This salad is comfort food that also feels like a sensible choice. Pumpkin roasted with warm spices will fill your kitchen with mouthwatering smells and the end result is a gorgeous-looking show-off salad. It’s got all the elements – chilli heat, the sweetness of caramelised pumpkin and pomegranate seeds, the crunch of the seeds, salty blue cheese and juicy pomegranate. It’s easy, it’s bold, and tastes like autumn.Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Toss the chunks of pumpkin with the olive oil, spices and sugar. Spread it out on a tray so it’s not all squished together.
Roast for about 35–45 minutes, turning once. You’re aiming for golden edges and a soft centre.
Toast pumpkin seeds or nuts in a hot dry pan for a couple of minutes until they start smelling good.
In a small jar or bowl mix all ingredients well. Taste and correct seasoning.
All of these stages can be done in advance - or even the day before.
When you are ready to serve, toss the leaves lightly with a bit of the dressing.
Scatter the leaves over a large plate or platter, arrange the pumpkin on top, crumble over the blue cheese and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds.
Drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Shiri Kraus is the chef and co-founder of Epicurus Camden and (coming soon) The Black Cow Shoreditch

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Ingredients

Name: Warm spiced pumpkin salad with blue cheese
Ingredients: For the pumpkin:; 1 large pumpkin or 2 butternut squash, cut into big chunks; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ground coriander seeds; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional); Freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp sea salt For the salad:; 150–200g blue cheese (Stilton or Roquefort), crumbled; 1 large bag of rocket or spinach, or a mix; A handful of pumpkin seeds or walnuts, toasted; Seeds from 1 pomegranate; Half a small red onion, thinly sliced; Three sprigs of spring onion, green tops thinly sliced; Red chilli thinly sliced(optional) For the dressing:; 3 tbsp olive oil; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 tsp honey or maple syrup; Pinch of salt; Pinch of chilli flakes

For the pumpkin:
1 large pumpkin or 2 butternut squash, cut into big chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sea salt

For the salad:
150–200g blue cheese (Stilton or Roquefort), crumbled
1 large bag of rocket or spinach, or a mix
A handful of pumpkin seeds or walnuts, toasted
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Half a small red onion, thinly sliced
Three sprigs of spring onion, green tops thinly sliced
Red chilli thinly sliced(optional)

For the dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Pinch of chilli flakes