Last Updated on December 8, 2025 by Sabrina Currie
Roasted beet pumpkin salad with feta and pistachios tastes like autumn in a bowl. Fragrant, nourishing, rich and satisfying, this salad of caramelized veggies is a great meal or side dish during the cold months of the year. With quick and easy prep, you can pop your veggies in the oven to roast while you make the simple dressing and gather the remaining ingredients. (Vegetarian and GF)
Why I made/Love this recipe
Beets and pumpkin get extra sweet and caramelized after roasting and those flavors go so well with creamy, tangy feta cheese. Pistachios add crunch and spinach keeps it feeling fresh. I love that the veggies can be roasted up to 3 days ahead making this recipe great for meal prep and quick weeknight dinners. Leftovers make an easy lunch too!
Love spinach? Check out this awesome and easy spinach Greek salad and for cooked spinach recipes, this easy scratch-made palak chicken and oysters motoyaki are full of creamy rich flavors and spinach.
Got beets? Greek beet salad and traditional borscht are some more delicious recipes to use these root vegetables.
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Recipe Ingredients
Just a handful of ingredients are needed for this nourishing salad bowl and I bet you already have lots of them in your fridge or pantry. For any you don't have, check out the easy substitutions and variations below.
- Pumpkin - Use any of the varieties of pumpkin (or a meaty squash) in this simple salad. Pick your favorite! Peel it before cubing and roasting. (See a list of tasty pumpkin varieties in the FAQ section below.)
- Beets - Beets cook a little slower than pumpkin so be sure to keep the cubes on the smaller side. I like to make them slightly smaller than the pieces of pumpkin. Red beets add gorgeous color but yellow beets are delicious for this recipe too. Like the pumpkin, peel the beets before baking.
- Feta - Tangy, crumbly feta is a great foil for the richer tasting veggies. Cow, goat or sheep feta are all suitable.
See recipe card for quantities.
Pumpkin season is also Halloween season! For some awesome snacks, treats, dinners and desserts, check out these great non-candy Halloween treats!
Substitutions + Variations
Don't sweat it if you are missing an ingredient or 2 for this nutritious salad. Make an easy swap and it will still be delish.
- Vegan - This vegetarian salad is easily made vegan by using vegan feta cheese or omitting the feta altogether.
- Grain Bowl - To make this more hearty or a complete meal, add 1-2 cups of your favorite cooked grains to it. Quinoa, white or brown rice, farro or barley are great. A cup of cooked lentils are a tasty addition too.
- Cheese - No feta cheese? Crumbled goat cheese is the closest substitute. For bolder flavor, blue cheese is also delicious in this beet pumpkin salad. Shaved parmesan also works well and brings an Italian vibe.
- Sweetener - I've used maple syrup here but honey is a great alternative. Use an equal amount.
- Nuts - Just like the cheese, you can change it up and use your favorite. Walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans are some of my top choices. Or roast the pumpkin seeds with a little oil and salt until crunchy and use those! Other ideas are sunflower seeds, crunchy pine nuts, or soy nuts.
- Pumpkin - No pumpkin? No worries. This works great with butternut squash or other varieties like hubbard, acorn, You can even use cubed sweet potato (or other root vegetables) but be aware that it cooks much faster than beets so add them to the pan after the beets have been cooking for half the time.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 400'F. Once your pumpkin and beetroot are roasting, make your dressing, chop the nuts and crumble the cheese. Once the veggies are cooked, dinner is ready. This beetroot and pumpkin salad can be served warm or cold.
Step 1. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Slice pumpkin and beets into ½ inch cubes and place on the baking sheet or in a large bowl. Cut red onion into wedges, add it to the cubed veggies and toss in olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Step 2. Spread the pieces out in a single layer and roast vegetables in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and fork tender.
Step 3. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or shaking together in a jar with a lid.
Step 4. Season the balsamic dressing to taste with a little salt and pepper or extra honey and vinegar as you like.
Step 5. Arrange greens on a large serving dish or bowl and top with warm roasted vegetables.
Step 6. Top with fresh parsley, crumbled feta cheese, and crushed pistachios. Drizzle dressing over top and serve as the main meal or as a delicious hearty side salad.
Serve it up in a bowl on it's own or top your favorite grains for a roasted veggie and rice or quinoa salad.
Leftover pumpkin beet salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The spinach will wilt. It is still safe to eat but more enjoyable to remove the wilted spinach before eating and add fresh spinach or greens when serving. Do not freeze this.
Expert Tip
Hate peeling beets? Use pre-cooked beetroot for a quick and easy cheat that will taste just as good in this pumpkin beetroot salad.
Recipe FAQs
The sweetness of the roast pumpkin is a big part of what makes this salad so tasty. Any pumpkin meant for baking will be delicious but leave flavorless Jack 'o Lantern pumpkins for a Halloween decoration.
Big moon, blue prince, Cherokee bush, Cinderella, fairytale, kabocha, cheese, prizewinner and Musquee de Provence, are just a few of the many varieties of pumpkins. A good rule of thumb is that any pumpkin labelled as a pie pumpkin will be good for roasting and eating in other ways too.
More Yummy Salad Recipes
I love hearty salads. As part of a daily meal or as the meal, barely a day goes by that I haven't eaten at least a little salad. Here are some more of my favorite tried and true salad recipes.
- Apple Kale Slaw With Maple Tahini Salad Dressing (V, GF)
- Easy Arugula Burrata Salad With Oven Roasted Grapes
- Thai Prawn Salad With Mango And Spot Prawns
- Greek Spinach Salad With Feta + Fresh Lemon Dressing
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Beet Pumpkin Salad With Feta
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin cubed
- 2 cups beets cubed
- 1 red onion cut into 6-8 wedges
- 1 teaspoon each, dried thyme and rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
- 6 cups beet greens or spinach
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- ½ c pistachios coarsely chopped
- ½ c parsley coarsely chopped
- ½ tsp each, salt and pepper or to taste
Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400'F and line a large baking sheet with foil or baking paper.
- Place cubed beet and pumpkin and red onion wedges onto the baking sheet and toss in olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned and fork tender.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or shake it together in a jar with a lid.
- Arrange greens on a platter and top with warm roasted vegetables. Top with chopped parsley, crumbled feta cheese, then sprinkle crushed pistachios over. Drizzle dressing over top and serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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