This salad is the perfect addition to your fall festivities! Serve as a side dish or a meal and indulge in the delicious flavors of pumpkin, honey balsamic dressing, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Member’s Mark™ Black Pepper and Mediterranean Sea Salt Grinders enhance the taste of this autumn-inspired salad.

Tips for Peeling and Cutting a Pumpkin

Peeling and cutting a pumpkin can feel tricky since the rind is tough and the inside stringy—but with the right approach it’s much easier. Here are some tips:

1. Choose the right pumpkin

Smaller is easier: Sugar pumpkins (a.k.a. pie pumpkins) are easier to handle than large carving pumpkins.
Look for firm, smooth skin: This makes peeling simpler and safer.

2. Tools that help

A sharp chef’s knife or heavy-duty serrated knife
A large spoon or ice cream scoop for seeds and pulp
A vegetable peeler (Y-peelers work best) if you want to peel before cutting

3. Cutting safely

Stabilize the pumpkin: Place it on a damp towel or cutting board that won’t slip.
Cut off the top and bottom: This gives you a flat, stable surface.
Halve it: Slice straight down the middle.
Scoop out seeds and stringy pulp: Save seeds if you want to roast them.

4. Peeling options

Before cutting into wedges: Use a sturdy Y-peeler to strip off the rind.
After cutting into wedges/chunks: Often easier to peel once the pumpkin is in smaller pieces—use a knife to cut away the rind like you’d peel a melon.
After cooking: If you’re roasting or steaming, you can leave the peel on. Once cooked, the skin slips off easily.

5. Cutting into pieces

For chunks (soups, roasting, curries): Cut halves into wedges, then cut wedges into cubes.
For slices (roasting, gratins): Cut into thin wedges with skin on (skin softens when cooked).

Pro tip: If the pumpkin is especially hard to cut, microwave it for 2–3 minutes or roast whole for 15 minutes—this softens the skin just enough to make peeling and chopping easier.