Roasted pumpkin and quinoa salad with lemon dressing

Sweet roasted pumpkin, fluffy quinoa, crisp cucumber and peppery rocket make a colourful salad for lunch or a shared table. The recipe contains no dairy, onion or garlic as written, and the dressing is mixed from everyday ingredients.

Serves: 4   Preparation: 20 minutes   Cooking: approximately 30 minutes   Total: approximately 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 700 g peeled and deseeded Kent pumpkin, cut into 25 mm cubes
• 30 mL olive oil
• 2 g fine salt, divided
• 180 g dry quinoa
• 360 mL water
• 150 g Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways and sliced
• 60 g rocket leaves, washed and dried
• 30 g pepitas
• 15 g fresh chives, finely sliced

For the lemon dressing

• 45 mL extra-virgin olive oil
• 30 mL fresh lemon juice
• 10 g Dijon mustard, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper, optional

Method

1. Heat a conventional oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray. Toss the pumpkin with 30 mL olive oil and 1 g salt, then spread it in a single layer.
2. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until tender and lightly browned at the edges. Set aside for 10 minutes so it is warm rather than piping hot.
3. While the pumpkin cooks, rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve. Put it in a saucepan with 360 mL water and the remaining 1 g salt. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
4. Remove the quinoa from the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, spread it over a shallow tray and allow it to cool for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and optional mustard in a small bowl. Add black pepper if it suits you.
6. Combine the quinoa, roasted pumpkin, cucumber, rocket, pepitas and chives in a large serving bowl. Pour over the dressing and fold gently so the pumpkin keeps its shape. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Intolerance considerations

• Lactose and milk: the listed ingredients contain no dairy. Check the mustard label for milk if you are managing a diagnosed milk allergy.
• Onion and garlic: neither is included. Check any packaged mustard or seasoning blend for added ingredients.
• Gluten and wheat: the recipe uses no gluten-containing cereal as written. For coeliac disease or wheat allergy, choose quinoa, mustard and seeds labelled for your needs and prevent cross-contact during preparation.
• FODMAPs: this recipe has not been laboratory tested or certified low FODMAP. Pumpkin varieties differ, and the total serving matters. If you are following a prescribed low-FODMAP plan, check the ingredients and your portion against current guidance from your dietitian or the Monash app.
• Starch and carbohydrates: pumpkin and quinoa contain carbohydrate, and quinoa contains starch. This is not a starch-free recipe.
• Seeds: pepitas are pumpkin seeds. Omit them if seeds are not suitable for you, and check for cross-contact if allergy is involved.

Practical substitutions

Replace the rocket with 60 g baby spinach, or use 15 g flat-leaf parsley instead of chives. If mustard does not suit you, leave it out and whisk the oil and lemon juice thoroughly before dressing the salad. Sunflower seeds can replace the pepitas where appropriate.

Queensland blue or butternut pumpkin can be used instead of Kent pumpkin, but texture, sweetness and individual tolerance may differ. Keep the prepared weight at 700 g.

Store safely

Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours and keep below 5°C. Use within 2 days. Add fresh rocket after storage if you prefer it crisp. See the NSW Food Authority’s leftovers guidance.

More everyday ideas

Browse the full Intoleran Australia recipe collection, or read our guide to inulin and sugar alcohols on food labels before choosing packaged dressings and seasonings. Individual tolerance varies; an Accredited Practising Dietitian can help if you need to manage several restrictions.