Do I have to peel the pumpkin for the salad?

That depends on the variety. Hokkaido keeps its skin, which softens as it roasts, is perfectly edible and holds the wedges in shape. Butternut has a much tougher skin, so I always peel it. The seeds come out of both, but do not throw them away: washed, dried and roasted along for the last 10 minutes they make the best topping for this salad.

Is the pumpkin quinoa salad really vegan?

Yes, entirely. The sweetness comes from maple syrup in both places, once in the tray mixture and once in the dressing, and the dark depth comes from the dates. The syrup even caramelises on the pumpkin marginally better than honey would. Do glance at the ingredients on bought soy sauce, because a few brands contain fish extract. Everything else in the recipe is plant-based anyway.

How do I get quinoa fluffy rather than bitter?

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water before cooking, ideally for a full minute in a sieve under running water. The bitterness sits in the saponin on the outer coating and washes straight off. After that the ratio is 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water, cooked covered, then left off the heat for 5 minutes to finish swelling. Fluff it with a fork at the end and never stir it with a spoon, or it goes mushy.

Can I prepare the salad ahead?

Very well indeed, but in separate parts. The quinoa and the roasted vegetables keep for 3 days in the fridge, and the dressing keeps for 5 days in a screw-top jar. Only combine everything just before eating, because the salad leaves collapse otherwise. For a lunchbox I layer the dressing at the bottom, then the quinoa and vegetables, and the leaves right at the top.

Is the salad served warm or cold?

Lukewarm is best. Let the roasted vegetables stand for 5 to 10 minutes after baking so they are no longer hot but still giving off warmth. That warmth wilts the salad leaves very slightly and helps the dressing soak in without anything overcooking. Cold from the fridge the next day the salad is still good, simply less aromatic.

12 AUGUST 2026

Pumpkin Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Dates

Name: Pumpkin Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Dates
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 small pumpkin; 5 shallots; 1 tin chickpeas; 3 Tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp paprika powder; 1 Tbsp maple syrup; salt and pepper; 200 gr (7 oz.) quinoa; 100 gr (3.5 oz.) mixed salad leaves; 50 gr (1.8 oz.) dates; 20 gr (0.7 oz.) sesame seeds; 4 Tbsp olive oil; 3 Tbsp cider vinegar; 1 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 Tbsp maple syrup; 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard; ½ lime; salt and pepper

By Verena Frei

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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4 servings

Hello lovelies, the first pumpkin of the season never goes into soup here, it goes onto a baking tray. What comes off that tray turns into this pumpkin quinoa salad with chickpeas and dates: warm, entirely vegan, filling enough for dinner, and with a sesame dressing I now make in double quantity because otherwise there is never enough of it.

Close-up of pumpkin quinoa salad with roasted chickpeas, shallots and sesame seeds

Pumpkin, shallots and chickpeas all go onto one tray with olive oil, paprika and exactly 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, which is what makes the edges caramelise. The only thing that matters is patting the chickpeas dry first, otherwise they steam and never turn crisp. My older and much plainer autumn salad with roasted pumpkin is still there too, and it manages entirely without grains.

The quinoa is what turns all of this into a main course. 200 gr (7 oz.) sounds like a lot, but it spreads across 4 servings and makes sure nobody is back at the fridge an hour later. Do rinse it properly before cooking, that is what takes the bitterness away.

Plated pumpkin quinoa salad with pumpkin wedges, green leaves and dates

The dressing lives on the toasted sesame, and that is the one place where you have to pay attention: golden turns to bitter in under 30 seconds, so I lift the seeds straight out of the hot pan. I love that same sesame note in my salad with sesame potatoes, tomatoes and chickpeas, which takes over the tray duty in winter.

Overhead view of pumpkin quinoa salad with sesame dressing and salad leaves

The dates are the point where most people look sceptical and then nod after the first bite. They bring exactly the dark sweetness that roasted pumpkin and salty soy sauce were still missing. If you like pumpkin and quinoa in an entirely different shape, do try my quinoa pumpkin burger.

Sesame dressing being poured over the pumpkin quinoa salad

Ingredients for pumpkin quinoa salad with pumpkin, chickpeas, quinoa, dates and sesame

I wish you one of those lukewarm salad evenings where the tray is still steaming and the kitchen smells of roasted pumpkin. And if you want something to mop up the dressing with, my freshly baked pumpkin baguette is the companion to reach for.

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: the pumpkin, shallots and chickpeas all go on the same tray, but I really do pat the chickpeas dry first. Wet chickpeas steam instead of roasting and stay soft, dry ones turn crisp on the outside. The maple syrup in the tray mixture is not a glaze, it is there so the edges caramelise, which is why 1 tablespoon is enough for the whole tray. I always toast the sesame seeds separately in a dry pan and lift them out the moment they smell nutty, because golden turns to bitter in under 30 seconds. I never throw away the seeds from inside the pumpkin either, I wash them, pat them dry and roast them along for the last 10 minutes. And if you want to take the salad with you: dressing at the bottom of the jar, leaves at the top, and everything is still crisp by lunchtime.