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Quick question: Has a single solitary soul at your Thanksgiving table ever pushed back their chair and gone "wow, I legit can't stop eating this SALAD"? Yeah, probably not. Salads at Thanksgiving are usually snubbed or made fun of. But there's quite a few good reasons my family gets super-excited about this roasted pumpkin salad, which just happens to be vegan, gluten-free and something that makes the otherwise heavy meal more balanced and yummy.
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Rosemary roasted pumpkin caramelizes and perks up the slightly spicy radicchio and peppery arugula. Flavorless, limp lettuce? WHERE?
Candied pepitas and walnuts toasted in brown sugar, smoked paprika, and tamari might not even make it into the salad because they are a bangin' snack on their own. The apple cider vinaigrette's got orange zest and shallots, and is drinkably great.
This whole thing is also a meal-prep dream weaver (I believe you can get me through the night). Roast the pumpkin whenever, candy the nuts whenever, mix the dressing whenever, toss it together right before it hits the table. Genuinely a gift on a day when your oven's already fighting 47 other dishes for real estate. And somehow it's the salad with zero leftovers, everyone sneaks back for "just one more handful" 20 minutes after swearing they were stuffed.
I guess you've never seen people go monster-style on a salad?
Jump to:
🥰 Why you'll adore this Thanksgiving salad recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan Thanksgiving recipes, there's not a single lovable creature harmed with this one. And if you are looking for bangin' autumnal gluten-free vegan recipes, this one's a no brainer to print and keep in your food stained kitchen binder.
🍁 Candied Nuts That Have Mad Personality: Brown sugar, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and tamari give these a sweet-savory thing going that regular candied nuts just don't have. They're just as good tossed into some vegan caramel popcorn as they are here.
⏱️ Fully Meal Prep Friendly: Roast the pumpkin, candy the nuts, mix the dressing, all whenever works for you. Toss it together right before serving and look like you've got your whole life together, even though you a little bit feel like a dumpster fire because you are humble and nice.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all my vegan recipes, this salad got sent to over 1,000 testers worldwide before it ever went public.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🎃 Roasted Pumpkin Salad Ingredients
The Pumpkin or Butternut Squash
Butternut squash works fine as a swap if you don't want to end up with ¾ of a giant pumpkin's worth of leftover food you don't know what else to do with.
Acorn squash or kabocha will do the job too. It's all good. Use whatever's in front of you at the store. Cut the pieces small and even. That's how you get those crispy edges that makes the textures in this salad rad.
Tamari
Just a splash, but it's doing a lot more than plain boring ol' salt does on the candied nuts. Tamari keeps things gluten free, but regular soy sauce works too if that's what's in your pantry. If soy's your mortal dietary enemy, coconut aminos have you covered.
Apple Cider and Apple Cider Vinegar
Like I do with my NYT featured vegan apple cider donut recipe, I love having multiple dimensions of apple flavor to make the dressing for this salad really pop.
My only word of caution is when you follow the recipe, DO NOT mix these 2 up and use the wrong amounts for either. Apple cider (sweet) and apple cider vinegar (sour) are very different things and swapping them will make this dressing suck like a soggy old decoration scarecrow-guy left out to rot in the post Halloween mist.
The Greens
This trio of baby arugula, baby kale, and radicchio brings bitterness, pepperiness, and enough sturdy texture to survive a warm topping without turning into that green slime stuff that used to always get dumped over people's heads on Nickelodeon shows.
If buying 3 separate greens feels like overkill, grab a bag of mesclun mix instead and call it a day. Same killer salad, less shopping.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Butternut Squash Salad
If roasted squash and a good crunch is calling your name year round and not just at Thanksgiving, my butternut squash salad runs the same play with a totally different topping lineup.
Curried Pumpkin Salad
Instead of the the seasonings in this recipe, use either Madras curry powder or Japanese curry powder on them to taste.
50 stunning holiday classics designed to win over even the most anti-vegan guests.
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📖 How to make
Become a legit pumpkin salad prodigy by following these step-by-step instructions with tips. Or skip to the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom if you already know your way around a salad bowl well enough.
Step One
Pep in Your Step:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
For the candied nuts, combine the pepitas, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked paprika, tamari, and olive oil in a bowl.
Stir together, spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once with a metal spatula halfway through, until toasted and the maple coating is bubbling. Let cool completely before breaking apart any clusters.
Step Two
David S. Pumpkins:
For the roasted pumpkin, toss diced pumpkin, sage, coriander, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and salt in a bowl and toss thoroughly to coat.
Spread in a single layer on a parchment lined baking pan and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender and browned at the edges.
Step Seven
'Aigrette About It:
For the vinaigrette, combine the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, orange zest, shallot, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt in a jar or small bowl. Shake or whisk until fully emulsified.
Step Eight
Your Fave Disney Movie- Saladin:
Place the arugula, kale, and radicchio in a large serving bowl. Add the roasted pumpkin and dried cranberries. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss gently until the greens are evenly coated. Top with the candied nuts and dill sprigs and serve immediately.
💡Serving Ideas
This salad earned its seat at the big holiday table, sitting right next to the heavy hitters without flinching. Call it an alpha salad if you must.
Garlic mashed cauliflower with onion gravy cover the classic comfort everyone's actually there for.
Me? I'm there for stuffing TBH- either my thanksgiving stuffing with chestnuts and walnuts, or my vegan cranberry cornbread stuffing will do nicely. Now leave me with a whole casserole dish of either under the table, and don't disturb my bliss and focus while I wreck shop on it.
👉Top tips
- Save Some Nuts for the Very Last Second: Toss some candied pepitas and walnuts in with everything, then throw a few extra on top right before serving. That top un-dressed (shocking) garnish stays crunchy and makes the whole platter look quite sexy, if it's not wrong to feel that way about a salad.
- Cut the Pumpkin Into One Consistent Shape, Not Just One Size: Same size does not mean same shape, and a chaotic mix of cubes and wedges roasts at wildly different speeds no matter how precise you thought you were being. Pick 1 shape, commit to it, and let everything finish together like a functional family that never fights about politics.
- Let the Pumpkin Cool Before It Touches the Greens: Hot pumpkin fresh off the pan will wilt your arugula and kale into a sad, sludgy puddle. Give it a few minutes to cool to room temp before it gets anywhere near the salad bowl. Your greens don't deserve this abuse.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yuppp, skip the walnuts entirely or double the pepitas to keep the same amount of crunchy topping. Sunflower seeds work great as a swap too, and pine nuts, if you're not dealing with a tree nut allergy specifically, bring their own little buttery thing to the table.
🧊 In the Fridge
Undressed leftovers keep for up to 2 days, everything stored separately. Once dressed, this is a same-day situation, since the greens will soften over time.
🎃 How should I store the roasted pumpkin and candied nuts separately?
The roasted pumpkin keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheats well in a 350°F (175°C) oven. The candied nuts keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week, staying crunchy the whole time.
✌️You'll also love TF out of these Autumnal Salads:
Unlock a discounted bundle of classes that walk you through vegan Thanksgiving menus with detailed video instruction from Chef Adam Sobel.
Roasted Pumpkin Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Candied Pepitas & Walnuts:
- ½ cup raw pepitas or the cleaned pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin in this recipe
- ½ cup walnuts
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
For the Rosemary Roasted Pumpkin:
- 4 cups pumpkin (or butternut squash) 1 cm. diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground sage
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt or to taste
For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons shallot or red onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
For the Salad:
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 4 cups baby kale leaves
- 2 cups radicchio chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dill sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- For the candied pepitas and walnuts, combine the pepitas, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked paprika, tamari, and olive oil in a bowl. Stir until the nuts and seeds are evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the nuts and seeds are toasted and the maple coating is bubbling. Let cool completely before breaking apart any clusters.
- For the roasted pumpkin, place the diced pumpkin on a baking sheet. Add the sage, coriander, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and salt, and toss thoroughly to coat. Spread the pumpkin in a single layer. Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender and browned around the edges. Let cool slightly.
- For the vinaigrette, combine the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, orange zest, shallot, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt in a jar or small bowl. Shake or whisk until emulsified.
- Place the arugula, kale, and radicchio in a large serving bowl. Add the roasted pumpkin and dried cranberries. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss gently until the greens are evenly coated. Top with the candied nuts and dill sprigs and serve immediately.
Notes
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