Prosciutto and Melon Salad with Wine

Inspired by charcuterie platters in wine country, this salad is quick and easy for weeknights.

This is a perfect justification to open a bottle of wine tonight.

Not so fast! I saw you sprinting for the chilled Chardonnay in the fridge. Before you grab a bottle and pour a glass, you should know... asparagus can make wines taste vegetal or metallic. That just means we have to pick the right wine. It pairs well with unoaked Chardonnay or a Sauvingon Blanc, or whites that are more on the citrus side.

I like to think I am drinking wine for science.

At 400 calories per serving, you can even have an extra glass of wine. I'm happy to help! Since it's quick to assemble and a little bit bougie, it's perfect if last minute guests want to drop by too. Hopefully they show up with some more wine.

Weeknight Prosciutto and Melon Salad

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 410kcal

Ingredients

• 24 asparagus spears
• 1 cantaloupe
• 10 oz baby arugula
• 4 oz fresh Parmesan *
• 8 oz prosciutto
• 1 Tbs fig balsamic vinegar *
• 1 tsp honey *
• 2-3 Tbs olive oil

Instructions

PREP

• For a practical salad, cut the asparagus, melon and prosciutto into bite-sized pieces. For a pretty presentation, cut the melon into cubes or balls, and leave the asparagus and prosciutto whole.

SAUTE ASPARAGUS

• Saute in ½ TBS of olive oil (1.5 tsp) until tender, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

MAKE THE DRESSING

• While the asparagus sautes. Whisk the vinegar and honey together. Slowly add in olive oil while whisking until you reach the desired consistency.
  
  

ASSEMBLE & SERVE

• Toss the arugula with the dressing. Then add in asparagus, melon, prosciutto and top with Parmesan cheese.
  
  

Notes

* If you can't find fig balsamic vinegar (or don't want to buy it), you can sub regular balsamic, or make a mustard dressing. To do that replace the mustard and honey with 2 tsp whole grain mustard and 2 tsp white wine vinegar and mix that with the olive oil.

* Goat cheese would work well too, feel free to sub that in.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 410kcal | Protein: 33g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 2400mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g

Notes

How to cut melon - I used a melon baller, but that creates a lot of waste, so I set aside the extra for things like canatloupe agua fresa. Otherwise, for the best and fastest way to cut a melon, check out this short video from yellowsaffron.

More recipe notes:

• Wine & asparagus - Matching Food and Wine talks about this more in depth, and offers up more specific pairings depending on the other ingredients in addition to the asparagus.
• Reducing sodium - This recipe is high in sodium, which may or may not be a problem for you. To reduce it, cut the amount of prosciutto in half (to 1 oz per serving) and remove the cheese (you could replace it with bread or croutons).
• Seasonality - Asparagus season nears an end when cantaloupe season starts. They overlap in late May and June, depending on your region.
• Nutrition - The melon provides a super dose of vitamin A and C. The arugula and asparagus are full of vitamins A and K. Together they all provide over 100% of your vitamin A, C and K, per serving. Like I said earlier, it's a perfect justification to open a bottle of wine 😉

Ingredient tips!

Fresh ingredients make it easy to have a great-tasting recipe.

• Did you know asparagus is sweeter right after it is picked? Get more asparagus tips (pun totally intended), along with more recipes.
• Ripe cantaloupe will have a golden hue under the webbing - green hues are an indication it was picked too early. Read the full cantaloupe in-season guide for more info & recipes.

Round Out The Meal

If you don't want to eat this as a light dinner, it's a great side. You might want to halve the amount of prosciutto and Parmesan if it's a side dish, reducing the calories by about 115 and cutting the sodium in half. It pairs wonderfully with spring soups, like asparagus or pea soup, or with a side of quinoa patties.