The waldorf salad was developed by executive chef Edouard Beauchamp for a charity ball honoring St. Mary’s Hospital for Children held at the Waldorf Astoria in 1893. The simple, yet delicious combination of apples, celery and mayonnaise became a quick hit and this recipe has continued to developed over the last century to contain a few more wonderful ingredients.
Although it is far from your classic salad, the waldorf has many fans. It is sweet and crunchy with a crisp lightness to it (even though it is literally dressed in mayonnaise) and every time I see red delish apples, I start craving this fabulously unique salad.
Let’s get it started…
This salad is really easy to whip up. To make two healthy sized servings, you will need 1 large red delicious apple (or any crisp sweet apple), 2 celery stalks, 6 ounces of seedless grapes and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
Slice the apple and celery into your desired shape. I usually dice into bite sized pieces, but if I am serving the salad to someone special, I will cut them into long narrow slices so they look pretty.
If your grapes are really small, you can leave them whole. If they are average sized (like the ones above), cut them in half. If they are really big, you can cut them into quarters. As long as everything is bite sized, you are headed in the right direction!
Combine the diced apples and celery with your grapes and chopped walnuts in a large bowl. Now that everything is chopped, let’s make that dressing!
Simply whisk together 1/2 cup of a good quality mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s), 1/2 cup of almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk), 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar (if you are not a sweets lover, start with just a pinch of sugar and give it a taste, you can always add more later) and finally a pinch of black pepper.
Now that the chopping is done and the dressing is made, we are ready to assemble!
Traditionally, waldorf salad is made by dressing the apples, celery, grapes and walnuts in a bowl and serving them over a handful of mixed greens, but I prefer to combine my ingredients like a regular salad and lightly dressing the whole thing with the waldorf dressing. Either way, it will turn out delicious!
Building this salad in a more modern way is not the only liberty that I take when I make a waldorf salad… I also add a little sharp cheddar, which is definitely not traditional, but I absolutely love what it adds to the overall flavor of this fabulous salad.
I am very confident that you will absolutely love this unique summery salad. It is so colorful and cheery and seems to add something fun to any table it is placed on. The dressing creates a beautiful combination of sweetness, tartness and creaminess that I absolutely adore and the texture is super crunchy and crisp… exactly what a fun summer salad should be.
Waldorf salads can be served for anything from brunch to dinner and make great side dishes, appetizers or main courses. I love them having one for lunch on a hot day (or even a cold day), but they are definitely filling enough to serve for dinner. Adding some shredded chicken over the salad or serving it next to a piece of grilled swordfish are great options for beefing it up a bit. The flavors compliment chicken and fish really well.
I hope you enjoy this fabulous salad as much as I do! If you have extra dressing, just place it into an airtight container or a canning jar and keep it in the refrigerator… you will probably be making this salad again tomorrow and now you already have the dressing… thank me later…
Enjoy!!!
Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
Waldorf Salad
- 1 large red delicious apple, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 6 ounces seedless grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Waldorf Salad Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened vanilla
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- a pinch of black pepper
Assembly
- 2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine the diced apple, diced celery, halved grapes and chopped walnuts in a large bowl and set aside
- Whisk together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and a pinch of black pepper (for further instructions, see my waldorf salad dressing recipe)
- Add 1/2 cup of dressing into the apples, celery, grapes and walnuts and toss to combine
- Transfer leftover dressing into an airtight container and refrigerate
- Place 1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce into a bowl and top with half of the waldorf salad
- Repeat for the second serving
- Garnish with finely chopped parsley
