Arugula with Apples, Crispy Prosciutto Di Parma, and Pickled Raisins

Preperation time
30 minutes m
Skills level

Serving size
4-6
Country of origin

Preparation time: 30 minutes m
Cooking time: 15+ m
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1 ( 7- ounce) bag organic arugula
  • 3 large organic gala apples, cut in half and thinly sliced
  • 1 small container organic raspberries
  • 1 small container dried black mission figs, stems cut off ( or 6 fresh figs, cut in half)
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 ( 4-ounce) package of thinly sliced prosciutto de parma (about 8 slices- I used the brand Citterio)
  • 1 small container low fat or fat free feta or goat cheese
  • honey
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 of a fresh lemon
  • Optional: almonds or almond slivers, Pomegranate for garnish
  • Poppyseed-Lemon Raspberry Viniarette Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of a good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Squeeze of 1/2 of a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 5 raspberries
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • mason jar
  • Serving pairing: homemade or store-bought naan paired with mascarpone-honey spread and topped with herbs de Provence.
  • large round white platter for serving salad
Recipe Type: ,
Course:

This Arugula Salad is so, so good! I love everything about this salad which is loaded with fresh & dried fruits, meat, almonds, and crumbled cheese. It’s paired with the yummiest dressing I have ever tasted. Perfect salad to create for a party or holiday gathering, as it’s just as beautiful as it is tasty. Almost too pretty to eat! I artistically assembled this, but upon serving, you may toss all the ingredients together. Here are the simple directions.

Making the Prosciutto Roses.

These are not baked. You’ll need a narrow glass to shape the prosciutto roses. Gently pull apart the prosciutto slices and 1 by 1 add about 3 slices to the rim of the glass, covering the entire rim. Make a few layers and firmly press the prosciutto into place. Gently place the glass prosciutto side down onto the platter and gently detach the prosciutto from the glass, creating a rose shape. Do this with 3 more slices (you should have 2 remaining slices).

Making the Crispy Prosciutto Di Parma.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the 2 remaining slices onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8 minute. Then brush some honey each slice and continue to bake it for an additional 2-3 minutes until crispy. Set the crispy prosciutto aside. Once it hardens, you can chop it and use it to top salad or keep it on the side if you are serving vegetarians. Feel free to make all of the prosciutto crispy like this if you wish.

Making the Pickled Golden Raisins.

Pour about 1/4 cup of sherry vinegar into a tiny pot and add the golden raisins. Allow this to heat on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then take it off the heat and let the raisins sit in the vinegar an additional 10 minutes, then drain and set raisins aside. Discard vinegar.

Making the Poppy Seed-Lemon Raspberry-Vinaigrette.

In a mason jar, combine the sherry vinegar, oil, orange juice, squeeze of half of a lemon, drizzle of honey and 5 raspberries. Mash the raspberries, then pour dressing through a strainer and catch it in a wide mouth bowl. Strain out the raspberries seeds by pressing them through the strainer with the back of a spoon (discarding the seeds). Pour the dressing (now in the bowl) back into the mason jar and add the poppy seeds. Shake upon serving. Serving with a spoon is recommended.

Slicing the apples.

I chose gala apples for this salad, but you can choose any apple you like, even a granny smith would work really well with this salad. Cut apples in half lengthwise. Lay the flat side down, and cut very thin slices. Cut off the seeds. Using a good chef’s knife comes in handy here. It’s a good investment. So the apples do not brown, add them to a bowl and squeeze a half of lemon on them. Gently mix OR if you would prefer to keep the apples slices together (as seen in this photo) squeeze the lemon over the slices. They should be fine at room temperature for at least 1 hour, and then you can even place the entire platter covered in fridge for another hour and they should not brown! Making the salad ahead of any gathering is always a good idea!

Assembling the salad.

Place down the arugula onto the platter, then build your salad from there. I artistically put everything together, but scattering the apples, fruits throughout the platter is great too. Add the raisins, figs, raspberries, and Crispy prosciutto. Place the roses onto the salad. Toss in the almonds and dress the salad. I hope you love it!