This Prosciutto salad with Melon and Burrata instantly takes me back to the South of France. One bite and I can almost feel the warm sand under my feet and hear the clink of glasses of Rosé at one of those idyllic beach-side restaurants that lulls you into a seaside bliss. If you can't already tell, this is one of my absolute favorite salads and an elevated version of the classic burrata salad.
The salty Prosciutto mixed with the sweet, juicy melon and the creamy burrata cheese is absolutely heavenly. These 3 main ingredients are incredible together - add in the fresh herbs and a little bit of spring greens drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and you have the perfect summer salad recipe.
As fancy as this dish looks, it is a surprisingly simple salad to put together. Ideal for a hot summer day and done in 5-10 minutes only!
Click here if you love French Summer Salads. You will love this post with my 11 favorite French Summer Salad Recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 packets of Sliced Prosciutto (My favorite is the Spanish Mangalica (this one is from D'Artagnan) that is so rich in flavor. Jambon de Bayonne is also absolutely delicious. About 6 oz
- ½ Cantaloupe Melon
- 2 cups mixed spring greens
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 medium sized balls of Burrata cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt (sel de Camargue is my favorite)
Instructions - See recipe card below for full recipe
Slice your whole cantaloupe in half and then trim off the skin using a sharp Chef's knife.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Cut side down, make very thin slices, width wise, using a sharp serrated knife.
A fun twist on the presentation of this salad is to use a pastry ring in the center of your plate to lay the melon slices against in a circular formation (cut side down) to create a rose pattern that is so beautiful. Shown in the photo above.
(option: you can use a melon baller for this recipe if you prefer the presentation)
In the center of the melon, place the mixed green salad.
Top the salad with three balls of burrata, each cut in half and laid open.
Bunch the prosciutto slices around the outside of the melon.
Gently remove the pastry ring by lifting it straight up.
Place fresh basil leaves around the top of the salad.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil oil and balsamic vinegar.
Sprinkle with French sea salt.
Optional: You can also add cracked black pepper or chili flakes to taste.
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What to serve with Prosciutto Salad with Melon and Burrata
This melon salad recipe doesn't need to be a side dish - it can be the starring attraction!
That being said it would be a delicious addition to a BBQ - served with grilled pork, Merguez sausage, steak or chicken.
How to serve
This salad keeps pretty well and can be taken to a picnic or bbq easily.
Store in an airtight container before transferring to the serving plate.
Wine Pairings for Prosciutto Salad with Melon and Burrata
A crisp Provençal Rosé is the ideal pairing for this dish - the soft bite of the prosciutto holds up beautifully to a Rosé.
Because of the saltiness in the dish you can also go with a sweeter Riesling or Gewurztraminer to compliment the salad.
Wait until you are ready to serve to add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The salad will wilt quickly.
How to pick a sweet cantaloupe
The following steps were taught to me by my Mamie Pierrette - my late grandmother-in-law, who went to the fresh food market every single day in Toulon, France.
First: Touch. Squeeze the bottom of the cantaloupe (gently!). You want to feel resistance but a little give. Too hard and it is not ripe. Too soft and it may be overripe.
Second: Smell. Smell the bottom of the cantaloupe where it was cut from the vine. A ripe cantaloupe will give off a delicious sweet scent.
Lastly: Color. Light beige is what you are looking for - too green is well, green. Too brown is overripe.
Substitutions:
Instead of Mangalica you can use Serrano ham, Jambon de Bayonne or any type of Prosciutto slices. It is the saltiness of the cured ham that you are looking for.
Replace Burrata with fresh mozzarella cheese for an easy swap.
Cantaloupe can be replaced with watermelon or honeydew melon. Truly any sweet melon will do for this recipe.
The most refreshing summer salad! Perfect for a light lunch or brunch. If you enjoyed this salad you will enjoy some of my other salad recipes too:
Other Le Chef's Wife Summer Salads you will Enjoy
Caprese Salad with Burrata and Orange zest.
Peach Salad with Shrimp and goat cheese
Roasted Plum and Goat Cheese Salad
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
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Prosciutto Salad with Melon and Burrata
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 people 1x
- Category: starters, salads
- Method: salad
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Prosciutto salad with Melon and Burrata instantly takes me back to the South of France. The salty Prosciutto mixed with the sweet, juicy melon and the creamy burrata cheese is absolutely heavenly.
Ingredients
- 2 packets of Sliced Prosciutto (My favorite is the Spanish Mangalica that is so rich in flavor. Jambon de Bayonne is also absolutely delicious) About 6 oz
- ½ Cantaloupe Melon
- 2 cups mixed spring greens
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 balls of Burrata
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt (sel de Camargue is my favorite)
Instructions
- Slice your whole cantaloupe in half and then trim off the skin using a sharp Chef's knife.
- Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Cut side down, make very thin slices, width wise, using a sharp serrated knife.
- A fun twist on the presentation of this salad is to use a pastry ring in the center of your plate to lay the melon slices against in a circular formation (cut side down) to create a rose pattern that is so beautiful.
- (option: you can use a melon baller for this recipe if you prefer the presentation)
- In the center of the melon, place the mixed green salad.
- Top the salad with three balls of burrata, each cut in half and laid open.
- Bunch the prosciutto slices around the outside of the melon. (on the exterior of the pastry ring)
- Place fresh basil leaves around the top of the salad.
- Drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Sprinkle with French sea salt.
- Voilà!
Optional: You can also add cracked black pepper or chili flakes to taste.
Notes
What to serve with Prosciutto Salad with Melon and Burrata
This melon salad recipe doesn't need to be a side dish - it can be the starring attraction!
That being said it would be a delicious addition to a BBQ - served with grilled pork, Merguez sausage, steak or chicken.
How to serve
This salad keeps pretty well and can be taken to a picnic or bbq easily.
Store in an airtight container before transferring to the serving plate.
Wine Pairings for Prosciutto Salad with Melon and Burrata
A crisp Provençal Rosé is the ideal pairing for this dish - the soft bite of the prosciutto holds up beautifully to a Rosé.
Because of the saltiness in the dish you can also go with a sweeter Riesling or Gewurztraminer to compliment the salad.
Suzanne says
Great tips on choosing a cantaloupe! Thanks!