Melon Prosciutto Salad with Sungold Tomato Vinaigrette
on Aug 21, 2024
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This Melon, Mint, and Prosciutto Salad is a special salad for the summer season! With a confit Sungold tomato and pickled cherry pepper vinaigrette, this salad is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. Serve it as a side dish, snack, or starter.
If you love combining fresh fruit with dry cured meat, try our Prosciutto and Melon appetizer recipe next.
What ingredients do you need for this Melon Salad recipe?
Confit Sungold Tomato and Cherry Pepper Vinaigrette
Sungold tomatoes: These small, golden tomatoes provide a burst of tangy sweetness. And when roasted, they have a rich, jammy texture. This is the base for our vinaigrette, adding depth and a vibrant hue.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Using a high-quality oil not only helps to roast the tomatoes but also adds a smooth, fruity richness to the vinaigrette.
Garlic cloves: The mellow and savory notes of fresh garlic balance the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Seasoning: We keep it simple with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Hot pickled cherry pepper: These peppers introduce a spicy kick and tangy brine to the vinaigrette.
Melon Prosciutto Salad
Cantaloupe melon: The juicy, sweet melon chunks provide a refreshing base for the salad. Its juicy texture perfectly complements the other ingredients. We chop them into bite-size pieces for easy forkfuls. The melon is then tossed with our dressing!
Prosciutto: This Italian dry-cured ham adds a savory and salty contrast to the sweet melon. Serving it at room temperature keeps it super tender, bringing out all the salty notes of the ham.
Fresh mint leaves: This fresh herb adds a burst of aromatic flavor. Its vibrant green color makes it great as a garnish too. Want to try other fresh herbs? Use fresh basil leaves instead if you prefer.
How to Make Melon and Prosciutto Salad
Roast Tomatoes: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a baking tray, add your tomatoes, and drizzle over olive oil. Add your garlic, salt and pepper.
Transfer to the oven to roast for 30 minutes, until slightly jammy.
Prepare Vinaigrette: When your tomatoes are ready, transfer all the tomatoes, and garlic, along with all their juices, to a blender with your pickled cherry peppers, and the cherry pepper brine. Blend until smooth, adjusting with salt, pepper, and olive oil as needed.
Adjust to taste with more pickled pepper brine, if you want more heat or tang. Your consistency should be smooth and creamy, not too thick, but not too watery. Transfer to the fridge to cool, for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Slice Melon: While your tomatoes are roasting, deseed and cut your melon into bite-sized cubes, transferring them to a large bowl.
Assemble Melon and Prosciutto Salad: When ready to assemble, toss your desired amount of tomato vinaigrette over your melon, mixing to combine. Transfer the dressed melon to a platter, then scatter over the prosciutto and mint. Serve alongside any extra vinaigrette.
What to Serve With This Melon Salad
If you’re looking for some ideas to serve with this melon recipe, we’ve got you covered! This salad is great with any grilling main, such as lamb chops or steaks. Or you can serve alongside wings, for some ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Melon and prosciutto is a classic pairing in Italian cuisine, particularly during the summer. The first formal recipe for prosciutto e melone appeared in Pellegrino Artusi’s 1890s cookbook.
Ripe melons like sweet cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew, go well with prosciutto. However pears, cherries, apricots, and plums also pair well with the salty meat.
Fresh mozzarella and burrata cheese are excellent choices, offering a light and fresh contrast to the sweet melon. Feta cheese also pairs wonderfully, adding a tangy and salty flavor that complements the cantaloupe’s juiciness.
To store leftovers, place the melon, mint, and prosciutto salad in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. The salad should be consumed within 1 to 2 days for optimal freshness. Store any remaining vinaigrette separately in a sealed jar and refrigerate, using it within 5 days.
Check out more Summer Salad Recipes!
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Melon Prosciutto Salad with Sungold Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Confit Sungold Tomato and Cherry Pepper Vinaigrette
- 1/2 pint Sungold tomatoes, about 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 hot pickled cherry pepper, or 2 to 3 slices, plus 1/2 tablespoon of the brine
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a baking tray, add your tomatoes, and drizzle over olive oil. Add your garlic, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to roast for 30 minutes, until slightly jammy.
- When your tomatoes are ready, transfer all the tomatoes, and garlic, along with all their juices, to a blender with your pickled cherry peppers, and the cherry pepper brine. Blend until smooth, adjusting with salt, pepper, and olive oil as needed. Adjust to taste with more pickled pepper brine, if you want more heat or tang. Your consistency should be smooth and creamy, not too thick, but not too watery. Transfer to the fridge to cool, for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
- While your tomatoes are roasting, deseed and cut your melon into bite-sized cubes, transferring them to a large bowl.
- When ready to assemble, toss your desired amount of tomato vinaigrette over your melon, mixing to combine. Transfer the dressed melon to a platter, then scatter over the prosciutto and mint. Serve alongside any extra vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
