Prosciutto Melon Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Happy Mother’s Day! What better way to celebrate than with this lovely salad that actually has it’s origins from my own mother. She introduced me to the unique combination of wrapping ham around cantaloupe, cutting it into little pieces and serving it as an appetizer. These yummy morsels would appear most every week as part of our long standing tradition called Sunday Night Snack.
At our busy home growing up, we’d gather together in the family room on Sunday evenings to watch The Wonderful World of Disney while we enjoyed a Sunday night smorgasbord of fruits/veggies, pickles, cheeses, crackers, deli meats, smoked oysters and sardines (and I love them!), occasionally pickled herring for my dad (I don’t love that), sweet peppers (makes my mouth water to think of them), tortillas and cheese (corn tortillas of course) plus anything else in the refrigerator that needed to be eaten. It was simply a masterpiece which we all helped create. I and several of my siblings plus many of our children continue this great tradition today. It makes for a much anticipated ending to a busy weekend.
Back to the this lovely salad. It’s as colorful as it is flavorful. Beautiful ripe honeydew, so sweet. Classic cantaloupe, so nutritious. Both are sliced and arranged over a mound of baby arugula with its a pungent taste which contrasts the sweet poppyseed dressing. I make the dressing with apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, mustard and olive oil. Simple but so amazingly delicious.
Salty prosciutto and Mozzarella provide another contrast to the sweet melon and dressing. Prosciutto is a classic Italian meat that is sliced super thin. It is rich in protein and relatively low in fat. It is very salty by the way, but that is why I love it. I also love these cute little Mozzarella balls which you can find near your deli usually packaged in water in containers shown here. They are so fun to just pop in your mouth for a quick snack or I like to pair them with fresh cherry or grape tomatoes like I did in my Simple Caprese Snack Bowl . I also used them in a delicious salad I posted last summer called Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad.
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you have the opportunity to express your love to your mother. And might I add, I had the best mother ever. She left our family with a bond of love that is so strong. It was because of her love and caring that we now love our own children; she showed us how it’s done. Thank you mother and I love you so much.
- Prosciutto Melon Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
- 8 cups arugula leaves
- 1/2 medium honeydew, peeled, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and sliced
- 4 ounces prosciutto slices
- 8-10 fresh Mozzarella mini balls, sliced in half
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or Splenda
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Place arugula on serving platter. Arrange honeydew, cantaloupe slices, prosciutto slices and Mozzarella balls over arugula.
- For the Dressing: Combine vinegar, agave nectar, mustard, poppy seeds and salt in a small glass container with a lid. Cover and shake to combine. Add olive oil, cover and shake again until oil is incorporated.
- Drizzle dressing over melon salad and sprinkle with black pepper.
Notes
Per serving: 147 calories, 4.4 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams fat, 8 grams protein
You might also enjoy:
Orange and Avocado Butter Lettuce Salad
Berries and Nuts Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Chicken, Melon and Grape Salad
