to add any spices and I just coated it in olive oil. Either diced or mashed, roasted pumpkin will stay in the freezer until the inspiration for my next pumpkin dish comes.
Did you make this roasted pumpkin salad recipe?
If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you’re planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.
Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1/2 Muscat Squash
- 1 small Rosemary Sprig
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Sweet Paprika Powder
- 3 dried Sage Leaves
- 1/2 tsp Chili Flakes
- 70 g Feta
- a handful of Walnuts
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- First of all, wash the pumpkin as you will be roasting it unpeeled. Cut it in half and save the other half for later. Remove the seeds and soft pulp around them and cut the pumpkin into 5-6 slices.
- Pour some olive oil onto the bottom of an oven tray and spread it around in order to coat it all. In a small bowl add 3 tbsp of olive oil, 2 dried sage leaves finely crushed, the rosemary leaves finely minced and the sweet paprika. Stir to combine and spread over the pulp of every pumpkin slice. Lay the slices on the tray over one side, not on the skin, just make sure that both sides are nicely coated in oil mixture.
- Bake the pumpkin slices for a total of 45 minutes at 180°C, turning them after the first half hour so that both sides get to nicely roast. When the baking time is up, take out the tray and let the pumpkin cool down to room temperature.
- With the help of a knife gently peel the pumpkin slices. It should be a fairly easy procedure, as it should pull away from the pulp very easily. Dice the roasted pumpkin and transfer to a serving bowl.
- In a smaller bowl combine 1 tbsp of olive oil, the chili flakes and 1 dried sage leaf finely crushed. Stir and pour this dressing mixture over the pumpkin pieces. Add some salt and toss. Note: Depending on the type of squash used, this salad may come out quite sweet, so the quantity of salt may vary. Keep in mind that the feta will help balance the overall taste, but I like to season the pumpkin alone with some salt to bring it to a more neutral taste.
- Cut the feta into a small dice or crumble it, and add it to the bowl. Lastly, add the chopped walnuts. You can optionally toast them, or just use them directly. Gently toss to distribute the other ingredients all around and serve.
Notes
The beautiful bowls I used are from Studio Kurbits. Not only is the potter behind this project a very talented artist, but I am lucky to also call her a dear friend.
This recipe was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated in November 2025.
It never occurred to me to pair pumpkin with feta and this sounds excellent! Adding feta to the shopping list.
It’s a very nice pairing, and if walnuts are your thing don’t forget to add those, too!!
Okay, YUM. This right here is why winter is my ultimate eating season. This looks so stinking good- cannot wait to try it out!
Hi Karly!! I’m happy I have inspired you to make this. It’s such a delicious salad, I hope you enjoy 😊
I love pumpkins! I even have one at home at the moment, so maybe I’ll just use it to try your recipe, it sounds delicious! 🙂
Uuh then you should definitely try it! That’s the thing about pumpkins, they last so long they could sit on your counter for months. You just need the right inspiration for them, so I’d be glad if you tried this recipe now ^^
This is a magical combination of pumpkin, walnuts and feta1 so flavorful and so vibrant delicious colors!
Thank you so much!
I love squash with feta, they are perfectly matched. I’m with you on not adding honey, pumpkin is lovely and sweet when roasted it really doesn’t need anything else. Lovely recipe x
Thank you 🙂
Your salad absolutely festive the season.. Love it. And yes… İ love the bowl too! 🙂 great pictures
Aww thanks! I love my potter friend’s bowls 🙂
Pumpkin salad is one of my favourite uses of pumpkin! Those pumpkin slices look so flavourful!
I know! I don’t normally include step by step photos but prefer to focus on the finished dish, but these pumpkin slices were so pretty I couldn’t not photograph them!
Most people only think of pies and sweets for pumpkins – I love that this is roasted and made into a salad
Pumpkins are so versatile! Great in risotto or used to make gnocchi, too. They work wonders in savoury dishes as much as in pies!
What a fabulous recipe for a fall salad. I don’t make enough salads in the fall and this has got to change. So many good flavors this time of year!
I agree, so many wonderful flavours. Yet the days getting colder and colder make you crave for hot meals rather than salads. Still this can be a lovely side to a meat roast!
I was just in San Antonio and Austin, Texas last week and all the grocery stores had squash and pumpkins. I grew up in Wisconsin and fall has always been my favorite season because who doesn’t love pumpkin dishes? I should have bought one and taken it to New Orleans with me because I’m totally craving this salad right now!
I am not familiar with New Orleans but from your words I guess it’s too hot for pumpkins? I love pumpkins too and I’m glad to see that this year I’m finding them more in stores than I did last year, when they all only appeared around Halloween.
I’m not personally a fan of pumpkin, but I know that my parents are, and they are vegetarian…I think they would love this recipe, and will definitely be sharing with them
Oh if they like pumpkin I’m sure they will appreciate it!
Yum! Squash, feta and walnuts are a fantastic combination. How tasty this looks!
Thank you 🙂
Wow! I never heard or seen a pumpkin salad before! I am very curious as to what it tastes like!
There is a nice contrast between the sweetness of the pumpkin and the tang of the feta. You should really try it!
Pumpkin and feta is such an interesting combo, it sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try this salad!
Thanks 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
I’ve literally never even heard of muscat squash! But add feta to anything and I am sold. I love the addition of rosemary!
Pumpkin and feta, oh that sounds heavenly delicious. This salad is something I will definitely try soon. I love how that roasted pumpkin looks. Super easy recipe to make too. Love it!