Salads are consistently a great way to get in your daily greens, but they sometimes seem easier to digest in the warmer months. So we’ve added roasted pumpkin to a fairly simple green salad to create a little more fall substance and flavor for the upcoming colder months. It’s great as a main course if you add lean chicken stripes or it’s a nice side to squash soup. And pumpkin is full of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that research shows can help reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease, so eat up!
Ingredients:
- -2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- -1/4 tsp salt
- -1/4 tsp pepper
- -6 cups mixed salad greens
- -1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- -3 cups sliced cherry tomatoes
- -3 cups pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- -1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
- -balsamic vinegar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Toss pumpkin with olive oil, salt, and pepper and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Roast until pumpkin is tender-firm and edges are caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
3. Combine all other salad ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste
4. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar just before serving
