Pumpkin and quinoa salad

Fall is here and so pumpkin recipes it has to be! This pumpkin and quinoa salad has lots of fresh flavours, and a hint of spice from cinnamon. A healthy vegan, gluten free lunch or light dinner for the fall months.

If you love pumpkin then you may like to see my pumpkin pesto soup and pumpkin spice chia pudding. Both fun and flavourful!

The maple roasted pumpkin in this quinoa bowl is the perfect combination of sweet and flavourful from fall spices. I hope you enjoy during pumpkin season!

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Ingredients

This pumpkin quinoa bowl has quite a long list of ingredients, but most are either fresh veg or pantry staples. The main ingredients you will need are:

• Pumpkin, bell peppers and zucchini - the vegetables of the bowl.
• Quinoa - I tend to use white quinoa but you can also use a quinoa blend.
• Cinnamon, turmeric, basil and coriander - to flavour the quinoa and pumpkin.
• Maple syrup - makes the pumpkin go so deliciously sweet when roasted.
• Pumpkin seeds - for crunch.
• Pomegranate - for pops of sweetness.

Step by step instructions

1. Once the oven is to temperature add the pumpkin to the baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle over the cinnamon, basil, turmeric and coriander. Toss so that the pumpkin is evenly coated. Add the zucchini and red bell pepper to the tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are roasting, cook the quinoa according to packet instructions, adding in a teaspoon of mixed herbs. This is usually about 15 minutes, so begin to cook halfway through the cooking time of the roasted vegetables.
3. Once the vegetables are cooked, combine with the quinoa. Plate up your bowl with the rocket / arugula and then add the vegetables and quinoa mixture. Top with the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, mint and parsley and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper if using.

A note for my low histamine readers

Pumpkin appears to be slightly controversial on a low histamine diet. The SIGHI list rates it as a 0 on their scale, but other lists state that it is high histamine. Be sure that you are OK with pumpkin before trying the recipe!

Cinnamon tends to be used on sweeter dishes, or sprinkled on a coffee, but works so well combined with maple syrup on roasted pumpkin. There is, however, a little controversy over the histamine content of cinnamon. I've seen some websites claim that it isn't suitable on this diet, but the SIGHI food list has it scored at a solid 0 out of 3. Personally, I tolerate it just fine, but test a little first if you are new to this spice.

More pumpkin recipes to enjoy

Enjoy the seasonal pumpkins with these sweet and savoury recipes:

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Pumpkin and quinoa salad

Claire

This maple roasted pumpkin quinoa salad is full of the flavours of fall. The pumpkin is roasted with maple syrup and cinnamon, and other herbs for a really flavourful taste. It's combined with quinoa which gives some healthy plant-based protein as well as lots of tasty vegetables.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Salad

Cuisine American, British

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the pumpkin

• 250 g pumpkin diced into 2cm chunks
• 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup more to taste
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

For the roasted vegetables

• ½ red bell pepper diced into large pieces
• ½ zucchini sliced into 1cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the bowl

• ½ cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs check the herbs are histamine-friendly
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 3 handfuls rocket / arugula
• small handful mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
• pink himalayan salt to taste
• black pepper optional to taste
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil optional, to drizzle onto finished bowl

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Once the oven is to temperature add the pumpkin to the baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle over the cinnamon, basil, turmeric and coriander. Toss so that the pumpkin is evenly coated. Add the zucchini and red bell pepper to the tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.
• While the vegetables are roasting, cook the quinoa according to packet instructions, adding in a teaspoon of mixed herbs. This is usually about 15 minutes, so begin to cook halfway through the cooking time of the roasted vegetables.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, combine with the quinoa. Plate up your bowl with the rocket / arugula and then add the vegetables and quinoa mixture. Top with the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, mint and parsley and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper if using.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

• I really like the little kick of sweetness the pomegranate seeds give to the bowl, but if you prefer you could add halved blueberries.
• It isn't necessary to peel the pumpkin as it is roasted in this recipe.  

 

Swiss Interest Histamine Intolerance Group (SIGHI) food list for histamine

All ingredients in the maple roasted pumpkin quinoa bowl score a 0 on the SIGHI food list, with the exception of:

• sesame seeds, which scores 1. Substitute for another nut or seed if you prefer.
• rocket / arugula isn't scored on the SIGHI food list. Use a different salad leaf if you prefer.
• black pepper, which scores 2 although SIGHI states that small amounts are tolerated. Omit if you prefer.
• pumpkin rates as low histamine on the SIGHI list, but as high histamine on some other lists.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!