Crispy Prosciutto Salad with Italian Mixed Greens
A mix of arugula, radicchio, and baby kale is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette then topped with crispy prosciutto and shaved parmesan. This quick and easy Prosciutto Salad is perfect for pizza or pasta nights!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
✔ Ready in 10 Minutes: The vinaigrette ingredients are measured directly into a jar, the lid is screwed on, and the whole thing is shaken until combined. Then, you just have to crisp up the prosciutto and toss the salad together!
✔ Easy to Customize: You can swap out the Italian mixed greens with another favorite leafy green, and the lemon vinaigrette can be replaced with balsamic vinaigrette.
✔ Goes With Everything: This simple side salad goes with any Italian-inspired entree.
About This Recipe
This Italian mixed greens salad is fast and easy to toss together, but the crispy prosciutto and shaved Parmesan tricks dinner guests into thinking it’s a fancier salad than it really is.
Because here’s the thing: the salad itself calls for just 4 ingredients, and you can buy a bottle of store-bought lemon vinaigrette if you’re really crunched for time. Shhh, I won’t tell anyone!
It’s a light and fresh tasting salad that’s perfect for serving alongside pizza, pasta, steak, you name it. If your main dish is even loosely Italian- or Mediterranean-inspired, this is the side salad for you!
Recipe Ingredients
Check your fridge and pantry before running out to the grocery store, because you likely have most of the ingredients needed for this quick prosciutto parmesan salad! For exact amounts and instructions, see the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
- Italian Mixed Greens — The mixed greens part of this salad is a combo of arugula, radicchio, and baby kale. You can usually find that prepackaged in the store, or you can combine it yourself (exact ratios are given in the recipe card below).
- Fresh Basil — I prefer to chiffonade the basil (i.e. slice it thinly) so it gets evenly incorporated into the greens.
- Prosciutto — You can slice the prosciutto and add it to the salad as is, or crisp it up in a skillet and crumble it over the greens like you would bacon crumbles.
- Parmesan — We prefer big flakes of shaved Parm in this salad, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Lemon Vinaigrette — Use your favorite store-bought bottle of dressing, or make it in 5 minutes flat using a refreshing blend of white wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh garlic, a little Dijon, salt and pepper.
Katie’s Tip: In addition to Parmesan and prosciutto, feel free to add cubed fresh melon, sliced figs, chopped peaches, or thinly sliced pear to this salad. Or, make it a main dish salad by adding lemon rosemary chicken or poached chicken.
How to Make a Crispy Prosciutto Salad
- Make the dressing: I like to measure the ingredients into a mason jar so I can shake the dressing together and then store any leftovers in the same container.
- Crisp up the prosciutto: The fastest way to do this is to place the slices of prosciutto in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Cook the prosciutto for about 5 minutes total, flipping as needed to crisp up both sides.
- Assemble the salad: Toss together the mixed greens, sliced basil, and dressing. Then, top with shaved Parm and crumble the crispy prosciutto over top.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips
- Double the dressing — We prefer a lightly dressed salad, but you can double the amount of dressing if you like yours more heavily dressed.
- Make ahead option — The prosciutto can be crisped up and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance.
- Italian mixed greens swap — Can’t find pre-packaged “Italian mixed greens” at your local grocery store? Replace it with 1 3/8 ounces Baby Arugula, 1/4 ounce Radicchio, and 1 3/8 ounce Baby Kale. Or, use all spinach, all arugula, all baby kale, etc. Any leafy green or combination of greens will work!
- Dressing swap — You can also replace the lemon vinaigrette with a creamy lemon walnut dressing, a zesty citrus dressing, or a classic balsamic vinaigrette.
Storage Instructions
Once dressed, the salad needs to be eaten right away. If stored separately, the salad fixings will last up to 3 days in the fridge and the dressing will last up to 5 days.
What to Serve with Prosciutto Salad
This is our go-to side salad for Italian dinners, especially on pizza and pasta nights when we want something light and fresh that requires minimal prep.
Try Making This Salad!
With just a handful of basic ingredients and a simple, whisk-together lemon dressing, this mixed greens salad loaded with crispy prosciutto and shaved parmesan is sure to become your go-to side salad!
Did You Try This Recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and a review below — your feedback helps others and makes my day.
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More Italian-Inspired Salads to Try
There are so many more fabulous (and easy!) salads you can make with Italian-inspired flavors. Check out some of my favorite side salads below.
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Crispy Prosciutto Salad Recipe
This is the perfect salad to pair with homemade pizza night! A mix of arugula, radicchio and baby kale is tossed with a simple lemon Dijon vinaigrette and topped with crispy prosciutto and fresh shaved parmesan.
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijion Mustard
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Salad
- 3 ounces Italian Mixed Greens (Arugula, Raddichio, Baby Kale)
- 5 large Basil Leaves, thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 ounces Proscuitto, cooked until crispy and crumbled
- 1/4 cup shaved Fresh Parmesan
Instructions
For the Lemon Dijion Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients in a small jar. Tightly screw the lid on and shake vigorously.
- Store any leftovers in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
For the Salad
- In a medium sized salad bowl, combine the greens and the basil. Toss with 1 recipe of the Lemon Dijion Vinaigrette.
- Sprinkle the top of the salad with the crispy prosciutto and shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
Dressing: May be doubled if you like your salads heavily dressed, if you're making a larger portion to feed more people, or if you simply would like leftover salad dressing. The amount listed is what I used for dressing 1 salad recipe.
Italian mixed greens: If you can't find a prepackaged blend of Italian mixed greens, use the following amounts: 1 3/8 ounces Baby Arugula, 1/4 ounce Radicchio, and 1 3/8 ounce Baby Kale.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 688mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 7g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Diana says
This is very good. I’ve made it several times and have not commented.
I’m the kind of person who prefers my salad with salt and pepper only because I don’t like overly vinegary on my lettuce. But this dressing is very acceptable to my tastes and I love it. Thank you for the recipe.
Bekah says
This salad is THE BEST! I had it with all arugula – which I’m not always a fan of – and love it so much I made it again the next day!
Katie says
So glad you liked it so much! Thanks for letting me know! 😉