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Food

Pumpkin Seed and Arugula Salad

Serves 4.

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Pumpkin Seed and Arugula Salad
Homemade salad dressing should be an integral part of everyone’s cooking repertoire—the basic formula is easily adjusted based on what you have in the cupboard. The nutty flavour of pumpkin seed oil combines beautifully with peppery arugula.

Lighten up

Pumpkin seed oil is quite rich, so it is best supplemented in a dressing with an equal amount of extra-virgin olive oil to lighten it up.

Did you know?

Pumpkins and their seeds are ancient superfoods and have been consumed since early civilization in all parts of the Americas.

Shopping tips

Optimal pumpkins for roasting are small sugar pumpkins rather than the larger carving pumpkins, which can be too stringy. Kabocha or red kuri squash are good substitutes. Choose raw unsalted pumpkin seeds, keep them in the fridge or freezer to prevent rancidity, and roast them yourself as needed. Keep the oven temperature under 325 F (160 C) to protect the healthy fats, and watch them closely, as they can burn quickly.

Ingredients

Dressing
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) pumpkin seed oil
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) apple cider vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) honey
  • Pinch each of salt and pepper
Salad
  • 1 bunch or 5 oz (140 g) clamshell of arugula
  • 1/3 cup (80 mL) lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
  • 2 oz (56 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved

Nutrition

Per serving:

  • calories 248
  • protein 12g
  • fat 20g
    • saturated fat 5g
    • trans fat 0g
  • carbohydrates 8g
    • sugars 4g
    • fibre 2g
  • sodium 357mg

Directions

01
Combine all dressing ingredients in small jar and shake well to combine and emulsify. Place arugula in bowl and toss with dressing. Top with pumpkin seeds and cheese.

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