Make your crunchy salad topper with turmeric and pumpkin seeds! This quick and healthy recipe adds flavor and texture to any dish.
Recipe Summary
- ✅ Recipe Name: Crunchy Salad Topper with Turmeric
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🧑🧒🧒 Serves: 6
- 🍽️ Calories: 68 kcal
- 🥣 Ingredients: Pumpkin seeds, olive oil, turmeric powder, paprika, salt, black pepper.
- 👏 Why You'll Love It: Nutritious, can help fight inflammation, easy to prep.
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One Crunchy Upgrade Your Salad Has Been Waiting For
Suppose you've ever been told to eat more salad greens but can't get excited about the taste. Well, good news! You can quickly transform any simple salad by adding flavorful 3-ingredient homemade dressings and finishing it with delicious, crunchy salad toppers. The flavorful salad toppings bring bold flavor and satisfying texture, while the greens become a healthy, fresh base. Such an easy way to eat better, right? If you need to jumpstart to eating journey, check out my guide on How to Plan to Start Eating a Healthier Diet (3-Day Plan).
Your salad gets even more flavorful when you add a homemade dressing and topper with ingredients like turmeric and olive oil. The best part? Both are simple to make at home and naturally gluten-free!
Top Tip
I usually make a batch using 1 cup of pumpkin seeds, store it in an airtight container in my pantry, and go through it in about a week. While my kids aren't big fans of the turmeric flavor, my husband and I enjoy it often, especially on salads or sprinkled over soups.
One of my favorite ways to use it is on top of my Pumpkin Soup with Ginger, but it works beautifully with just about any soup. Did you know pumpkin seeds are packed with protein? And it's all plant-based protein, so this crunchy topping is a popular choice for vegans! That means this crunchy topper isn't just tasty, it's also a great way to boost your protein intake. I even love adding it to my Avocado Toast with Tomato for that perfect crunch!
Why You'll Love This Crunchy Salad Topper
- Packed with nutrients: Pumpkin seeds are full of protein, healthy fats, and magnesium, which are great for your body and energy levels.
- Good for inflammation: Turmeric has natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers, making this topper tasty and good for your health.
- It's so easy to prep. Make a batch and sprinkle it on salads, soups, or roasted veggies like my Oven-Roasted Potatoes, Carrots and Zucchini.
Ingredients You'll Need for This Crunchy Salad Topping
- Raw pumpkin seeds: these are the crunchy bits on top
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Turmeric powder: gives a little earthy kick and nice color
- Paprika powder: adds a gentle smokiness
- Salt: brings the flavors to life, just a pinch is plenty
- Black pepper: just a tiny pop of spice at the end
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Add a pinch of chili flakes for some heat. If you like a bit of spice, sprinkle in some chili flakes. It'll give your topper a little kick and balance out the flavors of the turmeric and paprika.
- Swap olive oil for avocado oil: Avocado oil is an excellent alternative to olive oil. It has a mild taste and is also a good healthy choice.
- Try other seeds (like sunflower seeds): Feel free to swap pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds or other seeds you like. It's a fun way to change up the flavor and texture.
How to Make This Crunchy Salad Topper
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 175°C (about 350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2: Mix the dry spices in a small bowl: turmeric, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Step 3: Add the olive oil to the spice mix and stir well until it forms a paste.
- Step 4: Add the pumpkin seeds to the bowl and mix until all seeds are evenly coated.
- Step 5: Spread the seeds out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure even roasting. You want to achieve that perfect golden brown color.
- Step 6: Let cool completely before transferring to a jar or airtight container.
Top Tip
Let the seeds cool completely before storing them! This helps keep them extra crunchy and prevents any moisture from getting trapped in the container.
Storage Suggestions
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
- For longer freshness, store in the fridge where they'll stay good for about a week.
- If you made a bigger batch, you can also freeze them in a sealed bag or container and just take out what you need.
Related
Looking for other anti-inflammatory food ideas like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to pair with this easy crunchy salad topper:
Let's Hear From You
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📖 Recipe
Turmeric Pumpkin Seed Crunchy Salad Topper
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (about 350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry spices in a small bowl: turmeric, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the olive oil to the spice mix and stir well until it forms a paste.
- Add the pumpkin seeds to the bowl and mix until all seeds are evenly coated.
- Spread the seeds out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure even roasting. You want to achieve that perfect golden brown color.
- Let cool completely before transferring to a jar or airtight container.
- Quick tip: Let the seeds cool completely before storing them! This helps keep them extra crunchy and prevents any moisture from getting trapped in the container.
Notes
- Refer to the post above for video instructions and other useful information.
- Nutrition information is an estimate and will depend on your specific ingredients.
- Add a pinch of chili flakes for some heat. If you like a bit of spice, sprinkle in some chili flakes. It'll give your topper a little kick and balance out the flavors of the turmeric and paprika.
- Swap olive oil for avocado oil: Avocado oil is an excellent alternative to olive oil. It has a mild taste and is also healthy.
- Try other seeds (like sunflower seeds): Feel free to swap pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds or other seeds you like. It's a fun way to change up the flavor and texture.
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