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. 😋🍴

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.
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
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.
Add the raw pumpkin and the red onion wedges to the oil and sage mixture and toss to coat.
Divide the pumpkin and the red onion and spread evenly on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Bake the vegetables in the preheated oven, without stirring, until brown and tender, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
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
What a beautiful autumnal salad. I love the addition of the pecans too.
I love all the warm fall flavors in this salad!!
I’m always looking for a new way to “salad” and the roasted pumpkin in this one is calling my name. It’s so pretty too with those harvest colors!
That really is a gorgeous, delicious autumnal salad! I love the added from the pecans! I can’t wait to give it try!
Pecans are one of my favorite nuts.
What a great fall salad. Perfect for Thanksgiving.
We’ll enjoy this salad. I’ll use butter nut squash. since we have an abundance of them.