Summer salad with melon and mozzarella for a picnic

Healthy Summer Appetizer: Melon & Mozzarella Salad

If you’re like us, you’re always looking for new recipes that meet all the marks: healthy, easy, and flavorful. We’re continuing our healthy summer appetizers series with a salad that you’ll come back to every summer!

We innately seek cooling foods when the temperatures start to rise and melons are a classic summer staple! Think cold watermelon slices by the pool, sweet cantaloupe cubes under the tree at the park, juicy honeydew on a potluck spread. Hydrating and cooling, all in one!

There are two staple appetizer recipes we love from our Summer Issue 8 that we want to share with you – a nutritious beet hummus (this blog post)& a refreshing melon and mozzarella salad (coming soon!). You’ll be making these healthy summer appetizers for snacking on repeat all season long and reaping the benefits of fresh produce. Read on to learn a bit about the ingredients and for the recipe!

Jump to recipe!

Is fruit actually good for you?

simple and healthy melon and mozzarella salad for summertime

A refreshing take on salad, this melon & mozz combo is a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fat, and even a bit of protein! It’s a crowd pleaser, great for potlucks and backyard barbecues.

This is a great base recipe. Change it up to make it fit your taste and get creative with food options based on what you have. Swap figs for blueberries or watermelon for cantaloupe/honeydew. Add balsamic glaze instead of the olive oil mixture. Use mint either in place of or with basil. Add sliced prosciutto into the mix, or some chopped nuts. Mix with arugula for that true salad feel.

Is fruit actually good for you?

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Melon & Mozzarella Salad
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Melon & Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 honeydew melon

  • 1 cantaloupe

  • 2 cups blueberries

  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella balls

  • 1 cup fresh basil

  • 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp honey

  • sea salt to taste

Directions

  • Cut and cube melons OR use a melon baller to create bite sized pieces.
  • Mix all the fruit and mozzarella in a large bowl.
  • Whisk olive oil, lemon, and honey in a small bowl and pour over the fruit/cheese mixture.
  • Add basil and a sprinkle of salt to taste and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately!

Notes

  • Try these simple swaps to change the flavor or to use up other produce: swap figs for blueberries, trade watermelon for cantaloupe/honeydew, add balsamic glaze instead of the olive oil mixture, use mint AND basil, add prosciutto for protein, throw in toasted nuts for some crunch, mix with arugula for a true salad feel

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Healthy summer appetizers for easy snacking and sharing

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Hi, I’m Alyse! I’ve never been good at titles or labels defining who I am, but have been asking God recently to help me understand what it means to be HIS, to be a bride (I’m getting married in a few months!), to be a friend, to be a faithful follower. Health and whole body wellness has been my goal since shifting away from disordered eating and climbing out of depression and anxiety a few years ago.

It hasn’t been easy but understanding that my body needs true nourishment has inspired me to honor the life God has gifted me with. I have passions for baking, reading, and photography, and I’m always trying to be more present to see the beauty of life. I love the ocean and a good acai bowl, long conversations with earl grey tea, and the quiet of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. It often feels like a whirlwind of change in my life so I turn to writing and journaling as often as I can. Others’ writing and beautiful images greatly inspire me, and the Ember Journal has provided so much of that since last fall. Elissa & I became fast friends after we connected over her family’s chicken eggs (very on brand for us both!) and she shared how she was creating The Ember Journal, the plans they had for it, and even invited me to assist with cover shoots.

I’ve since come on board as operations assistant and love the work I get to do to help create a place for holistic growth for so many! I’m extremely grateful to be with like minded women who share the Catholic faith. I trust in God’s timing for gifts such as these- He’s always seen me through. Here’s to seeking the slow in the constant movement of life, to being intentionally present to the Lord, and living our lives fully!”
@alysemariie
Hi there, I’m Ireland! Currently residing just outside Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, It’s been my mission the last couple of years to capture beauty in the slow and simple and to learn what rest and nourishment truly mean to one’s body. The Ember Journal has been a huge resource for that—not only in reference to health but also in the goodness of my heart.  While I am part of the Ember team here, I also run my own small business of brand design, media management, and curate a small shop of home goods.

Creation is my happy place. Growing something with my own hands and caring for that life reminds me just how much a small simple thing has such a large importance. God’s love in creation and all the healing it has to offer is incredibly mind boggling to me and it’s one reason I find The Ember Collective so beautiful. These days, I find a lot of joy in the simple acts of journaling, photography, homemaking, and creating and I’ve been blessed to be able to make a living in curating beauty. My life feels constantly expanding and quite often overwhelming so learning to meet Him in the quite and mundane has been a never ending practice over here.
@missirelandrose
I’m Elissa! First and foremost I am a beloved daughter of God currently in a season of rebuilding and resting in my true identity. Formerly a full time traveling wedding photographer, I left it all behind 2 years ago and moved back home to San Diego, CA to focus on regaining my health after physically hitting rock bottom.

The Ember Journal is truly a beauty from ashes endeavor for me. In my darkest hour, this project has been a Springtime of hope and given me purpose in this season of ‘pause’. Samantha and I initially connected on insta through the small Catholic photographer world and became friends as we discovered our shared passion for our faith, holistic health, homesteading, and the NTA (future goals). One day on the phone I shared with her some of the future desires God has placed on my heart and she immediately told me about Katie and this magazine idea – it was like all of our desires just fell into place.

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I found the world of holistic wellness after having my son in 2018, when pregnancy and nursing pushed many of my health issues over the edge. PCOS and haywire hormones, gut issues, and everything that goes along with those had me asking lots of questions. He is so faithful. Holistic wellness became a way of life for me after chronic illness ravaged my life for many years.

I would never have chosen this path for myself, but God has truly paved a way through the wilderness. Yes, I’m grateful for the knowledge I’ve gained about ancestral nourishment and tossing toxins but most especially the pruning and deep healing of the soul in the midst of suffering. Health, freedom, telling stories through photographs, creating a beautiful home, living off the land, and upholding Truth are a few things that light a fire under me. I have big dreams that reflect the garden of God’s vast goodness and my heart lies in journeying alongside others as we run toward Jesus – to dwell in the hidden refuge of His heart.

@samanthakworthing
Hello friends! I’m Katie and I am a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner living in Saint Paul, MN with my husband and two small children. My passion for holistic health began in my mid-twenties; years of heavy antibiotic usage, endometriosis (and “infertility”), and compounding stress left my body in a dreary state.

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The Ember Journal began as a small endeavor with a modest vision. And yet, the holy Spirit brought this little team of women together and kept paving the way for something great. I am always inspired by Brother André Bessette in that no matter how small we begin, if it be the Lord’s will, He will bless it tremendously! Besides, I think we each needed an outlet to gush about this content we love so much, without bothering those patient souls closest to us with constant unsolicited health talk.
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