Melon Caprese Salad.

Sweet cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon make up this untraditional caprese salad. Tossed with a basil infused lemon vinaigrette and finished off with fresh burrata cheese, this melon caprese salad is the perfect light, refreshing, and delicious appetizer or snack. Fresh fruit, buratta, and prosciutto? Yes, please.

Hey, hi all the way from the Caribbean. I’m here on holiday with my family (do you say vacation or holiday? Everyone we are here with says holiday and I’m kind of liking it). As I type this I’m sitting in eighty plus degree temperatures, surrounded by incredibly blue waters. Those tropical destinations I always say I’m dreaming of…I’m here.

But as much as I would love to sit here and tell you all about our trip, I’m going to save that for Sunday’s post, and jump into this caprese salad. If you’re curious about what we are up to, follow along on Instagram.

Isn’t this the prettiest caprese salad? I’m in love with its colors, and of course its flavors. Traditionally caprese salad has tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, but seeing as our summer heirloom tomatoes have not yet arrived in Colorado, I decided to do something a little different, but still very Italian.

While I may be in the Caribbean right now, I’m making a mental note that my next holiday needs to be spent in Italy experiencing the incredible pizza, pasta, wines, and um yes, most definitely burrata. Because as you all know, I am obsessed with burrata.

The pairing of fresh melon and prosciutto is actually very common in Italy. If you’ve ever traveled there, then you’ve most likely experienced this for yourself.

In Italy, they’ll wrap fresh prosciutto around wedges of melon. And while I may not have tried this delicious combo in Italy, I have tried it here. The blend of salty prosciutto to sweet melon is beyond delicious.

I took this very same idea, and turned it into a caprese salad with burrata cheese. I then topped it with a vinaigrette mix made with a herb and honey infused olive sauce/vinaigrette. It’s incredible simple, but so good, so pretty. My ideal kind of dinner…I mean, snack or appetizer.

But if I’m being honest, I could totally eat this for dinner, with maybe an extra side of burrata and melon, ok and basil.

So let’s talk details.

For one, you need some good melons. I used a mix of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. You can use just one or all three, but I loved the variety of colors that comes from using all three. It makes for a very pretty salad.

Next up, the burrata. If you ask me, you have to use burrata. It’s creamy, buttery, and probably one of my favorite cheeses. It takes this caprese salad to a whole new level. Everyone always asks where they can find burrata, but it’s pretty commonly found in most grocery stores, as well as Whole Food and Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find it, try asking your grocery store to special order it for you. Most of the time they will do this no problem and free of charge. And if all else fails, use fresh mozzarella, that will be great too!

OK, and moving on from the cheese to the fresh basil!

No caprese salad is complete without fresh basil. I used both fresh basil and mint for more of an herby caprese salad. I also made a sweeter honey basil sauce to drizzle over thew caprese just before serving. It’s not a complete must to make this sauce, but it does add yet another layer of flavor, and makes for an extra special caprese.

When I made this salad the other week, I could not wait to share it with you all. I know it’s super simple, but it includes some of my favorite ingredients and will be great for any upcoming 4th of July parties, and every other summer party that follows.

What’s great about this caprese, is that you can make everything ahead of time and keep the salad stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve. I like to drizzle the sauce over just before serving to ensure the melon and herbs don’t get too soggy while they sit.

However you decide to serve this up, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be loved by all. There’s not much to dislike about fresh fruit, cheese, and basil.

And of course, if you’re like me, you can also easily serve this up as a dinner. Maybe adding a side of grilled bread…

Yes, that would be great!

If you make this melon caprese salad, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this easy, caprese salad, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!