Recipe for: Quick seasonal salad: roasted pumpkin, quinoa, and pomegranate with halloumi - photo 1
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Recipe for: Quick seasonal salad: roasted pumpkin, quinoa, and pomegranate with halloumi

Salads Vegetarian Dishes 35 min Easy 17 wyświetleń ~32.58 PLN - (0)
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Description

A colorful, seasonal salad combining the sweetness of roasted pumpkin, nutty quinoa, juicy pomegranate seeds, and crunchy walnuts, complemented by golden halloumi and a sweet-spicy vinaigrette. The dish is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine in a modern, quick version — perfect for a fall lunch, a light dinner, or as an impressive side for dinner. The salad catches the eye with the contrast of orange pumpkin, green spinach, and ruby pomegranate, while the rich texture (soft pumpkin, creamy quinoa, crunchy nuts, fried cheese) provides a full, balanced flavor experience. Serve immediately while the halloumi is still warm for the best contrast of temperatures and textures.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (16)

Servings:
4
  • Halloumi 160 g
  • Pomegranate seeds 80 g
  • Red onion 0.5 szt. (~75 g)
  • Balsamic vinegar 15 ml
  • Dijon mustard 10 g
  • Lemon juice 20 ml
  • Walnuts 50 g
  • Butternut squash 400 g
  • Olive oil 30 ml
  • Spinach 120 g
  • Quinoa 70 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt (~4 g)
  • Black pepper 2 szczypty (~1 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds 25 g
  • Honey 15 ml
  • Chili flakes 1 szczypta (~1 g)
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~32.58 PLN (8.14 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparing the pumpkin

1

Preheat the oven to 220°C (top-bottom) with the convection function if you have it. Peel the pumpkin with a chef's knife (sharp), cut off the ends, slice it lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut the flesh into even cubes about 1.5-2 cm on each side. Transfer the pieces to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with 10 g of olive oil, sprinkle with 1 g of salt and 1 g of pepper, and mix with your hands or a silicone spatula so that the oil evenly coats the pieces. Bake on the middle rack for 22-25 minutes, turning once halfway through — the pieces should be golden on the edges and soft when pierced with a fork.

Ingredients: butternut squash, Olive oil, Salt, Black pepper
Use a large cutting board and a sharp knife. Mold: baking tray 30x40 cm. Do not place the pieces too close to each other (they need to breathe) — this way they will brown nicely and not steam.

Quinoa

2

Rinse 70 g of dry quinoa under cold water in a fine sieve for about 30 seconds, shaking the sieve until the water runs clear. Pour the rinsed quinoa into a small pot, add 140 ml of cold water (ratio 1:2), cover with a lid, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 12-15 minutes without lifting the lid — the quinoa will absorb the water. After cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork (it should be slightly fluffy, and each grain should have a characteristic 'tail'). Set aside to cool slightly.

Ingredients: Quinoa
Use a small pot with a lid (volume ~1 l). If the quinoa is still hard after 15 minutes, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and cook for another 1-2 minutes. For rinsing, it's best to use a fine mesh strainer.

Pickled onion

3

Peel and slice 75 g of red onion into thin half-rings (it's easiest to do this on a cutting board, slicing into small pieces while gently holding it with your hand). In a small bowl, mix 15 g of balsamic vinegar, 10 g of lemon juice, and 20 g of hot (not boiling) water, add 2 g of salt and stir well until dissolved. Immerse the onion slices in the marinade and let sit for at least 8-10 minutes — the onion will soften and lose its sharpness, becoming tender and aromatic.

Ingredients: Red onion, Balsamic vinegar, Lemon juice, Salt
Use a sharp knife and a small bowl. Marinating takes a few minutes — you don't need to let it sit for long. If you prefer a sweeter effect, you can add 5 g of honey (optional).

Roasting nuts

4

In a dry skillet (preferably non-stick) with a diameter of 24-26 cm, toast 50 g of walnuts for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, shaking the skillet every 30 seconds, until the nuts start to smell fragrant and lightly darken. After toasting, transfer the nuts to a plate, allow them to cool, and chop them gently with a knife into larger pieces.

Ingredients: Walnuts
Use a wooden spatula to stir them if necessary. Be careful — they can easily burn, so keep an eye on the process and remove from heat immediately after a smell appears.

Frying halloumi

5

Drain and dry 160 g of halloumi with a paper towel. Cut into slices 7-8 mm thick. Heat a pan (preferably non-stick or grill) over medium heat, add 5 g of oil. Fry the halloumi slices for 2-3 minutes on each side until they develop a golden, crispy crust. Once cooked, place them on a paper towel to drain excess fat.

Ingredients: Halloumi, Olive oil
The pan should be well heated but not burning. Use a spatula to turn it. Halloumi does not melt like regular cheese — if it is well cooked, it will maintain a firm structure with a crispy crust.

Preparing the dressing

6

In a bowl, combine 15 g of olive oil, 10 g of Dijon mustard, the remaining 10 g of lemon juice, 15 g (optional) of honey, 2 g of salt, and 1 g of freshly ground pepper. Whisk vigorously with a small spoon or whisk for 20-30 seconds until the ingredients are combined and the dressing becomes smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired: if it's too sour, add a bit of honey; if it's not flavorful enough, add a pinch of salt or mustard.

Ingredients: Olive oil, Dijon mustard, Lemon juice, Honey, Salt, Black pepper
Use a small bowl and a mini whisk or fork. If you don't have honey (optional), the dressing will be less sweet but still tasty.

Salad Assembly

7

In a large bowl, pour in 2/3 of the prepared dressing with a spoon (you will season the rest later). Add 120 g of fresh spinach to the bowl and gently mix to coat the leaves with the dressing. Add 200-220 g of cooked quinoa (cooked from step 2), warm pieces of roasted pumpkin (from step 1), drained pickled onion (from step 3), and pomegranate seeds. Gently mix with a wooden spoon to avoid crushing the pomegranate seeds or mashing the pumpkin.

Ingredients: Spinach, Quinoa, butternut squash, Red onion, Pomegranate seeds, Balsamic vinegar
Use a large salad bowl or mixing bowl (minimum diameter 26 cm). Stir gently, preferably with a long wooden or silicone spoon. If the quinoa has cooled completely, lightly reheat it (microwave for 20-30 seconds) so the salad is not too cold.

Finishing and serving

8

Transfer the salad to a serving platter or plates, and top with slices of hot halloumi. Sprinkle with 50 g of chopped, toasted walnuts and (optional) 25 g of toasted pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and, if you like heat, add 1 g of chili flakes. Finally, sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds on top for visual effect. Serve immediately — best when the halloumi is still warm and contrasts with the cool spinach.

Ingredients: Halloumi, Walnuts, Roasted pumpkin seeds, Chili flakes, Pomegranate seeds, Honey
Use kitchen tongs or spoons to add cheese and nuts. Additionally, you can add 15 g of honey as a dessert touch on top for those who want (optional).

Final tips

9

Check the taste and season with salt or pepper just before serving. The salad tastes best served immediately when the halloumi is warm and the pumpkin is slightly soft. If preparing in advance, keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving to avoid wilting the leaves.

Ingredients: Salt, Black pepper, Olive oil
If you want to take the salad to go, pack the dressing and halloumi separately and combine them just before eating.

Fun Fact

💡

Halloumi comes from Cyprus and is traditionally a salted cheese that holds up well to frying — which is why it works well in salads as a warm element. Pomegranate has been valued since ancient times as a symbol of abundance and often appears in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Best for

jesienny obiad lekki lunch impreza ze znajomymi

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the salad on a large, flat platter to showcase the colors. Serve immediately after assembling, while the halloumi is still warm. A great accompaniment is ciabatta or crunchy seeded bread. For a more elegant version, add a few leaves of fresh mint or parsley before serving.

🥡 Storage

It's best to eat the salad right away. Store leftovers in the fridge separately: the salad without dressing for 1-2 days, halloumi and dressing in separate containers for up to 3 days. Halloumi can be briefly heated in a pan before serving. It's not recommended to store salad with dressing for long, as the leaves will wilt.

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