Did you know that pumpkin has a number of health benefits? Enjoy this recipe, guilt-free!

Makes 5 servings

Roasted Pumpkin:

5 pounds sugar pumpkin

2 tablespoons olive/canola oil (in mister bottle)

1 tablespoon McCormick salt free seasoning blend

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette:

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoons honey

1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

pinch of ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive/canola oil

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Salad:

7-1/2 cups arugula

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons hulled pumpkin seeds

5 tablespoons lemon thyme vinaigrette

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To Roast the Pumpkin: Split the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half in half and then use a peeler to take off the skin. Cut each of the quarters into 1 inch across strips. Lay the pumpkin strips in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with oil and sprinkle with McCormick salt free blend. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

For the Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette: Combine the lemon juice, balsamic, honey, Dijon, salt and pepper in the bowl. Slowly drizzle in oil whisking to emulsify. Finish with fresh thyme. Reserve cold until ready to use.

For Family Style: in large shallow bowl arrange the arugula on bottom, top with roasted pumpkin slices, sprinkle with feta and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

For Individual Salad: toss 1-1/2 cups arugula, with 1 cup of the roasted pumpkin slices, 1- 1/2 tablespoons feta crumbles, 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds, and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette.

To Make Shaker Salad cup: In 16 oz. mason jars layer ingredients as follows: 1-1/2 cups arugula, 1 cup roasted pumpkin slices, 1-1/2 tablespoons feta crumbles, and 1 teaspoon vinaigrette. Cover the jars with lids and portion 1 tablespoon of salad dressing into small containers, store in refrigerator. To eat salad: Remove lids from the cup. Pour contents of the dressing container into the cup. Replace the lid to salad and shake the salad until ingredients are mixed.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Salad serving size - 1 serving: Calories 304, Total Fat 6g, Carbohydrates 19g, Fiber 2g, Sodium 296mg, Protein 8g

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette serving size – 1 ounce: Calories 169, Total Fat 18g, Carbohydrates 2g, Fiber 0g, Sodium 51mg, Protein 0g

Recipe courtesy of Morrison Healthcare

Join us as our registered dietitians and chefs serve up some healthy recipes! Cooking demos and samples will be provided. Check out our events calendar to find dates, times and locations near you.