I originally called this hpumpkin feta chicken salad recipe – “healthy fall chicken salad”, but it’s already February and I just made it with the last wrinkly retiring pumpkin I had. High-protein and high-fiber this pumpkin chicken salad is healthy, yet incredibly delicious! Like super, super GOOD!
So here’s what I wrote in Jan 2021 when I originally made this healthy, really, fall harvest chicken salad…
Easy Pumpkin Feta Chicken Salad
I know, I know it’s not fall anymore, don’t point and laugh pretentiously. Pretentiousness won’t get you anywhere. Sure, it’s hard to believe when you see my vitamin D blood results, but I don’t live in a basement with no access to sunlight or a calendar.
I’m totally aware this is out of season and unacceptable. But it’s healthy and delicious and can be made during any season of life or year! And let’s clarify: you’re not getting a salad that is 3-month old. I made it last week, specifically 3 times last week. Because pumpkin. One time I made it with sweet potato and I loved it a bit more.
I’ve been envisioning and dreaming about this since the day my dad brought the last pumpkin from his backyard in December. Wow, another pumpkin! Thanks, Dad. That’s exactly what I need. Another huge thing to sit on my counter for weeks until it gets moldy and starts carving itself.
Has never happened and my kitchen counters are always clean, beautiful and disinfected with chlorine.
Ingredients: Everything In Your Fridge
Now, look at the salad. What do you see? I see one olive, something orange, some chicken, some lettuce, some feta cheese, a pepper, some scallions…I couldn’t decide whether this looked appetizing or as if someone already ate it and left some for you.
You know how sometimes people offer you a bite of their food and you feel like life is punishing you for something. For example, at dinner with your family? No thanks, I don’t want to eat saliva. Instead, I will collect it and send it to a DNA testing lab, so that they can tell you where your genes come from and steal your genome to make superhumanoids. It’s called karma for offering me half-eaten food.
(Update 2026: I guess I was wiser than I thought. Also, this time, I had planned to shoot the recipe, so I feel like I took better photos.)
So, what I had in my fridge for this salad was:
- rotisserie chicken (when updated – used boiled)
- lettuce
- cabbage (red, green; I’ve used both – whatever you have is great)
- roasted pumpkin
- lemon juice of
- avocado
- olives
- feta cheese
- fresh green pepper (optional)
- roasted red peppers
- fresh dill
- green onions or 1/4 red onion
How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Chicken Feta Salad
- Put all ingredients into a big bowl
- Mix
- Serve immediately
Maybe take a picture after you eat a little bit.
I just remembered, one time, many years ago, pre-hunchback and blog, when I was young and social, we had a girl’s night out and one of my friends got really hungry. Then she got half a gyro for free. I’m learning this is called manifesting, but I’m not sure how it worked, because she hadn’t made a vision board or written it down in her pocket journal. I guess that’s why it’s called the secret.
What wouldn’t you give to have me tell that story again? Staying home for long periods of time has improved my storytelling skills.
Oh, there’s the salad again. Here, have my lunch leftovers. Does it look like that? To be fair, I hadn’t planned to make photos, so I probably had eaten some of it already. But what can you do? This was the third day in a row I was making it, so I decided it’s probably worth sharing.
Why I Love This Healthy Pumpkin Feta Chicken Salad
We’ve got the sweetness from the roasted pumpkin, the salty from the feta cheese, the crunch from the greens, the creamy from the avocado and the umami from the chicken. Did I miss a taste? IT is SO delicious. I highly recommend making it whenever you have some cooked chicken and roasted pumpkin.
Plus it has all the health benefits you can imagine. It’s:
- high-protein and high-fiber
- great for your skin and eyes since it’s rich in beta carotene
- a great source of vitamin C which is essential for skin elasticity and fat oxidation
- the perfect meal for more energy since it’s super micronutrient dense – we’ve got zinc, potassium, iron, folate, vitamin C, pro-vitamin A, B3 and B12.
Plus it’s filling and delicious! Only good stuff.
I really hope you enjoy this salad, it’s currently one of my favorite ways to get some more fresh vegetables into my diet.
Also, to finish the story about my hungry friend on a drunken night out: We met a stranger on the street who was eating a gyro, he offered her a bite and she actually ate it. Thought it was super gross. Improve storytelling skills – Check!
You Might Also Like:
- Super Easy Cabbage and Chickpea Salad
- Avocado Chicken Lunch Bowls
- 15-Minute Garlicky Chicken with Green and Black Beans
Pumpkin Feta Chicken Salad
This super delicious, healthy pumpkin feta chicken salad recipe with roasted pumpkin is now one of my favorite easy, healthy lunch ideas! You can have it during any season, but it's best during autumn with all the fresh produce! It is the ultimate high-protein fall harvest salad!
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken, shredded or rotisserie
- 3 cups lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup roasted pumpkin, in bite-sized pieces
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 avocado, chopped
- 2 tbsp olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 1/2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
- 1 large roasted red pepper, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- lemon, juice of (to taste)
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
Optional:
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients - wash and chop your vegetables, chop the chicken and if you don't have: chop some pumpkin and roast it in the oven. I did not add anything to mine - just some salt, oil and a little bit of water. It was ready in around 20 minutes.
- Add the cabbage to a bowl and massage it with some lemon juice and a bit of salt. Then add all the other ingredients and mix.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 435Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 1037mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 9gSugar: 6gProtein: 37g
Originally published in January 2021, last updated in October 2026.