Classic Waldorf Salad
Full of tart green granny smith apples, juicy grapes, crunchy walnuts, and a tangy dressing, this Waldorf Salad is perfect over a bed of lettuce or in a lettuce cup!
Waldorf Salad Recipe
This Apple Waldorf Salad is a great addition to any holiday menu, and is as big of a hit now as it was when it was invented in 1893.
When it comes to salad recipes, this one has unique flavors, crispy apples, juicy grapes, and crunchy nuts.
My family loves this salad because it’s completely different from the traditional garden salads that you always see and brings a ton of flavor to the table.
Ingredients Needed
Mayonnaise – Switch out the mayonnaise for sour cream or plain greek yogurt.
Walnuts – If you can’t find walnuts, use almonds, pecans, or cashews.
Celery – Substitute with additional green or red apples.
Green apples – This recipe calls for green apples, but you can use other kinds, including red delicious apples, honey crisp, fuji apples, or gala apples.
Seedless grapes – White grapes taste best or use seedless red grapes or green grapes depending on what’s available.
Lettuce – I recommend Bibb lettuce, but you can swap for the salad mix of your choice.
Pantry staples – Salt and fresh lemon juice.
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How to Make Waldorf Salad
First: Cut up apples, celery and grapes into bite-sized pieces and roughly chop walnuts. Add chopped apples, walnuts, and all other ingredients aside from lettuce into a large bowl.
Second: In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt to create your Waldorf salad dressing. Pour creamy dressing over the mixture of apples, celery, grapes and walnuts. Toss to coat.
Third: To serve, place a few lettuce leaves on the bottom of four different bowls. Divide salad mix evenly. Enjoy!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
How long does it last?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Can I make it in advance?
Yes! You can make this salad up to two or maybe even three days before you need it. In fact, the combination of flavors really comes together overnight in the fridge.
Can I freeze it?
I do NOT recommend freezing this salad. All the crunch will turn soft and the dressing will turn very watery.
Why is it called a Waldorf salad?
The classic Waldorf salad recipe was invented in 1893 for a charity ball, which was the first event ever held at the Waldorf hotel. It happened to be the grand opening.
Not only that but it was cooked up by Oscar Tschirky, the maitre d’hotel and a Swiss immigrant, and Edouard Beauchamp, the executive chef.
The first Waldorf salad had just 3 ingredients – mayonnaise, diced red-skinned apples, and celery.
This original recipe for a classic American salad is constantly being updated. Using different blends of apples, swapping the mayonnaise for other condiments, and adding in flavors like grapes, nuts, lemon zest, and blue cheese.
Other Mix-ins to Try
What is great about this Waldorf salad recipe is that it is so easy to switch up. You can really add any combination of sweet fruit and crunchy toppings and enjoy it! Some of my favorite things to add are:
- cranberries
- red onion
- marshmallows
- raisins
- shredded carrots
- different types of apples or grapes
- different nuts like toasted pecans
- grilled chicken breast or shrimp
Tips for No Leftovers
- To store leftovers of Waldorf salad, place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Adjust the dressing by slowly adding in a teaspoon of lemon juice at a time to your recipe, stirring and taste testing before adding more until it has the perfect flavor.
- Make sure to peel your celery and remove any of the stringy parts before chopping up for your salad to make it easier to eat.
- I personally like green apples for this apple salad because of their more bitter taste, but you can combine a mixture of apples for a sweet taste.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!
This traditional Waldorf salad recipe is classic and has been around for so long for one reason – it’s absolutely delicious! This easy Waldorf salad is about to become your new go-to.
Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup walnuts toasted
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 green apples diced medium
- 1 cup white seedless grapes halved
- ½ iceberg lettuce head leaves separated
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Chop the apples, celery, and grapes into bite-size pieces and roughly chop the walnuts.
- Add all the ingredients of the salad, except lettuce leaves to a salad bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl to make the Waldorf salad dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts. Toss to coat.
- When ready to serve, place a few lettuce leaves on the bottom of the bowls. Divide the apple mixture evenly between the four bowl.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To store leftovers from this recipe, place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Adjust the dressing to your liking by slowly adding in a teaspoon of lemon juice at a time to your recipe, stirring and taste testing before adding more until it has the perfect flavor.
- Make sure to peel your celery and remove any of the stringy parts before chopping up for your salad to make it easier to eat.
- I personally like green apples for this apple salad because of their more bitter taste, but you can combine a mixture of apples for a sweet taste.
Nutrition
(Originally published 05/03/2021 – photos and notes updated 11/06/22 to improve reader experience)
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This is one of my favorite fruit salads ever!