Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese, Prosciutto and White Wine Vinaigrette

Looking for the best salad recipes? Try this Arugula salad with Gorgonzola cheese, crispy Prosciutto, green apple, fresh pomegranate seeds, and served with homemade white wine vinaigrette. .

Arugula offers a ton of healthy benefits, such as cancer protection, and is high in many important vitamins and minerals. It helps reduce skin inflammation and infections, and can help to improve digestion and eye sight. Although it is a cruciferous vegetable (similar nutritionally to cabbage and broccoli), it’s low in chemical compounds that can potentially interfere with thyroid function.

Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked. Be sure to buy Prosciutto that is produced without nitrates, available at Trader’s Joe for about $3.99 (4 oz pack) or 2 pack (12 oz) at Costco for around $12.

How to make crispy prosciutto for this Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese, Prosciutto and White Wine Vinaigrette:

To make crispy prosciutto, I placed the thinly sliced prosciutto between two pieces of dry paper towel, then cook it for one minute on your microwave’s highest setting. Let it cool off slightly then remove the paper towel from the top of the prosciutto. The meat will be slightly flexible at first but will crisp-up after a few seconds, getting more firm as it cools. You can also bake the prosciutto in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit. Place the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes (or until golden brown). A quick Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese, Prosciutto and White Wine Vinaigrette recipe that can be ready in less than 15 minutes

Gorgonzola cheese isn’t for everyone and could be easily replaced with another variety in this salad recipe, with anything from feta cheese to Parmesan flakes working quite well.  I personally do like Gorgonzola, and while in Italy was able to try many varieties.  The two main types are Gorgonzola Piccante (aka Gorgonzola Naturale) and Gorgonzola Dolce (aka Sweet Gorgonzola), with the main difference between the two being the aging process.  My mother-in-law is famous for her rigatoni and I think Gorgonzola is a delicious component of that pasta variety.  The cheese also goes quite well with caramelized onions, and of course with apples or pears as it does in the salad I’ve shared with you.  If you’re using it with other cheeses (such as a three cheese pizza or mac and cheese dish), cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella and Fontina are all commonly paired with Gorgonzola.

Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese, Prosciutto and White Wine Vinaigrette: