Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad – An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it’s too hot to cook!!

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad - An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it's too hot to cook!!

 

 

 

 

Balsamic Watermelon Cucumber Goat Cheese Salad 

This salad is a spinoff of a salad I love to eat at one of my favorite Puerto Vallarta beach bars. It’s refreshing, light, and the combination of all the flavors is just perfection.

There’s juicy sweet watermelon, cucumber, strong and peppery arugula, tanginess from goat cheese, crunchy candied nuts, and a homemade balsamic glaze. If you’ve never thought that watermelon can be delicious in a more savory application, think again because this salad will just knock your socks off.

It’s so fresh and perfect for hot summer days.

As written, this is an easy, healthy vegetarian and gluten-free recipe but you can make it vegan by skipping the goat cheese or using a vegan cheese.

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad - An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it's too hot to cook!!

Ingredients In Watermelon Cucumber Salad With Balsamic Glaze

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this salad. You’ll include:

  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Watermelon 
  • Cucumber
  • Arugula
  • Goat cheese
  • Candies walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad - An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it's too hot to cook!!

How To Make Homemade Balsamic Reduction

Making a balsamic glaze, or reduction, is as easy as boiling together balsamic vinegar and granulated sugar for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the volume has reduced by about 80% and the sauce is thick and syrupy.

I used a 500 milliliter (about 17 ounces) bottle of balsamic vinegar and added close to one cup sugar.

You can start with 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar and taste your sauce when it looks like it’s about halfway done, but for me that’s not quite sweet enough and it’s too intensely vinegary, so I went with closer to 1 cup for this batch.

Use a bigger kettle than what you think you need because the sauce will bubble up vigorously and ample room in your kettle is advantageous to avoid it from bubbling over.

You can also use store bought balsamic glaze. Trader Joe’s is one I tend to keep on hand for times like this and there are many other brands out there these days if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area.

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad – An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it’s too hot to cook!!

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad - An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it's too hot to cook!!
Yield: 2

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Balsamic Watermelon and Cucumber Salad - An EASY, healthy, and light salad with watermelon, cucumber, arugula, goat cheese, candied nuts, and drizzled with a homemade balsamic glaze!! A PERFECT summer salad for those days when it's too hot to cook!!

Ingredients

  • 500 millilters balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 cups watermelon, seeded and cubed (I recommend seedless, firm watermelon)
  • 1 large cucumber or English cucumber, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup argula (1 heaping handful)
  • 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled or as desired
  • 1/3 cup candied nuts, or as desired

Instructions

  1. To a high-sided medium/large kettle (use one bigger than you think you need), add the vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, and heat over medium to medium-high until mixture boils and can sustain a fast rolling boil. Boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced by about 80% and has thickened and is syrupy; stir intermittently and keep an eye on it so it doesn't bubble over.
  2. When the sauce looks like it's about halfway done, taste the sauce, and if it's too vinegary and bitter for you, add part of or all of the remaining sugar. I personally use almost 1 cup. Sauce will thicken up more as it cools. Alternatively, you can use store bought balsamic glaze.
  3. To a medium bowl, add all the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and drizzle as much of the balsamic reduction as desired. You will have lots of balsamic reduction leftover, but it will keep for weeks in a sealed container in the fridge. As long as you're going to the trouble to make it, you may as well have extra for future recipes, because it's great drizzled over chicken, salmon, etc.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 4245Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 1160mgCarbohydrates: 812gFiber: 4gSugar: 717gProtein: 34g

The nutrition information is taking into account ALL of the balsamic reduction and you won't need anywhere near all of it for this salad, probably just a few tablespoons, but it is skewing the data very extremely artificially high.

© Averie Sunshine
Cuisine: Salad / Category: 30-Minute Meals

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