Italian Charcuterie and Tropical Fruit Salad
This colourful sharing salad combines buttery Boston lettuce, several Italian cured meats, blueberries, dragon fruit and sweet lychees. A bright orange and black sesame dressing balances the salty meats and juicy fruit.
Equipment
- Large serving platter or salad bowl
- Salad spinner
- Cutting board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Small mixing bowl or glass jar with lid
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus juicer
- Fine grater or zester
- Small blender, optional for blending in xanthan gum
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 2 heads Boston lettuce leaves separated and roughly torn
- 75 g salami hot Genoa, thinly sliced
- 75 g salami Milano, thinly sliced
- 75 g salami with prosciutto thinly sliced
- 75 g coppa thinly sliced
- 100 g prosciutto thinly sliced
- 1½ cups blueberries fresh
- 1½ cups dragon fruit peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1½ cups lychees peeled and pitted, or canned and well drained
Orange Black Sesame Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil extra-virgin
- 3 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1½ tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest finely grated
- 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the lettuce.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the Boston lettuce. Tear any large leaves into smaller pieces and arrange them over a large serving platter.
Prepare the fruit.
- Wash and dry the blueberries. Peel and cut the dragon fruit into bite-sized pieces. Drain the lychees well and gently pat them dry.
Arrange the meats.
- Loosely fold, roll or gather the salami, coppa and prosciutto. Tuck them throughout the lettuce so the different meats are evenly distributed.
Add the fruit.
- Scatter the blueberries, dragon fruit and lychees over the salad. Try to spread the fruit around so each serving gets a little of everything.
Make the dressing.
- Whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, vinegar, orange zest, salt and pepper until slightly thickened. Stir in the black sesame seeds.
Dress the salad.
- Drizzle a small amount of dressing over the salad immediately before serving. Serve the remaining dressing in a small pitcher on the side.
For the best Italian charcuterie and tropical fruit salad, dry the Boston lettuce and drained lychees thoroughly before assembling. Removing excess moisture keeps the lettuce crisp and prevents the orange black sesame dressing from becoming watery.
Notes
- Use a large platter so the Italian charcuterie and tropical fruit salad can be spread out rather than piled too high.
- Dry the Boston lettuce thoroughly. Crisp, dry leaves help the orange black sesame dressing coat the salad instead of sliding off.
- Drain canned lychees well and pat them dry before adding them to the platter. Too much syrup can make the salad watery.
- Cut the dragon fruit into generous bite-sized pieces so it holds its shape among the lettuce, blueberries and Italian cured meats.
- Loosely fold the prosciutto, coppa and salami. This gives the charcuterie sharing salad more height and makes the meat easier to pick up.
- Hot Genoa salami adds a little spice, while Milano salami and prosciutto keep the flavour balanced. Use more mild salami when serving children or guests who prefer less heat.
- Add the cured meats throughout the entire platter rather than placing them in one section. Every serving should have a good mix of fruit, lettuce and meat.
- The citrus black sesame dressing may naturally separate as it sits. Give it a quick stir or shake before serving.
- For a thicker homemade salad dressing, blend in approximately 1/16 teaspoon xanthan gum. Use only a tiny amount because too much can make the dressing gummy.
- Dress the salad lightly just before serving and offer the remaining dressing on the side. The fruit already adds plenty of moisture.
- This prosciutto and fruit salad is filling enough to serve as a main course, especially with a warm French baguette or crusty bread.
- Assemble the salad shortly before serving for the best texture. The lettuce can soften once it sits with the fruit, cured meats and dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 408kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 13gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 1103mgPotassium: 399mgFiber: 3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 1846IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 3mg
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