Roasted Pumpkin, Arugula, & Dried Cherry Salad

I love all the different varieties of seasonal produce that are available every fall including winter greens, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and of course winter squash. Pumpkin, one of my favorite varieties of winter squash, is rich in potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. and is wonderful roasted, used in soups or stews, or mixed with other vegetables. I roasted cubes of pumpkin for this salad and mixed it with peppery arugula greens, which I then dressed with a light maple syrup kissed light vinaigrette.

You can use either baby spinach or arugula as your choice of greens, and although I use the pumpkin seeds I toasted after I scooped them out of my pumpkin, toasted walnuts are also great in this salad. I buy my dried fruit from Trader Joe’s and love their dried cherries which worked really well in the salad but dried cranberries would be a good substitution for the cherries, and would make this salad a great Thanksgiving option. Although I like my roasted pumpkin salad exactly as I show in my photos, you could also top it with some crumbled feta or goat cheese and both cheeses would work well with the sweetness of the pumpkin.

• Pumpkins are low in calories, but are a rich source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. Recommended by dieticians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction program. Pumpkin is also a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.
• Arugula is an excellent source of  vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium, manganese, and magnesium.  It’s  also a very good source of potassium, iron, zinc, riboflavin, and copper.
• Pumpkin seeds are a concentrated source of protein, as well as a good source of magnesium, zinc, and phytosteroids which help lower cholesterol.