Pear Pumpkin Salad a type of recipe with Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette from Chef Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients 

Serves 6

1/3 cup olive oil

2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 cup roughly chopped pumpkin or butternut squash,

cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 Asian pears, halved, cored and thinly sliced

4 heads curly endive, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped chives

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette 

Method 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pumpkin, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until pumpkin is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

2. Let cool slightly, then toss with the pear, endive, chives and vinegar. Garnish with feta and drizzle with the Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette.

For the Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup

2 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds

1 large egg yolk

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons pumpkin seed oil

Coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

2. Blend the egg yolk, cream and garlic in a blender until frothy and lemon colored. With the blender running, add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream until emulsified. 

3. Add the lime juice and pumpkin seed oil. Season with salt and pepper and then stir in the pumpkin seeds.