Summer Salad with Cherries, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Balsamico!
Every now and then I come across a recipe that is a complete and wonderful surprise! And since lately I’ve been having a love affair with salads that include fresh fruit, whether that be strawberries, dried cranberries, or apples, I’ve just found another unexpected delicious salad. This salad is such an epicurean delight, I wanted to make a second helping immediately upon enjoying that last bite on my plate! I recently discovered two recipes for a fresh greens salad with sweet summer cherries peaking out and beckoning one to taste their magic! Larry from Big Dude’s Eclectic Ramblings inspired the creation of this salad. The original recipe was found on ‘Cooking Light’, a resource that has never failed me and Larry’s recipe that he found on the Cooking Channel, my favorite go-to food channel.
From the Cooking Light recipe, I used an arugula – baby spinach bedding for the salad. Following that, I also added the sliced red onions, Rainier cherries, and goat cheese. However I added slivered almonds in place of pistachios, for the simple reason that I just adore slivered almonds in my salads and always have them on hand in the pantry. From Larry’s salad with cherries recipe, I added thinly sliced prosciutto and a balsamico vinaigrette.
Simple perfection.
Unbelievably complex and interesting flavors with the gentle sweetness of the cherries combined with the bite of the arugula, the tang of the balsamic, the butteriness of the goat cheese, and the velvety prosciutto.
Oh my goodness, slap me silly . . . incredible!
Larry, thanks so much for helping me find another keeper-winner recipe for my personal family cookbook. This summer salad with all of its flavorful players is amazing!
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Summer Salad with Cherries, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Balsamico

Ingredients
- 6 cups arugula and baby spinach blend
- 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and sliced in half (do this just before serving to prevent browning)
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 3 - 4 oz. prosciutto, sliced in thin ribbons
- Serve with Balsamico Vinaigrette
- Balsamico Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup balsamico vinegar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, canola and olive oils, mustard, honey, and garlic.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Mangia!
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What a beautiful looking salad! Love all those flavors and colors! Great blog!
Hey Canadian Roz, thanks for the well wishes! Still on the mend, slowly, but surely! I hope you enjoy this salad!
The flavors are fabulous; I’m doing better, slowly, but still doing better. Thanks for your well wishes Rebecca!
wonderful flavors here, hope your doing well after your surgery hugs
Aquileon, thanks for the compliment and your visit!
Hi Angie, yes fresh and refreshing are totally necessary for summer salads!
I totally agree Joanne, nothing worse than a boring iceberg lettuce alone salad!
Thanks Skinny Mommy!
oh a summer salad look delicious
Wow!!!! This is my kind of salad!!! Hope you are doing well Roz. From Canadian Roz!
I love salads! This is so fresh and summery!
I’m really not much of a salad fan unless it has all of these fun mix ins. Yum!
Love the pics at the top of your blog and this salad looks great!
I’ve got to thank YOU Larry and Bev for the addition of the prosciutto and the balsamic vinaigrette! Thanks for the continual great recipes from Heaven South!
Anything described as “slap me silly” good gets an automatic spot on my must-try list and I think we have the cherries in the fridge. I’m posting one of your dished tomorrow.
Sam, the prosciutto was an incredible addition! Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh my gosh, your results are amazing Roz. I can’t wait to try some prosciutto in my salad. Cherries were new to me in a salad, but we loved them.
Sam
Kathy,
You just come on over any time that you like! I wish I lived closer to you to stop by too! Thanks, I’m on the mend, but it’s a slow mend for a very impatient patient.
Big hugs,
Roz
Jessica,
What a compliment! It’s nice to know that you and others felt exactly what I was trying to capture in my very amateur attempts behind a camera lens!
xoxox,
Roz
Oh c’mon Roz cherries too! Your salad is scrumptious. Better watch out, with all the beauty and fab food you boast, one of these days I might just show up on your doorstep!
Hope your recovery is moving along rapidly. HUGS
oh that first picture just screams summer and relaxation. I say relaxation because of the scenery in the background! just beautiful. Love the goat cheese and balsamic flavors in this salad
Pam, with your good taste, I think that you’d enjoy this!
Curt, this is a cherry lover’s salad, that’s for sure! Thanks for stopping by!
Ellen, I can’t wait to hear what you think! I hope that you enjoy too!
Gloria, so nice to see you again! Thanks for your nice comment! Be well!
I love cherries what a great combo with goat cheese !
This is delicious. I’m making this for lunch tomorrow!
This does sound amazing!
Roz this look delicious and really beauty!
Hi Cakeyboi! It’s super YUM! I’m happy to share it with you! Hope you’re doing well! Roz
This looks lovely and refreshing Roz!