Name: Waldorf Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 7 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; salt and pepper, (to taste); 1 medium red apple (cored and roughly chopped); 1 medium green apple (cored and roughly chopped); 1 cup red grapes, (halved); 1 cup thinly sliced celery; 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts; lettuce leaves, (for serving)

Waldorf Salad

The Waldorf salad, composed of apples, grapes, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise is a classic recipe from the 1800’s.

Waldorf Salad in Lettuce Cup

This Waldorf salad might be one of the most classic salads ever! It’s made up of apples, celery grape and walnuts combined with mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce. It’s creamy and fruity and has subtle crunch from walnuts.

It can be served alongside a meal or served as an appetizer or light snack. I have even used it as a topping in tacos and burgers. It’s a must-make at our family parties, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. And it makes a nice summertime salad too.

It’s super easy to put together and I bet you already have these ingredients in your pantry.

Based on my research, this salad was first developed in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 1893 and the original recipe did not have any grapes or walnuts. Those were added later, as this salad gained popularity.

I have also seen other “sweeter” variations of this recipe that use whipped cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar and even mini marshmallows.

Waldorf Salad

Here are some tips for making Waldorf salad:

Use full fat mayonnaise for maximum creaminess.
Mayonnaise can be replaced with yogurt to make the salad healthier, although it will add a little bit of tangy flavor, which can be offset with honey or powdered sugar.
Make sure to pat the apples and grapes dry with paper towels to prevent the salad from becoming too “watery.”
Typically, whole walnuts are used but I prefer chopped walnuts since they are easier to eat.
Toast the walnuts to enhance the “nutty” flavor.
You can add more mayonnaise to make it even more creamy.

bowl of Waldorf Salad

Here are a few more classic recipes you might like to try:

5 from 1 vote

Waldorf Salad

By RecipeGirl.com

Fruit and walnuts in a creamy dressing served over lettuce leaves.

Prep: 15

Total: 15

Servings: 4 servings

Save Pin Print

Ingredients

▢ 7 tablespoons mayonnaise
▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
▢ salt and pepper, to taste
▢ 1 medium red apple cored and roughly chopped
▢ 1 medium green apple cored and roughly chopped
▢ 1 cup red grapes, halved
▢ 1 cup thinly sliced celery
▢ 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
▢ lettuce leaves, for serving

Instructions

In a deep mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix together until smooth.
Add in the apples, grapes, celery and walnuts; stir to combine
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (no more than a couple of hours). Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 388kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 177mg, Potassium: 331mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 205IU, Vitamin C: 7.9mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.