Salads are always a great choice for days when you feel “bored with rice,” or are in the process of losing weight. For this reason, today TasteVN will reveal to you 3 delicious and nutritious pumpkin salad recipes that everyone who tries will love. Let’s head to the kitchen right away!
1. Grilled Chicken Pumpkin Salad
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Pumpkin Salad Serves 2 people
Chicken thigh 300 gr (about 1 chicken thigh) Baby pumpkin 150 gr Red lettuce 50 gr Carol lettuce 100 gr Cherry tomatoes 50 gr Onion 1/4 bulb Unsalted butter 20 gr Honey 3 tablespoons Lemon juice 3 tablespoons Olive oil 2 tablespoons Grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce 1/2 tablespoon Common seasoning a little (seasoning salt/ salt/ pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious chicken
- Choose chicken with naturally pink-red meat inside, covered by a characteristic shiny yellow skin.
- It is advisable to buy chicken with thin outer skin, feeling smooth to the touch, and the meat should be firm and elastic.
- Avoid buying chicken that is soft and mushy, has bruises or clots, and has an unusual odor.
How to make Grilled Chicken Pumpkin Salad
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Prepare the pumpkin
Wash the pumpkin with diluted salt water, then rinse several times with clean water.
Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds with a knife, and then slice the pumpkin into moderately thin slices.
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Preparation and marinating chicken
To eliminate the odor from chicken, you should rub it with salt, soak it, and wash it with lemon or vinegar. Then, rinse the chicken with clean water.
Next, you can remove the chicken skin and take out the bones; you can also flatten the meat to allow it to absorb the seasoning better.
Put the chicken in a bowl, marinate it with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, mix well, and let it marinate for 15 minutes for the meat to absorb the seasoning.
Effective methods to eliminate chicken odor:- Method 1: Rub the chicken with a mixture of salt and vinegar in a 2:1 ratio for about 5 minutes, then rinse with clean water several times.
- Method 2: You can also substitute vinegar with lemon; just rub a few slices of lemon with a bit of salt on the chicken, then rinse with clean water.
- Method 3: Crush a piece of ginger and mix it with a bit of white wine, rub this ginger-wine mixture onto the chicken and let it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking.
See details: Effective methods to eliminate chicken odor
Make the dressing
To make the dressing, mix 3 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest, 1/2 tablespoon of Tabasco hot sauce, 1/4 tablespoon of salt, and 1/4 tablespoon of pepper in a bowl.
Mix the salad
Add about 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dressing to the salad bowl and mix well.
Then, add all the cherry tomatoes and grilled pumpkin, and mix everything again. Taste and adjust the seasoning; if it’s not flavorful enough, you can add a bit more dressing.
Finally, plate the salad, drizzle with mayonnaise, then place the chicken on top, and garnish with mint leaves to complete the dish.
Final Product
Delicious and attractive grilled chicken pumpkin salad with a sour and sweet dressing mixed with a bit of spicy Tabasco flavor soaked evenly in each crispy, sweet lettuce leaf. Picking a piece of chicken with pumpkin will make you love it even more because the chicken is well-marinated, and the pumpkin is creamy and enticing on the tongue.
2. Mashed pumpkin salad
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Mashed pumpkin salad Serves 2 people
Pumpkin 1 piece Apple 1 piece Nuts 20 gr (optional) Jam 20 gr (optional) Honey 1 tablespoon Unsweetened yogurt 2 tablespoons
Raw ingredient image
How to make mashed pumpkin salad
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Prepare the pumpkin
You wash the pumpkin thoroughly and then cut it into several small pieces. Use a spoon to scrape out all the pumpkin seeds and then cut off the skin.
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Steam the pumpkin
Put a pot of water on the stove, add a steamer and heat for about 10 minutes on medium heat to stabilize the temperature inside the pot.
Then, you place the pumpkin on the steamer, cover it, and steam for 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
Tip: To check if the pumpkin is cooked, use chopsticks to poke it; if it is soft and does not stick to the chopsticks, it is done.
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Mixing salad
After steaming the pumpkin, place it in a bowl. Use a fork to mash the pumpkin until smooth.
Next, add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened yogurt and 1 tablespoon of honey to the bowl of pumpkin, and mix the ingredients well.
Then, chop the apple into small cubes and add them to the pumpkin mixture, sprinkle with any nuts you like (walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.) and any jams (raisins, blueberry jam, etc.), or you can also mix it with granola if you prefer. Mix the mixture again and it’s done.
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Final product
Mashed pumpkin salad has a unique taste with soft, creamy pumpkin combined with a bit of sour and sweet flavors from the apple and yogurt. When eaten, you will also feel the crunchiness and richness of the nuts, making the salad more enjoyable. So why wait? Head to the kitchen and try making this salad right away!
3. Pumpkin salad with oyster mushrooms
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Pumpkin and Oyster Mushroom Salad Serves 2 people
Pumpkin 1 fruit Oyster mushrooms 150 gr Bell peppers 2 fruits (green/red) Sugar 2 tablespoons Salt 1/2 teaspoon Vinegar 2 tablespoons
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to choose crunchy and delicious bell peppers
- To buy good bell peppers, you should choose those with bright skin, firm, smooth, and evenly colored.
- Choose peppers that feel heavy, firm, of moderate size, not too large or too small, with the stem still attached.
- You should not choose bell peppers that feel too soft, have wrinkled skin, show bruises, or signs of damage.
How to choose fresh and clean oyster mushrooms
- To choose fresh oyster mushrooms, you should select those with white or gray stems, large and sturdy caps, and bright colors.
- You should choose oyster mushrooms that grow in clusters, with thin, smooth gills under the cap, as these are fresh and just harvested. Fresh oyster mushrooms will have a distinctive mushroom aroma and feel firm to the touch.
- Do not buy oyster mushrooms if you see them leaking water, being slimy, damaged, or having an unusual smell, as these are spoiled and not usable.
- It is best to buy packaged oyster mushrooms, with careful packaging, clearly printed origin, and information such as production date and expiration date.
How to Prepare Pumpkin and Oyster Mushroom Salad
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Prepare and Sauté the Mushrooms
Remove the stems from the oyster mushrooms, cut the larger mushrooms in half, and soak them all in diluted salt water for 10 minutes. Then, squeeze out the water and let them drain.
Place a pan on the stove, arrange the oyster mushrooms in the pan, and heat the pan over medium heat. Sauté each side of the mushrooms for about 4 – 5 minutes until they are cooked and golden, then transfer the mushrooms to a plate, and turn off the stove.
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Prepare the Remaining Vegetables
Wash the pumpkin, peel it, and cut it into round slices about 1 finger thick. If you buy the type of pumpkin with seeds, remember to scrape out the seeds.
Then, cut the pumpkin into small cubes and steam them for about 15 minutes.
Wash the bell peppers, remove the seeds, dice them, and place the two types separately on a plate.
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Make the dressing
In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of vinegar, then stir the mixture until dissolved. You can also adjust the amount of sugar and vinegar to suit your taste.
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Finishing
Place the mushrooms and pumpkin on a plate, arrange the mushrooms in a circular shape around the plate, then place the pumpkin in the center, and slowly drizzle the dressing over the top.
Finally, sprinkle some red and green bell peppers, and your salad is complete.
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Finished Product
With just a few simple steps, you have completed the pumpkin and oyster mushroom salad in no time. The mushrooms are chewy and sweet, combined with the creamy pumpkin and the sweet, spicy bell peppers. All of this is balanced by a sweet and sour sauce that tantalizes the taste buds.
How to Choose Good Pumpkin
- Choose pumpkins that are a deep orange-yellow color, firm, have little flesh, and are not bruised.
- The pumpkin should feel heavy in your hand, with a smooth skin, free from blemishes and spots.
- Opt for pumpkins with a stem about 2 – 5cm long; those with shorter stems are more likely to rot and spoil.
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Hopefully, with these 3 ways to make pumpkin salad quickly and attractively, your menu will have many dishes that everyone will love. Go ahead and try it now!
