While I am not one to usually celebrate Halloween, I thought it would be fitting to upload my latest pumpkin recipe. I made this salad for a gathering over the weekend and it sure was a hit! Making use of simple ingredients that I usually have on hand, this salad is a minimal but a crowd pleaser! This plate served 7 comfortably as a side with other salads and we still had 2-3 serves left over.

Pumpkin & Haloumi Salad

Serves 7-10 (depending on who you’re serving/how much). 

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 pumpkin. I used a Jap (Japanese pumpkin) and I keep the skin on (you can take off if that is your preference), cut into wedges
  • 2 bunches asparagus, rinsed
  • 1 packet haloumi, cut into slices
  • 1 tin lentils, rinsed and drained
  • Baby spinach, to cover plate
  • Pesto
  • Italian parsley, to taste
  • Seeds, to garnish
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Arrange pumpkin on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and some salt/pepper. Roast until cooked to your liking. I like mine caramelised so it was in for a fair while.
  2. Heat a pan over medium heat. I like to use a little olive oil spray, but my pan is pretty non-stick so doesn’t need a heap. Place slices of haloumi in pan and fry until brown on bottom, flip and cook until brown on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with some paper towel.
  3. Add the asparagus to the heated pan with a bit of olive oil and sauté, mixing frequently, until browned and cooked well. If they are really thick stalks, steam them slightly first to soften. You don’t want them too floppy though.
  4. Layer your salad. Spread the spinach over your dish or plate, loosely covering it. Sprinkle half of the lentils on top. Layer some pumpkin, asparagus and some haloumi (break it up a little if you want). Add the other half of the lentils. Add the rest of the pumpkin, asparagus and haloumi. Garnish with parsley and seeds. Dollop your pesto around the plate.
  5. Enjoy!

Notes:

*You can make your own pesto or use a store bought one. On this occasion, I used a store bought one, but I will make it again with a homemade version and share the recipe.

**You can also toast your seeds for extra crunch and flavour.