Harvest Black Rice Salad with Roasted Pumpkin, Pepitas, Cumin, and Goat Cheese Recipe
A vibrant and hearty Harvest Black Rice Salad combining nutty black rice with roasted pumpkin, toasted pepitas, fragrant cumin, fresh cilantro, and creamy goat cheese, all enlivened with a hint of spicy harissa for a perfect balance of flavors and textures.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup uncooked black rice
- 1 pinch salt
Roasted Pumpkin
- 4 cups pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 small pumpkin)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 pinch salt
Pepitas
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Seasonings and Garnish
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (or to taste)
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- Additional harissa paste, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook rice: Combine the water, black rice, and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 15 minutes without stirring. Gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- Preheat oven: While the rice cooks, preheat your oven to 400℉ (204℃) to prepare for roasting the pumpkin and toasting pepitas.
- Roast pumpkin: In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin cubes with olive oil, harissa paste, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Spread the pumpkin evenly on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Toast pepitas: In a small bowl, combine pepitas with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them out on a small baking tray and place them in the oven during the last 5 minutes of the pumpkin roasting time so they become lightly toasted.
- Toast cumin seeds: In a dry small pan over high heat, toast cumin seeds, stirring constantly, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a chopping board and crush using the underside of a glass cup or a spice grinder to a fine texture.
- Mix cumin into rice: Toss the crushed cumin seeds evenly into the cooked black rice and stir to distribute.
- Combine salad: In a large bowl, mix the fluffy cumin-infused rice with roasted pumpkin, toasted pepitas, chopped cilantro, and crumbled goat cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding additional harissa paste or salt if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Black rice takes longer to cook than white rice, so be patient for the full 45 minutes to 1 hour simmering time.
- Adjust the amount of harissa paste according to your preferred spice level.
- To make this salad vegan, substitute goat cheese with a plant-based cheese or omit altogether.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be served cold or reheated.
- For extra crunch, you can add toasted nuts like walnuts or almonds.
Keywords: black rice salad, roasted pumpkin salad, harissa salad, Mediterranean salad, vegetarian salad
