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Roast pumpkin, pear, avocado salad with blue cheese and raspberry balsamic dressing

This autumn salad plays on all your taste buds – sweet pear, creamy avocado, tart raspberry, earthy walnuts and salty blue cheese – a delicious combination!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Lunch, Main, Soups and Salad
Servings 1
Dairy Free, Diabetic, Gluten Free

Ingredients
  

Raspberry balsamic dressing

  • ¼ cup raspberries fresh or defrosted frozen
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1-2 teaspoons liquid honey 1-2
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt pinch
  • pepper pinch

Salad

  • 600-700 g pumpkin or butternut cut into 2-3cm chunks (leave skin on)
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or runny honey
  • ¼ cup walnuts or hazelnuts chopped
  • 2 handfuls salad greens e.g. baby spinach, silverbeet or cos leaves
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 1 ripe pear sliced
  • 50-70 g blue cheese or feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200degC.
  • Toss pumpkin or butternut with maple syrup/honey and a good drizzle of olive oil in a roasting tray lined with baking paper. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and slightly sticky and caramelised around the edges.
  • Make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a screw-top jar and vigorously shaking together until the raspberries have disintegrated.
  • Lightly toast walnuts or hazelnuts in a dry fry pan (with no oil) for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, shaking around the pan frequently to prevent them burning. Then set aside to cool.
  • To serve, arrange spinach, roast pumpkin, avocado, pear and nuts on a plate, scatter over blue cheese, and spoon over raspberry dressing.

Notes

The raspberry dressing is one of my favourites – it really complements salads with big, rich flavours like this one. If you have some leftover roast lamb, venison or steak, toss it through the salad.
*Leave out the blue cheese to make this salad dairy-free