This Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad recipe puts the tastes of fall on your table. This recipe can be a part of a low-carb, keto, Atkins, diabetic, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free or Banting Diet. 

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The Recipe

This Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad boasts tender pieces of pumpkin and onion roasted to bring out their sweetness and add richness to their flavor. A sprinkle of fresh sage adds a note of reminiscent of a Thanksgiving dinner. 

The pumpkin and onions are piled on a bed of baby kale creating an autumn masterpiece. It’s the kind of salad that would be at home 

The Inspiration

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the October 2018 Southern Living magazine. Their recipe for Roasted Pumpkin and Baby Kale Salad inspired both this recipe and the recipe for salad dressing that I put up last week.  

While I love sweet pumpkin-spice dishes, I wanted to branch out the pumpkin recipes on the blog this year to include a savory recipe. I loved the idea of a roasted pumpkin salad, but I ended up making loads of changes in the recipe to make it low-carb, as well as to put my own stamp on it. 

I actually very much meant for the recipe for this salad and the dressing to go together. However, rather than putting the salad and the dressing on the blog as a single recipe, I decided to put the salad dressing up as a separate recipe. After all, the vinaigrette could be used on almost any salad and I didn’t feel it was right to limit its use.

Tips and Tricks

While you could use another dressing on this recipe if you have one you love, I recommend my Low-Carb Maple Mustard Vinaigrette. I actually created this dressing specifically for this salad. I love how the maple combines with mustard to enhance the roasted pumpkin and the baby greens.

If you can’t find baby kale, any winter salad greens could be substituted. Spinach greens, for example, would work well. Very delicate greens. such as butter lettuce, won’t hold up as well against the assertive fall flavors.

If you can’t find the perfect pumpkin, no worries! A butternut squash will stand in beautifully. 

Make this salad a meal by adding cubes of leftover turkey or chicken. If you aren’t dairy-free, some feta cheese will round it out as a meal as well.

How to Pick a Pumpkin

Picking a pumpkin for roasting or baking is rather different from picking one to carve into a jack-o-lantern. Instead of looking for a canvas for carving, you need to consider taste, texture, and freshness.

Pick the right variety

For this recipe, you need to choose a pumpkin meant for cooking rather than carving. Pass by those boxes with massive pumpkins in the entrance of the store and head for the little round pumpkins in the heart of the produce section. Generally, the ones you want for cooking are labeled as “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins”. 

While the large pumpkins are edible, their flesh tends to be more stringy, less tender, and less flavorful. 

Check out that stem

Once you’re looking in the right bin, you need to check out your pumpkin carefully. First of all, be sure that the stem is attached  and there are no signs of mildew or mold around the attachment.

Look at the skin

Check over your pumpkin carefully for soft spots and bruises. These blemishes indicate that the pumpkin may be starting to go bad.

Don’t worry if the pumpkin’s skin is a bit dull. This can happen as it ages, but should not affect the flavor.

Store it well

Whole pumpkins do best if you store them in a cool, dry area. If you have leftovers, wrap them well or put them in an airtight container and refrigerate. 

Final words

This salad makes a glorious addition to the fall table. It works with any number of meats and would be a natural addition on the Thanksgiving table.

Don’t forget the dessert, though! I highly recommend our keto pumpkin custard, It’s like a crustless pumpkin pie. Prefer a crust? This keto pumpkin pie from Butter together will fit the bill. 

Enjoy!

Annissa

This Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad boasts tender pieces of pumpkin and onion roasted to bring out their sweetness and add richness to their flavor. 😋🍴

5 from 4 votes

Print

Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad

This Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad boasts tender pieces of pumpkin and onion roasted to bring out their sweetness and add a touch of toasted flavor. A sprinkle of fresh sage adds a note of reminiscent of a Thanksgiving dinner. 

Course Salad

Cuisine American, low-carb

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

cooling time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 139 kcal

Author Annissa Slusher

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves stacked and sliced
• 1 pound raw pumpkin peeled, seeded, and sliced into wedges
• 4 ounces red onion peeled and sliced into wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• sea salt (optional)
• 2 tablespoons raw pecans chopped
• 1 recipe Maple Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450º Fahrenheit. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets by coating with your oil of choice or lining with parchment. Combine avocado oil and fresh sage leaves in a large mixing bowl. 

   

2. Add the raw pumpkin and the red onion wedges to the oil and sage mixture and toss to coat.
   

3. Divide the pumpkin and the red onion and spread evenly on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. 

   

4. Bake the vegetables in the preheated oven, without stirring, until brown and tender, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes.

5. In a medium bowl, toss kale with a few tablespoons of dressing. Arrange kale on a platter, then top with the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with pecans. Drizzle remaining dressing over the top.

   

Recipe Notes

Nutritional Information includes the Low-Carb Maple Mustard Vinaigrette.

Nutritional information does not include any optional salt.

Serving size: 1/6th of the recipe

Per serving:

6 grams net carbs

Nutrition Facts

Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 139 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 140mg6%

Potassium 365mg10%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 6950%139%

Vitamin C 30.5%37%

Calcium 50%5%

Iron 1.1%6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.