Watermelon Salad with Feta, Crispy Prosciutto & Italian Parsley

A few weeks ago at the Meat & Music party we went to, I sampled this delicious summer salad featuring watermelon, mint and crispy prosciutto. I would never have thought to pair these three. But the sweet watermelon, refreshing mint and salty prosciutto turned out to be taste-bud pleasing combo.

I got a Real Simple recipe from Peas 4 Dinner. But for our block party yesterday, I wanted to steer clear of the peanuts because there are so many kids on our block. Plus, our guinea pig Fluffy has eaten most of the mint from our backyard. So I improvised after reading several recipes, including a few that included feta.

Watermelon Salad With Feta, Crispy Prosciutto & Italian Parsley

Seedless watermelon cut in chunks

1 cup crumbled feta

1 cup crispy prosciutto, broken into pieces

1/4 cup rough chopped Italian parsley 

Bake prosciutto in single layer on baking sheet at 400-degrees until crispy, about 7-10 minutes, let cool; Cut up watermelon and place in large serving bowl. Just before serving, combine all ingredients and gently toss to combine ingredients. Note: I had a pretty big watermelon so I only ended up using about half of it for this salad.

The watermelon is so juicy, there’s no need for dressing. If I was preparing this for individual servings, I could see including a balsamic dressing. I saw some recipes that called for an optional balsamic reduction. That would definitely add a richness to the dish. But it’s plenty flavorful without it.