This Melon and Prosciutto Caprese Salad needs to be on your “must make” list before both warm weather and melon season disappear. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty and a little bit zesty. The sweet comes from the honeydew and cantaloupe melons, and the salty comes from the prosciutto. Lastly, the zesty comes from the homemade lemon vinaigrette that is drizzled a top the entire salad.
What is Caprese Salad?
Caprese salad is an Italian dish that means “salad of Capri”. This traditional Italian dish most likely originated from a dish served in Capri with cheese and tomatoes. A traditional caprese salad consists of fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. Sometimes it is served plain and sometimes it is dressed with olive oil or a simple vinaigrette. This version of my Melon and Prosciutto Caprese is an ode to the traditional salad but with a little twist.
Different Types of Melons
I used honeydew and cantaloupe melons for this particular salad because they are easy to find in most grocery stores and farmers markets. If you are able to get any other types of melon, they would be good to add to this salad as well! Here are some other variations that would be delicious too:
- Crenshaw Melon
- Santa Claus Melon
- Winter Melon
Tips to Make Melon and Prosciutto Caprese Salad
This salad is pretty straight forward and easy to put together. Here are a couple of tips to make sure it comes out perfectly every time:
- Slice the melon and cheese in similar sized pieces in both general size and width to allow for easy layering
- Shred the prosciutto into thin strips to be placed in small piles for even distribution as well as easy serving
- Lastly, mix together the lemon vinaigrette in a mason jar which will allow for thorough mixing by shaking all the ingredients together. It’s also a good stress reliever! HA!
Melon and Prosciutto Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- ½ medium ripe honeydew
- ½ medium ripe cantaloupe
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella
- 3 oz prosciutto
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Peel and remove seeds from cantaloupe and honeydew. Slice cantaloupe, honeydew and fresh mozzarella into approximately ½" thick slices.
- Layer cantaloupe, honeydew and mozzarella pieces on a serving tray.
- Shred prosciutto into small pieces and place in different spots on top of the sliced melon and cheese.
- In a small mason jar or other container with a lid, add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously for 1 minute to combine all of the ingredients.
- Drizzle vinaigrette over the top of the melon, mozzarella and prosciutto. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
With cooler weather coming and melon season coming to an end, be sure you grab a few melons and try this before it’s too late! You can also pair it with a delicious pasta or meat and you have an incredible meal. Here are some recipes that Melon and Prosciutto Caprese salad would pair well with:
Happy Cooking!
