This melon and prosciutto salad is the perfect blend of salty and sweet. Cantaloupe, arugula, crispy prosciutto, burrata, and basil are drizzled with olive oil and balsamic for a super simple summery salad.
Prosciutto and melon is an amazing flavor combination: salty, sweet, and delicious. So why not turn it into a salad?
It's super easy to make and barely requires a recipe. Just ball your cantaloupe, crisp up some prosciutto, tear up some burrata, add everything together and drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. It's that easy!
If you're looking for some more delicious summer salads, check out our Carrot Cucumber Salad or this Summer Fruit Salad.
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Melon and Prosciutto Salad Ingredients
For the salad
- Cantaloupe: we used a melon baller to shape each piece of cantaloupe into a sphere. You can also just leave the cantaloupe in chunks instead. When you're picking out your melon, look for one that's heavy for its size and has a slightly sweet musky smell.
- Arugula: this is the base of our salad, you could also leave it out or replace it with a green of your choice, like spinach or mixed greens.
- Burrata: creamy burrata is the perfect counterpart to salty prosciutto and sweet cantaloupe. If you can't find any, you could also use mozzarella or mozzarella balls.
- Prosciutto: we crisped ours up in a pan for a few minutes then chopped it up, but you can also leave it uncooked.
- Basil: adds color and brightness to the salad. If you don't have any on hand, you can leave it out.
- Balsamic vinegar or glaze: we really like using a thick balsamic glaze, but balsamic vinegar will work fine as well.
- Olive oil, salt and pepper: a quick drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper are the finishing touches on this salad.
How to Make this Melon and Prosciutto Salad Recipe
STEP 1: Use a melon baller to make about 2 dozen cantaloupe balls.
STEP 2: Crisp up 4 slices of prosciutto in a pan, cooking for a minute or two on each side.
STEP 3: Assemble. Lay a bed of arugula down on the plate, then add your melon balls, burrata, and prosciutto and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Top with chopped basil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Substitutions and Variations
- Honeydew - You could use honeydew in a pinch, but it just doesn't have the same intensity of flavor or sweetness when compared to cantaloupe. You can also use a combination of cantaloupe and honeydew.
- Dressing - We used a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, but you can use your favorite vinaigrette instead, or make our Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Vegetarian - Just leave out the prosciutto and replace it with a salty and crispy element, like crushed pita chips.
What to Serve with this Melon and Prosciutto Salad
This salad is the perfect summer appetizer, and it pairs super well with anything grilled since it's so light and refreshing. It would be perfect alongside a main course of grilled chicken and vegetables, or this Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner.
You could also pair it with a light pasta for an easy summer dinner.
Equipment
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If you want to turn your cantaloupe into perfect melon balls, you'll need a melon baller like this one.
Storage
We really recommend eating this right away. You can keep it in the fridge for a day or two, but the balsamic will stain everything brown, and the prosciutto will lose its crispness pretty quickly.
Tips and FAQ
Top tip
Crisping up the prosciutto really adds an extra dose of flavor and texture to the salad. We wouldn't recommend skipping it!
More tips
- If you don't have a melon baller, you can use a small spoon to make melon ovals. Alternatively, just dice the melon into ½-1" cubes.
- Be sure not to add too much salt at the end, the prosciutto is already pretty salty!
Prosciutto is pretty rich and salty, but cantaloupe is light, refreshing and sweet. They completely balance out one another.
More Salad recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Melon and Prosciutto Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This melon and prosciutto salad with burrata and basil is the perfect blend of salty and sweet.
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups fresh cantaloupe balls (or cubes)
- ~2 oz (~4 slices) prosciutto
- 6-8 oz burrata
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- Good quality olive oil
- Good quality balsamic reduction
- Flaky salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Use a melon baller to make melon balls. Alternatively, dice the melon into ½-1” cubes.
- To crisp up the prosciutto, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2-3 slices of prosciutto to the pan and lay flat. Let it crisp up for 1-2 minutes (it will start to crinkle and shrink), then flip and cook another minute or so, until crispy.
- Repeat, then let the prosciutto cool before roughly chopping.
- Arrange the salad on a platter: start with a bed of arugula, then melon balls, burrata, crispy prosciutto and basil. Top with a good drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze and season with flaky salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Be sure not to over salt this salad, since the prosciutto is already very salty.
If you don't have a melon baller, just dice the melon into ½-1" cubes.
We really recommend eating this right away. You can keep it in the fridge for a day or two, but the balsamic will stain everything brown, and the prosciutto will lose its crispness pretty quickly.
Honeydew - You could use honeydew in a pinch, but it just doesn't have the same intensity of flavor or sweetness when compared to cantaloupe. You can also use a combination of cantaloupe and honeydew.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 919.7 mg
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.9 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 34.5 g
Linda Mayhall says
Wonderful dinner salad. I served with sliced leftover grilled chicken!
Lexi says
Thank you so mcuh!
Becca R. says
Absolutely spectacular for a summer evening. My family (not huge salad eaters) raved about this one, and we will be making it often. Thank you!