Description
A Fall-inspired Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Apple, Kale and Black Rice tossed in a maple vinaigrette, topped with Maple Pecans and dried cranberries. A tasty Thanksgiving Salad, or vegan dinner idea!
Ingredients
Units
- 1 small sugar pumpkin cut into 3/4 inch wedges. (5–6 inches in diameter) Or use a delicata squash
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 cups cooked black rice (or wild rice, or any cooked grain- farro, quinoa, freekah,etc. )
- 4 ounces baby kale (or arugula)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries ( or dried currants)
- 1 apple, ( honey crisp are great!) sliced into thin wedges (or try a persimmon)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
Maple Glazed Pecans: ( you’ll use half)
- 1 cup pecans
- 2 tablespoon real maple syrup
- pinch salt and pepper
Maple Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds. Cut into ¾ inch wedges (leave skin on) and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place on a parchment-lined backing sheet and roast in the oven until fork tender, about 30- 35 minutes.
- Make the Maple Glazed Pecans, baking at the same time. (see notes)
- In a large mixing bowl, add cooked rice, kale, apple, scallions, half of the pecans and dried cranberries and give a stir.
- Add vinaigrette ingredients and toss. ( Or make it separately, and toss before serving)
- Spread out on a platter and tuck warm roasted pumpkin wedges over top. Scattering with remaining pecans and cried canberries.
- Add crumbled goat cheese or farmers cheese if you like (feta may be too salty)
Notes
- Note: You can make maple glazed pecans at the same time (or ahead). In a bowl, toss pecans with maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a parchement-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven, 13-14 minutes, giving a stir halfway through. Let them roast until they just darken slightly. Remove from oven, and using a metal spatula, loosen, then let cool 5-10 minutes, and loosen again. Let cool completely. scrape up, breaking apart, and store in an airtight container.
Feel free to sub delicata squash, sliced into rings.
Make the maple glazed pecans ahead and keep on hand for salads and such.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 281
- Sugar: 12.4 g
- Sodium: 200.8 mg
- Fat: 15.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.1 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg