Green Salad with Pumpkin Seed (Pepita) Dressing

Green salad doesn’t have to be boring. Nope. I’ve made this recipe extra special with slices of pear and apple, plus a super-easy, tasty pumpkin seed (pepita) dressing. This is my go-to summer salad.

Green Salad

Green salad does not have to be boring! Sure, some restaurants think green salad just means a handful of leaves (seriously??), but just a few additions turns salad into something special!

Green salads need a flavourful dressing, so I’ve whizzed toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) with a little oil, apple cider vinegar and a touch of maple syrup. Just a few simple ingredients that turn this salad from a plate of leaves into something incredibly delicious!

Check out my list of 28 Healthy Salad Recipes!

Tips and Tricks to Make the Best Green Salad

• To make the best green salad, start with a base of leaves. Not just flavourless iceberg lettuce (it has it’s place, but not in a good salad!), but get a nice mix of leaves – some bitter, some sweet and some crunchy. You want lots of tastes and textures.
• I like to add radicchio, spinach, rocket/arugula etc…
• You need a great dressing. This pepitas dressing only needs a few pantry staples, but it’s my favourite dressing and I hope it will be yours, too.
• Add some special ‘extras’ – I’ve gone for thin slices of apples and pears. I love fruit in a salad.
• How do you jazz up a green salad? Sprinkles! Just like a birthday cupcake needs sprinkles, a salad does too. Try croutons, herbs, nuts, sprouted grains or a handful of seeds.
• Make it last by only putting the dressing on just before serving.
• Be sure to season your greens.
• Throw in some fresh herbs.

Salad Ingredients

For this green salad and pumpkin seed dressing, you will need:

• Mixed lettuce leaves (try different textures and flavours such as radicchio, rocket/arugula, spinach, frisee, chicory, endive…)
• Pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper

Pepita Dressing

Pepitas are roasted pumpkin seeds (called pepitas in North America, pumpkin seeds in most other places). I like to toast them in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes so they get fragrant and delicious. Then just whiz them in a food processor briefly with a few other ingredients and you have a delicious, fresh, flavourful dressing for this awesome green salad recipe.

I make this pumpkin seed dressing all the time, and you can easily adapt it to whatever ingredients you have. Try it with any other seeds that you have to hand, or swap to a different type of vinegar.

To make the dressing, simply toast the pepitas in a dry frying pan, then add to a mini chopper/food processor with the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, parsley and salt and pepper. Whiz until smooth.

Salad Recipes

I love easy salads for a healthy dinner, lunch or side dish. Hearty salads, vegan salads, garden salad, tossed salad – you name it, I adore an easy salad.
Try some of these salad recipes:

Apple Beetroot Salad with Tahini Dressing
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Apple Walnut Salad with Walnut Pesto
Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad
Pea Salad
Broccoli Salad
Mango Salad
Brazilian Gaucho Potato Salad
Vegan Caesar Salad
Mexican Grilled Chipotle Salad in Tortilla Bowls
Sauteed Butter Bean Salad

Check out my list of 28 Healthy Salad Recipes!

Get the Green Salad Recipe with Pumpkin Seed Dressing

Green Salad with Pumpkin Seed Dressing

Green salad doesn't have to be boring. Oh no! I've made this recipe extra special with slices of pear and apple, plus a quick, tasty pumpkin seed dressing.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Prep Time: 13 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

288 kcal

Author: Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Ingredients

For the pumpkin seed dressing

• 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds divided
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Salt and pepper

For the green salad

• 4 cups (250g) mixed lettuce leaves
• 1 ripe pear
• 1 apple

To serve (optional)

• Small handful of fresh parsley chopped
• 2 tbps pumpkin seeds reserved from the dressing
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds white, black or mixed
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat, then add the pumpkin seeds and toast them for a few minutes, shaking often until they just start to darken slightly. Reserve 2 tablespoons of them to garnish, and pour the remainder into a food processor or blender. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients, plus 2 tbsp of water, and blitz until fairly smooth.
• To assemble the salad, chop the radicchio into bite sized pieces and add them to a large serving bowl with the other salad leaves then toss.
• Core the pear and apple and thinly slice them with the skins on. Add them to the salad along with the dressing and toss.
• Serve sprinkled with the parsley, reserved pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Tips

Inspired by Happy Pear

Nutrition Information

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts!

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.