🍎🥗 This Classic Apple Waldorf Salad is always the first bowl to empty at every holiday table, potluck, and church luncheon, and for good reason! Crisp apples, crunchy celery, juicy grapes, and toasted walnuts are pulled together by a creamy dressing that’s sweet without being heavy, thanks to the unique combination of Greek yogurt and mayo.
Best of all, there’s no cooking, so it’s ready in 10 minutes, and it holds up in the fridge for 2 days, which makes it one of the best make-ahead sides for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday meal that’s already fighting for oven space.
What Is Waldorf Salad?
It is said that the original Waldorf salad recipe was created in 1896 by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d’hôtel at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, for a charity ball. The original recipe had just three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayonnaise.
There were no walnuts, no grapes, and the apples were peeled for a smoother texture. Walnuts weren’t added until later versions appeared in cookbooks, and grapes didn’t become standard until the 1920s. The fact that it’s still on tables 130 years later says everything about how well those flavors work together!
Waldorf salad is a year-round popular salad from picnics in the summer to being served at holiday meals like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve. What’s great about classic Waldorf Salad is that it’s a no-cook salad — no eggs to boil, no chicken to cook. It only involves a bit of chopping, making it a very fast and easy salad recipe to make!
Ingredients You’ll Need
As I mentioned above, there are many Waldorf salad variations online. Here is what’s in this Waldorf salad with apples:
- Mayonnaise: In place of the mayo, you could use sour cream or Greek yogurt. I wouldn’t go with regular yogurt, though, because it’s too runny
- Plain Greek yogurt (or plain regular yogurt or sour cream)
- Granulated sugar (or honey)
- Lemon zest, optional
- Fresh lemon juice: If you plan to use all Greek yogurt in lieu of any mayo, you may want to consider omitting or halving the amount of lemon juice so that the dressing isn’t overly tart
- Poppy seeds, optional
- Apples: Red apples, like Honeycrisp, make for a crisp and sweeter version along with Gala, Fuji, and Pink Lady, whereas Granny Smith makes it more tart. Use one or the other, or both. I like to use both red and green apples
- Seedless grapes: Red seedless grapes are more traditional, but green seedless grapes, or use both
- Pineapple, optional
- Celery
- Walnut halves: Toast the walnuts before adding them. Five minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant is all it takes for a deeper, nuttier taste
- Kosher salt, optional
- Parsley, optional
- Bibb lettuce, optional
How to Make an Apple Waldorf Salad
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add the apples, grapes, optional pineapple, celery, and half the nuts to a large bowl, and stir to combine.
- Evenly drizzle the dressing over the salad and stir to combine.
- Give it a taste and decide if you’d like to add a bit of salt, parsley, or lemon zest. Enjoy!
You can serve the salad family style out of the mixing bowl. For a more formal feel, you can plate the salad in individual portions. Especially nice is plating it over Bibb lettuce or butter lettuce in a smallish bowl so it will appear like it’s being served from a lettuce bowl.
Substitutions and Variations
As I have already alluded to, there are so many variations and ways to make Waldorf salad. It’s the quintessential flexible recipe!
Some substitutions and variations to try include:
- Walnuts are a given, but you can use candied walnuts, pecans, or candied pecans too.
- Serve Waldorf salad in a bed of Bibb or butter lettuce, or you can plate the salad without lettuce.
- Add cooked shredded or cubed poached chicken for extra protein. Or, save time and pick up a rotisserie chicken.
- Diced cooked ham is another option to add some protein. It’s perfect for using leftover holiday honey baked ham, glazed apple spiral ham, maple pecan ham, or orange pineapple glazed ham
- Add in whatever type of greens or lettuces into the fruit, celery, and nut mix such as Iceberg, kale, a spring mix, spinach, or Romaine.
- Raisins or craisins are a nice addition for some chewiness.
- Mini marshmallows take the salad in a sweeter direction.
Make Ahead and Storage Options
If you’re making this for an event and know you’re going to be pressed for time, you can make the dressing ahead of time and store it separately from the fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Store the fruit mixture in an airtight container and give it a spritz of lemon juice before you seal the container because you don’t want the apples to oxidize.
If you know you’re going to do this, you may want to only use a half tablespoon of lemon juice in the dressing recipe so it’s not too tart.
I know the pineapple is listed as optional in the recipe, but by using it, it’ll not only help keep the apples from oxidizing as quickly, it also adds another great layer of flavor resulting in the absolute best Waldorf salad!
Make Ahead and Storage
If you’re making this for an event and know you’re going to be pressed for time, you can make the dressing ahead of time and store it separately from the fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Store the fruit mixture in an airtight container and give it a spritz of lemon juice before you seal the container because you don’t want the apples to oxidize.
If you know you’re going to do this, you may want to only use a half tablespoon of lemon juice in the dressing recipe so it’s not too tart.
I know the pineapple is listed as optional in the recipe, but by using it, it’ll not only help keep the apples from oxidizing as quickly, it also adds another great layer of flavor, resulting in the absolute best apple Waldorf salad!
What Dishes Go Well with apple Waldorf Salad?
Waldorf Salad
Equipment
- 1 Medium Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise*, See Notes
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, or plain regular yogurt or sour cream
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, or honey
- Lemon zest, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds, optional
- 1 ½ cups apples, cored and diced (don’t peel)** (See Notes)
- 1 ½ cup seedless grapes, halved*** (See Notes)
- 1 cup diced pineapple, optional (canned or fresh; drain juice well if using canned)
- 1 cup celery ribs, diced in thin 1/4-inch segments
- 1 cup walnuts, divided**** (See Notes)
- Kosher salt, optional and to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely minced; optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional and to taste for garnishing
- Bibb lettuce, or butter lettuce, optional for serving
Instructions
- To a medium bowl, add the mayo, Greek yogurt, sugar, lemon juice (make sure to zest the lemon before juicing it and reserve the zest if you’re going to garnish your salad with the zest later), optional poppy seeds, and whisk to combine until smooth; set aside.
- To a separate large bowl, add the apples, grapes, optional pineapple, celery, half the nuts, evenly drizzle the dressing over the top, and stir and toss to combine and coat evenly.
- Taste and if desired, add salt, to taste. I recommend adding some to balance the sweetness in this salad.
- Evenly sprinkle the remaining half of the nuts over the top.
- Optionally and evenly sprinkle the parsley and optional lemon zest to garnish.
- Optionally plate the salad in large leaves of Bibb lettuce (or butter lettuce will work) or simply serve family-style out of the mixing bowl, or plate on individual salad plates, minus the bed of lettuce underneath.
- Salad is best fresh but can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time.***** (See Notes)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Easy Favorite Salad Recipes:
30 Best Easy Healthy Salads — Looking for easy salad recipes that are both filling and flavorful? The 30 healthy salads on this list are the BEST salads you’ll ever eat!
Spinach Apple Salad with Cheddar & Cranberries — The flavors just POP in this fast, easy, and healthy spinach salad! There are so many wonderful textures and flavors in every bite you can’t help but like it!
Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potato Harvest Salad – Fall-inspired ingredients including tender sweet potatoes, juicy chicken, red onions, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds topped with a honey apple cider vinaigrette! A HEARTY and COMFORTING salad that makes a big batch perfect for planned leftovers!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad — A HEARTY salad that celebrates the flavors of fall including roasted Brussels sprouts and dried cranberries along with quinoa, chickpeas, spinach, and goat cheese!! Perfect for lunch, a meatless main, or a HEALTHY side dish on your holiday table!!
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad — This roasted sweet potato salad is tossed in a honey Dijon dressing. The sweet and savory flavors of this potato salad are to die for!
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Bowl — A big ole round bowl full of goodness just like Buddha!! The bowls are fast, EASY, naturally vegan and gluten-free! If you need a HEALTHY recipe that tastes like comfort food, this is it!
Apple, White Cheddar, and Grilled Chicken Salad – All the flavors just POP in this fast, easy, and healthy salad! The Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette doubles as marinade + salad dressing to save time!
Apple Cranberry Salad with Blue Cheese — All the flavors of fall in one gorgeous, hearty, and healthy salad! The easy, tart-and-sweet dressing is just bursting with flavor!
Salmon Niçoise Salad with Basil Vinaigrette — An ELEGANT French-inspired salad with juicy salmon, tender potatoes, soft-boiled eggs, crispy haricots verts, and more. And it’s all drizzled with a super FLAVORFUL fresh basil vinaigrette! This BEAUTIFUL salad has something for everyone!
Watergate Salad – The classic side salad that’s light, sweet, fluffy, and creamy! Made with just 6 ingredients including pineapple, pistachio pudding mix, marshmallows, maraschino cherries, pecans, and whipped topping! A one-bowl, stir-together, 5-minute recipe that’s perfect for casual events, parties, and family dinners. Everyone loves this one!
great
great