Roasted butternut or pumpkin feta arugula salad is so tasty. Plus, it’s a breeze to put together this pumpkin and feta salad! You can use either butternut squash or pumpkin, since the flavours of each are so similar. Arugula offers a refreshing, peppery flavour, although this ingredient can be swapped for mixed greens, baby spinach or romaine. If you are looking for a fall salad recipe, try out this butternut squash or pumpkin rocket salad. Roasted squash salad is an autumn favourite!
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The almonds add crunch while the feta adds a tangy, salty, creamy flavour and soft texture. You might want to swap the almonds for your favourite kind of nuts. Pecans would work or you could try walnuts or even pistachios. All in all this is a wonderful roasted squash salad bursting with nutritious ingredients.
Vinaigrette for this Fall Salad Recipe
I love the orange vinaigrette. It goes with all kinds of salads actually, not just this pumpkin and feta salad. Along with orange juice you need oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. It’s worth using fresh orange juice for the best flavour. For a different twist, use half lime juice and half orange rather than just the orange juice.
How to Make Roasted Butternut or Pumpkin Feta Arugula
It’s so easy to make this butternut squash or pumpkin rocket salad. Whether you use butternut squash or pumpkin and whether you call it arugula or rocket, you can’t go wrong.
Roast the butternut squash or pumpkin to bring out the natural sweetness and make it tender. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and discard the skin and seeds. It will take about half an hour to get them tender, depending on their size and your oven. Try to get all the pieces the same size so they’re all done at the same time.
Keep the oven hot after cooking the squash so you can roast the nuts in there. Another way to do that would be to warm a skillet on the stove and roast (or toast) the nuts in there. Don’t add any oil if you do it that way.
The roasted squash, roasted nuts and arugula then pair up with the feta and vinaigrette to finish the dish. I love this with pumpkin still warm from the oven! If you make this butternut and feta salad ahead though, don’t add the arugula, dressing or feta until just before serving.
There are so many delicious contrasts in this easy roasted squash salad. That’s why it works so well. The creaminess of the feta contrasts with the sharp citrus of the vinaigrette. The nuts contrast with the soft ingredients. And then the sweet pumpkin or squash adds another layer to the overall flavour. This fall salad recipe is just amazing!
What’s the Difference between Butternut and Pumpkin?
You might be wondering about these two ingredients if you’re planning to make roasted butternut or pumpkin feta arugula. What’s the difference between these two? Well, first let’s look at the similarities. They’re both sweet, they’re both orange and they’re both delicious!
Butternut squash has 45 calories in 3½ ounces while pumpkin has 26. It’s also slightly higher in carbs. Pumpkin is higher in Vitamin B2 while butternut squash contains more of the other Vitamins.
Butternut squash is long while pumpkin is round. They have different flavours and textures but you might need to taste them side by side to see what I mean! They are very subtle differences.
Just use whatever you have for this roasted butternut or pumpkin feta arugula dish. You could even use leftover roasted pumpkin cubes for this pumpkin and feta salad. Warm them up or have them cold, as you prefer.
Roasted Butternut or Pumpkin Feta Arugula Variations
I bet chopped fresh strawberries would be amazing in this roasted squash salad. If that’s too much sweetness for you, halve the amount of honey in the dressing to make up for it. If feta isn’t your favourite cheese, consider fresh mozzarella (the kind that comes in liquid) or goat cheese.
A rocket salad can be served as it is, either for dinner or a light lunch, or paired with buttered crusty bread. If you are a fan of arugula, you might like to also try this ancient grains salad.
Planning to take this to work for lunch? You could put it in a mason jar (squash, almonds and feta on the bottom with the vinaigrette and then the arugula on top so it doesn’t get soggy. Tip it into a serving bowl for a wonderful lunchtime salad.
This fall salad recipe is just incredible. I never get tired of pumpkin and feta salad. It’s just so more-ish! And you can’t beat freshly roasted pumpkin and toasted pecans. Yum!
Roasted Butternut or Pumpkin Feta Arugula Rocket Salad Recipe
Roasted Butternut or Pumpkin Feta Arugula Rocket Salad
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash or pumpkin, sized small
- 3 Cups arugula
- 1/2 Cup almonds
- 4 Oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Orange vinaigrette
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice fresh
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1/2 Tsp. salt
- 1/4 Tsp. ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a baking tray.
- Chop the butternut squash into bite-size pieces, removing the skin. Place pumpkin chunks in the baking tray; sprinkle some salt over them. Bake pumpkin for 20 minutes, flip pieces around and bake them for another 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
- In another baking tray, place the almonds with a drizzle of olive oil. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Roast the almonds for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
- For the vinaigrette, simply whisk all the ingredients until combined.
- Divide baked squash, roasted almonds, and arugula leaves into two bowls. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and with a drizzle of the orange vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Notes
- Replace almonds with pecan nuts or walnuts. You can prepare roasted nuts in advance as they last for weeks in an airtight container.
- Replace arugula with baby spinach if desired.
- If you choose to make this salad in advance, add arugula, feta cheese, and the dressing just before serving so arugula leaves won’t look damaged.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
So if you have been looking for new salad ideas, this butternut and rocket salad recipe will never disappoint!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
I always wondered why it was called a rocket salad.
I can’t even tell you how excited I am for pumpkin season and this salad is the perfect healthy lunch idea for me
This looks amazing! I love anything with butternut squash and this looks healthy and delicious.
I have a love hate relationship with arugula. When I make a salad with it, it always seems bitter. But when I get it at a restaurant, I love it. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
What a fabulous recipe for a fall salad. I love the roasted squash in it. I will be making this again!
WOW, now this is what a salad should look like! So delicious and healthy with all these yummy roasted vegs.