Maple bacon and pumpkin salad recipe

As the weather cools, there's no need to say goodbye to salads. This colourful maple bacon and pumpkin salad recipe is so full of hearty ingredients, it'll make a complete, and easy, meal on its own.

800g pumpkin

2 large red onions

4 sprigs thyme

3 tbsp (60ml) olive oil

4 rashers bacon, rinds removed

3 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

150g baby spinach

2 tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Preheat oven to 200°C conventional (180°C fan-forced). Remove seeds from pumpkin and cut into wedges, skin on. Peel onions, leaving root end intact. Cut into 6-8 wedges. Lay pumpkin and onions on a tray lined with baking paper. Distribute thyme over the vegetables, then season well and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

On a second tray lined with baking paper, lay out bacon rashers. Drizzle with 2 tsp maple syrup. Set oven to grill setting and grill bacon for 6 minutes each side until crisp.

In a small jar, combine remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, vinegar and remaining 1 tsp maple syrup. Shake well.

Place spinach in a large bowl, add most of the dressing and toss well. If serving individual portions, distribute the spinach between four bowls. Top with roast pumpkin, onion and bacon. Sprinkle pepitas over each dish, and drizzle remaining dressing. Alternatively, heap all of the ingredients onto a large serving platter and allow everyone to help themselves.

Notes:

Once roasted, the skin on pumpkin is entirely edible and very delicious

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