Watermelon & Prosciutto Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
A light, crisp salad with baby spring greens, arugula, watermelon slices and bites of prosciutto dressed with a simple champagne vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 C lettuce and spinach
- 2 C Arugula, or other spring greens
- 1 C Thinly sliced watermelon
- 6 Slices of prosciutto, chopped
- 1/2 C Sliced Almonds
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 Tbs good quality olive oil
- 1 Tbs Champagne vinegar
- 1/2 Tbs lemon juice and the
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1/8 Tsp white pepper
- 1 Tsp honey
- Pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Add greens and arugula to your serving platter or bowl.
- Slice the watermelon and prosciutto.
- Toss the watermelon, prosciutto and almonds in with the greens.
- Drizzle part of the dressing (don’t overdress) onto the salad and toss.
The Vinaigrette
- Add the oil, champagne vinegar, white pepper, salt, honey and lemon zest into a small bowl.
- Whisk all of the ingredients together until well mixed.
- Serve with salad.
Notes
Serve the salad shortly after adding the adding the vinaigrette to avoid the greens becoming wilted.
Keywords: watermelon salad, summer salad, Salad on Sundays
Watermelon Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
I am going to be real honest with you. I actually do not like eating watermelon. It goes down easier when it’s purpose is to add flavor to a cocktail, but do not ask me to eat a chunk of it. Unless, it’s sliced in this watermelon salad recipe with champagne vinaigrette – then I’ll eat it. The combination of ingredients are light and refreshing. Everything you want and need in a summer salad. One you dress the salad with the vinaigrette, it mixes with the fruit juice and creates a little slice of heaven.
How to Make Watermelon Salad
First things first – grab a pretty salad dish or serving platter. Then, start to assemble your greens. Watermelon is heavy, so in this recipe I recommend greens with a bit more body. Fresh lettuce and spinach make for a good base to build your salad, especially if you are serving it on a platter. Then go through and top it off with lighter greens like fresh arugula and watercress. This recipe does call for prosciutto for some protein and bites of salt – however it can easily be omitted for vegetarian diets. Finally add your slices of watermelon. I sliced them long and thin because it’s pretty, and to avoid it taking over the entire salad. For crunch, top everything off with some sliced almonds. Drizzle with the champagne vinaigrette and you have the best summer watermelon salad.
What is Champagne Vinaigrette?
Both champagne vinegar and white wine vinegar are wine based and are commonly used in salad vinaigrette recipes. Both types have lighter flavors and less acidity than other vinegars – making them both a go-to of mine for summer salad vinaigrettes. Champagne really pairs well with salads that include fruits in the ingredients. It gives the natural sweetness of the fruit juice the perfect little bite for a beautiful, fancy-feeling finish.
How to Make Champagne Vinaigrette
With flavors this light, you will want to start with high quality olive oil – one that is light on the bitter side. Add it, the champagne vinegar, white pepper, honey, lemon juice and a bit of zest, and salt to a vessel and give it a good shake. It’s literally the easiest champagne vinaigrette recipe – just try not to drink it after the taste test.
