Gluten Free Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Salad
Caramelized pumpkin wedges, tangy goat cheese, and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette — this is the kind of salad that makes people forget they're eating a salad. The sugar pumpkin gets tossed in cumin and smoked paprika before hitting a 425°F oven, and those spices coax out a deep, golden crust that's genuinely hard to stop snacking on straight from the pan. Every component here is naturally free of gluten, so there's no swapping, substituting, or second-guessing — just real, whole ingredients that happen to work beautifully together. The homemade vinaigrette comes together in minutes with olive oil, balsamic, Dijon, and a touch of honey, and it ties the warm pumpkin and cool greens into something that feels restaurant-worthy. Toasted pepitas add a satisfying crunch, and the optional dried cranberries bring a little pop of sweetness that plays perfectly against the creamy, crumbled goat cheese. It serves four and works just as well as a stunning starter as it does a light main course. This is the recipe to pull out when you want to impress without spending all day in the kitchen.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the roasted pumpkin
- 2 lb sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- 5 oz mixed greens or arugula
- 3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Toss the pumpkin wedges with 2 tbsp olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure the pieces are not touching.
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