Vegan Melon Caprese Summer Salad with Mozzarella and Prosciutto

Vegan Melon Caprese Summer Salad.

This vegan melon caprese summer salad is refreshing, nostalgic, delicious, and surprisingly 100% vegan. For this salad you will need cantaloupe, honeydew, fresh mint, olive oil, Mia’s Prosciutto Style Deli Slices, and Miyoko’s Creamery Vegan Mozzarella.

Vegan Prosciutto & Mozzarella

The “prosciutto” is made from seitan (wheat gluten), pea protein, sourdough culture, legume flour, and is naturally colored by beets. They taste INCREDIBLY realistic and contain 16g of protein and just 70 calories per serving! For those of you concerned about protein intake or missing the taste of meat on a plant-based diet, this prosciutto proves you can have both.

I used the brand Mia as it is one of the healthiest vegan meat alternative I’ve come across, and truly tastes SO realistic (it was created by Italians!) They also sell a wide range of deli slices including prosciutto, carpaccio, salami, turkey, and pepperoni. The base is seitan which, if you can handle gluten, is a great source of vegan protein. You can find Mia’s deli slices at Whole Foods, Erewhon, or online at Vegan Essentials for just $4.99 per pack (contains 10 slices.)

I use Miyoko’s Creamery’s vegan mozzarella which made from a cashew base and very minimal, clean ingredients. If you aren’t able to eat cashews, try Spero’s sunflower seed based cream cheese.

Cantaloupe & Honeydew

These two melons are incredibly hydrating and just perfect for those hot summer days. Nutritionally, melons are a great source of fiber and contain many micronutrients including vitamin C and potassium. I just added cantaloupe and honeydew, but feel free to add watermelon into the mix for even more hydration. I used a melon baller to achieve the circular shapes – simply chop your fruit in half, scoop out the seeds, press the melon baller into the flesh, twist, and remove. Of course, you can also just chop up the fruit normally – how aesthetically pleasing are the circular shapes though??

The Perfect Day Party Salad

If you want to impress your friends/family bring a platter of this melon caprese summer salad to your next gathering. Not only is it healthy and refreshing, it is so beautiful in person. Here was my exact process:

1. Chop your cantaloupe in half. Scoop out the seeds then use your melon baller to create the circular shapes. Gently press the melon baller into the cantaloupe, twist, and release into your serving bowl. Make sure to be as gentle as possible.
2. Repeat the exact same process with your honeydew. Chop, scoop out the seeds, then ball out the fruit into your serving bowl.
3. Add the mozzarella. Rinse your melon baller then use to form the mozzarella balls. The same pressing & twisting method applies.
4. Add the prosciutto. I broke up each deli slice into three strips. Each strip is the size of a normal deli slice which is a bit too big here – you want everything to be bite sized.
5. Complete with toppings. Top with fresh mint, sea salt, pepper, and an olive oil drizzle. The exact amount is really up to you – I will say that less is more.

{Related Recipes: If you like this recipe you’ll love my MANGO GINGER BOWL and my VEGAN POKE BOWL.}