Papaya Prosciutto and Blueberry Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

Want a summer salad loaded with flavor? This Papaya Prosciutto and Blueberry Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette is a great combination of salty, sweet, and freshness. Great as a main dish or a side!

Hi friends! I hope your summer is going well. Can you believe that it’s already mid July? I hope you are getting all your summer must-do’s in because Labor Day will be here before we know it. Yikes!

We have had some hot and very humid days. By humid, I mean feeling like you got dropped into a hot bowl of soup as soon as you step outdoors. Thank goodness for air conditioning is all I’m gonna say!

In this heat and humidity, I gravitate towards lighter and cooler meals. On many nights, salad IS my dinner. Even though I tend to have the same salad again and again, I like to switch it up every now and then. This papaya prosciutto and blueberry salad is my latest creation, and it is a definite keeper!

What is a papaya?

If you have not had papaya before, you need to give it a try at least once! It is a somewhat pear shaped tropical fruit that has a center cavity filled with tiny black seeds. This fruit has a beautifully vibrant orange-tangerine flesh when ripe. The texture is similar to that of a mango, but unlike mango that can be fibrous, papaya is smooth and buttery. It is sweet and has been described as having a musky (in a totally good way!) essence. To me, it tastes like a cross between a mango and cantaloupe. It is just plain dang yummy!

In terms of size, papaya range from 6 to 20 inches long! My grocery store tends to carry underripe ones. A perfectly ripen papaya should be mostly yellowish-orange skin. Dark spots on the skin is perfectly fine. The fruit should feel slightly soft, and the skin may be a touch wrinkly. 

To ripen, place it in a ventilated area away from direct sunlight and rotate daily (my method). Alternatively, placing the papaya in a brown paper bag with a banana can help speed up the ripening process (I have not tried this method). From personal experience, a green papaya with some pale yellow takes 5-7 days to ripen on the counter.

After all this talk about papaya, you would think that I would have some good images of the unpeeled and unsliced fruit for you. But not so ?!  I completely neglected to take photos (D’oh!!). Even though I had not planned to use the picture below, it is the only one that has a partial image of a cut papaya. But if you would like to see more, here is a link to some images I found on the web.  

What’s to like about this salad:

Sweet papaya and blueberries strike a nice balance with the salty prosciutto and feta cheese. Mixed greens and maple syrup vinaigrette inject texture, additional freshness, and sweetness in this flavorful summer dish. I am craving it as I look at these photos! In fact, I am going to pick up another papaya today to make another salad. Since it requires a few days to ripen, I will have to wait—but the wait so worth it!

The maple syrup vinaigrette is the perfect finish for this salad. My secret ingredient, grated opinion, provides a nice zip to the sweet and mild dressing. This vinaigrette would go well with so many kinds of salads and would also make a great simple marinade. I’m going to keep this one in my go-to recipe box!

That’s it for today, friends. Hope you have a great weekend!!

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• Mini wire whisk for mixing the vinaigrette.
• Fork and spoon salad server— these are made of beautiful acacia wood.
• A citrus reamer to juice the lemon.

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Papaya Prosciutto and Blueberry Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Mixing Cuisine:American Courses:Salads Recipe Keys: V Vegetable F Fruit

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 15 minutesServings:4 Servings

Description

Want a summer salad loaded with flavor? This Papaya Prosciutto and Blueberry Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette is a great combination of salty, sweet, and freshness. Great as a main dish or a side!

Ingredients

• 1  small papaya, about 2 1/2 pounds (using half for salad, about 1 1/4 pound)
• 1 (5 oz.) packet spring salad mix
• 6 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
• 4 oz. feta cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 4 1/8-inch thick rings of a red onion

Maple Syrup Vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 /14 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2.5 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2.5 tsp. freshly grated red onion  
• 1/16 rounded tsp. salt
• 1/8 rounded tsp. black pepper

Instructions

1. Peel papaya. Slice in half. Scoop and discard seeds in center. Slice into 1/2-inch slices. Set aside.
2. Assemble salad: place spring salad mix, prosciutto, feta cheese, blueberries, and onion slices in a large salad bowl or platter.
3. In a small bowl, add lemon juice, oil, maple syrup, grated onion, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Drizzle over salad.
4. Makes 4 side or 2 main dish servings.

Note

• Source: The World’s Healthiest Foods

Keywords:Summer Salad, Papaya, Prosciutto, Blueberry, Salad, Maple Syrup Vinaigrette

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