This Prosciutto Melon Salad with Mozzarella and Arugula is a perfect summer salad! Classic Italian flavors of cantaloupe melon and prosciutto ham are highlighted in this arugula salad with mozzarella cheese.
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I am a big fan of Italian foods and one of their classic dishes that you will find in many restaurants is prosciutto e melone. This is literally just a slice of prosciutto ham wrapped around a wedge of cantaloupe melon. It is so simple and so good, just like so many Italian recipes and dishes.
I wanted to highlight those same amazing flavors in a fresh salad. And if I am going to make a salad, I want a lot of mix ins! So this Prosciutto Melon Salad with Mozzarella and Arugula was a perfect balance of flavors. Of course, I had to add some fresh mozzarella cheese pieces to the salad for a creamy, rich texture.
I love to use small mozzarella balls that are either the pearls , ciliegine, or bocconcini because they are still round but bite sized. And the round mozzarella with the round melon looks so pretty! But you can also just use cut mozzarella and cut cantaloupe.
To get round cantaloupe balls, use a melon baller and dig it into the melon flesh in a scooping motion. They will not be perfectly round, but very close.
And for the prosciutto, use as much or as little as you want but a little goes a long way! Prosciutto is a dry-cured Italian ham and can be found in the deli section of your supermarket in thin slices.
Any dressing that is citrus based or balsamic based would be great with this Prosciutto Melon Salad with Mozzarella and Arugula salad. I have included a simple dressing recipe here that I like to use, which is ready in just minutes, that goes well with this salad for something light and fresh. I love it so much that I also made a Prosciutto Melon Panzanella Salad version based on another Italian classic!
Cantaloupe Recipes
Prosciutto Melon Salad with Mozzarella and Arugula
Ingredients
- 2 cups cantaloupe (approximately 1/2 cantaloupe)
- 6 cups arugula (5 ounces)
- 3 ounces prosciutto
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
Lemon Honey Dressing
- 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Make your dressing. Combine the juice of 1 lemon and the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the rind from the melon and cut into bite sized pieces. Alternatively, use a melon baller to get round melon balls.
- Place the arugula in a bowl.
- Place the cantaloupe across the lettuce.
- Tear each slice of prosciutto into approximately 4 pieces. Scatter the ham across the salad.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella across the salad.
- Serve the salad alongside the dressing.
