Waldorf Salad Recipe – Classic Apples, Celery & Walnuts with Creamy Dressing

Ever wondered why the Waldorf Salad has stood the test of time since 1896? For me, it’s all about the balance of sweet, crisp, and creamy flavours in one simple bowl. 

I love this Waldorf salad because it’s effortless yet feels special. Crisp apples, crunchy celery, juicy grapes and toasted walnuts tossed in a creamy homemade mayonnaise dressing. A few simple ingredients makes a delightful and interesting combination that everyone adores. 

My version of Waldorf salad stays close to the original recipe. It is easy to adapt Waldorf salad to suit your own taste, but there’s something about the simplicity of the classic combination that just works.

No trendy ingredients, just let fresh produce shine. 

However, I do like to serve it differently to enhance not only the texture but presentation. In addition to apple cubes, I also slice the apples and present it in fans on the top of the salad.

Technically you don’t add lettuce to the salad, but I love to serve the salad on a bed of lettuce for extra freshness. 

It’s also quick to make. Literally 15 minutes and you have a beautiful salad ready for lunch, a light dinner side, or even a last-minute dish for roast pork. 

I often make it ahead for holiday gatherings, picnics, or Thanksgiving and Christmas meals because it holds up beautifully without wilting or getting soggy.

Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic classic or a reliable, elegant salad to impress guests, this Waldorf salad recipe is my go-to recipe that’s always a hit.

Why Is It Called A Waldorf Salad?

There are sometimes various versions of why certain classic salads were named, but for this recipe, there is no confusion. 

Created and first served at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, the salad was named after the famous hotel.  

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: It’s creamy, sweet and savoury, all rolled in one bite. I love how the sweetness of apples and grapes offsets the creamy mayonnaise salad dressing. Both celery and walnuts add extra crunch.

Ease: No real cooking is involved, just a few chopping motions and toasting some walnuts. Together with a very simple homemade creamy salad dressing, Waldorf is one of the easiest salad recipes you can make. 

Time: 10 minutes is all you need to cut up all the fruit and vegetables. 

Ingredients You’ll Need for the Waldorf Salad

Apple: The best apples for Waldorf salad is Red Delicious, Pink Lady or Royal Gala. They are  medium-sweet red apples with crisp white juicy flesh.

I prefer red apples to green apples as I like the pops of red in the salad and the sweetness against the creamy mayonnaise. If you prefer a more tart salad, go for Granny Smith apples.

Celery: Look for bright green crispy celery stalks. Any stalks that are limp are not suitable for salads. 

Grape: I prefer red grapes again for the colour and sweetness. Seedless grapes would be most preferred in a salad.

Walnut: Roasted walnuts will reduce the slightly astringent bitter flavour you get with raw walnuts, but you can also toss in raw walnuts if you don’t mind the taste. 

Lettuce: I use baby gem lettuce for the base of the salad as I find them to hold up well when layered with creamy dressings, just like our Little Gem Salad. However, you can use whatever variety is available, like romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce or even mixed salad leaves.

Mayonnaise: Good quality mayonnaise is always needed for creamy dressings. 

Lemon juice: This will help cut through the richness of the mayonnaise dressing. 

Variations and Substitutions

Substitution for mayonnaise: Using only mayonnaise in the Waldorf salad dressing can be a bit too heavy for some, so you can substitute the mayonnaise, all or half, with plain yoghurt or creme fraiche. 

This will also make Waldorf Salad an egg-free salad if you use yoghurt or creme fraiche instead of mayonnaise for the dressing. 

Nut free option: you can omit the walnuts from the salad for a nut-free option or substitute with pepitas.

Green apples and grapes: For a uniform look in the salad, you can substitute the red apples and grapes with green apples and grapes. Or you have a mixture of both.

Together with celery and lettuce, green apples and grapes will be an all-green salad, just like our spicy green cucumber avocado salad.

Extra protein: To bulk up and make it a main course salad, add pieces of grilled chicken, turkey or leftover rotisserie chicken. Or even match up with one of these delicious chicken salads.

Additional ingredients: The classic Waldorf salad recipe serves as a base for many variations. You can add additional ingredients complimenting apple, grape, celery and walnut combinations or switch them out to cater to your guests. Here are some ideas for you to play with:

• Pear
• Raisins
• Dried cranberries
• Red onion
• Sunflower seeds or pepitas
• Pecans or almonds
• Mini marshmallows 
• Yoghurt and Dijon mustard in the dressing 

Sugar in the salad dressing: Many classic recipes will call for sugar in the salad dressing for Waldorf salad or sprinkled over the fruit. However, I didn’t add sugar in my recipe. I feel the sweetness in the red apples and grapes was sweet enough. 

Vegan option: Substitute mayonnaise in the dressing with your favourite vegan mayonnaise brand. 

How to Make This Waldorf Salad

How to Prepare the Salad

For this recipe, I decided to present the apples in two ways – cubed and sliced. You can either dice or slice apples. It is totally up to you.

Thinly slice half an apple.

Chop the remaining one and a half apples into small cubes. 

Place cut apple in a salted water bath to avoid it from turning brown. 

Trim and cut celery stalks into small pieces to yield 1 cup of chopped celery.

Cut grapes in half.

Wash and pat dry lettuce leaves. 

If you have raw walnuts, dry toast them in a large fry pan for a few minutes until golden brown. 

Roughly chop roasted walnuts.

How to Make Waldorf Salad Dressing

In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Mix well together until combined.

How to Assemble the Salad

In a mixing bowl, add diced apples, celery, grapes and half of the walnuts together. 

Dress with mayonnaise salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Toss together. 

On a large platter, layer your lettuce leaves on the bottom. 

Tumble the tossed salad over the lettuce leaves. 

Sprinkle remaining walnuts over the top of salad. 

Gently place sliced apple in fan shapes around the salad.

Serve.

How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]

Crunchy apples are a must: For the best texture and flavour, avoid floury or overripe apples. I love using Pink Lady, Fuji or Granny Smith for their tartness. Crunchy apples contrasts beautifully with the creamy mayonnaise dressing.

Toast the walnuts: Lightly toasting walnuts enhances their nutty aroma and adds extra crunch, making the salad more interesting.

Good quality mayonnaise: Since this salad is basically mayonnaise-based, don’t skimp here. I always choose a good-quality brand. Poor-quality mayonnaise often contains low-quality oils, excess sugar, and preservatives, which affect both flavour and nutrition.

Don’t let the apples brown: Brown apples don’t look as pretty, even if they still taste fine. I toss them straight in the dressing, or if I’m prepping ahead, I give them a quick bath in salted water or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Mix the salad well: Make sure you toss the salad well with mayonnaise dressing so everything is properly coated. Lumps of creamy mayonnaise are not that pleasing on the tastebuds. 

Served chilled: I love serving this salad straight from the fridge. It keeps the apples crisp and the dressing perfectly refreshing, especially if you’ve made it ahead for a holiday meal or picnic. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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