Best Waldorf Salad Recipe - Food Lovin Family (2024)

Home Salad Waldorf Salad Recipe with Yogurt

By Heather

5 from 14 votes

Jan 29, 2019, Updated Feb 10, 2024

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Waldorf salad is a classic recipe filled with apples, grapes, and nuts. A family favorite that is always served at holiday gatherings. This creamy fruit salad is always a hit.

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This is one of those dishes that always makes an appearance during a holiday meal like pea salad, ambrosia salad, and Watergate salad. Creamy and slightly sweet, it has become a dish my kids ask for on every special occasion.

What is an Apple Waldorf Salad?

This salad is made with fruit and nuts and typically has a mayonnaise dressing served on lettuce. Oscar Tschirky, who worked at the New York City Waldorf Astoria hotel in 1896 is credited with developing the recipe for a charity ball that was held at the hotel.

The original classic waldorf salad recipe consisted of apples, celery, and mayonnaise.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Greek vanilla yogurt – Used to make the creamy dressing for the salad. You can also substitute with plain Greek yogurt to cut down on the sweetness.
  • Honey – Adds a hint of sweetness to the dish.
  • Lemon juice – Lemon juice helps to prevent the apples from browning.
  • Apples – Use your favorite apples like green apples, red apples, honey crisp apples, fuji apples, or others.
  • Grapes – Red grapes and green grapes are used for this recipe but you can also just use red or green.
  • Celery – Diced celery adds a nice crunch.
  • Pecans – Chopped pecans add more crunch and flavor.

Variations

Want a little something different? Try some of these add-ins.

  • If you don’t have yogurt, try using mayonnaise or sour cream for a tangy flavor.
  • To make this a full meal, try adding shredded or chopped chicken.
  • Try a little added texture with dried fruit like raisins, golden raisins, or cranberries.
  • Different fruit like mandarin oranges or diced pears are also great additions.
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How to make this Recipe for Waldorf Salad

This recipe uses Greek yogurt instead of the classic mayonnaise. If you prefer mayonnaise, feel free to substitute.

  1. Start by making the dressing. Stir together the Greek yogurt, honey, and lemon juice.
  2. Cut apples and celery into small pieces and cut grapes in half.
  3. Pour dressing over apples, celery, grapes, and nuts. Stir until everything is covered.
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Recipe Tips

  • If you like your salad a little sweeter you can add a pinch of sugar or use vanilla Greek yogurt.
  • Make sure to choose crisp apples for the salad so that it doesn’t become mushy in texture.
  • Make sure to cut fruit in bite size pieces.
  • Toss the apples in the dressing as soon as they are cut. The lemon juice acid in the dressing is key to preventing browning of the fruit.
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How long will this Waldorf Salad Recipe with Yogurt last?

This salad will last about two days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can make it the night before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Where does Waldorf salad originate from?

The Waldorf salad was first introduced in 1893 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The executive chef, Edouard Beauchamp and the maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky came up with the simple salad.

What do you eat Waldorf with?

This salad pairs well with a variety of dishes like ham, chicken, and pork.

How do you keep apples from turning brown in Waldorf salad?

The acid in the lemon juice will help prevent the apples from turning brown.

More salad recipes

  • Chicken salad is a delicious salad with a hint of spice and vegetables.
  • Egg salad is creamy and perfect for an on the go lunch.
  • Tuna salad – A classic, easy dish.
  • Salmon salad – Similar to tuna salad.

Best Waldorf Salad Recipe - Food Lovin Family (6)

5 from 14 votes

Waldorf Salad without Mayo

By Heather

Waldorf Salad with Greek yogurt.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Total: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
  • 1 tablesppon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 apple diced
  • 1/2 cup green grapes, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup red grapes, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • lettuce, optional

Instructions

  • Stir together yogurt, lemon juice and honey in a bowl.

  • Add diced apples, grapes, celery and pecans. Pour dressing over ingredients and stir until covered. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • If you like your salad a little sweeter you can add a pinch of sugar or use vanilla Greek yogurt.
  • Make sure to cut fruit in bite size pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

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FAQs

What fruit does a Waldorf salad typically contain? ›

The main ingredient in a traditional Waldorf salad is crisp apples, typically diced or sliced. This classic salad also includes other ingredients such as celery, grapes, and walnuts, all of which are mixed together with a dressing typically made from mayonnaise or a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Does Waldorf salad contain celery? ›

A Waldorf salad is a fruit and nut salad generally made of celery, fresh apples, walnuts, and grapes, dressed in mayonnaise, and traditionally served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal. The apples, celery, and grapes can all be green, which harmonizes the color palette of the dish.

How to make salad fun to eat? ›

A blend of crunchy (nuts and seeds), chewy (dried fruit), crispy (bell peppers or fennel), and soft (avocado or hard-boiled egg) foods make for a more balanced and ultimately more satisfying salad.

What is the main ingredient which forms the foundation of the Waldorf salad? ›

The original recipe consisted only of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts were added later to this now American classic.

What nut does Waldorf salad contain? ›

It's a symphony of crisp apples, celery, grapes, and crunchy walnuts, tossed in a tangy-sweet, creamy dressing that adds the perfect refreshing touch. A Waldorf salad can be enjoyed year round with how simple and refreshing it is (like my ultimate chicken salad).

What is the Bella Hadid salad? ›

Here's how to make the viral Bella Hadid salad with arugula, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado and parmesan all drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil and a balsamic glaze. It's light, refreshing and so easy to whip up!

Is Waldorf salad a carbohydrate fat or protein? ›

Waldorf Salad (1 cup) contains 14.9g total carbs, 11.7g net carbs, 20.8g fat, 2g protein, and 242 calories.

Is celery a good substitute for lettuce? ›

9. Celery. Celery is a fresh, crunchy and hydrating vegetable just like lettuce. Celery leaves and stalks can be used in both salads and sandwiches.

How can I jazz up my salad? ›

Simple ways to spice up your salad
  1. Use a lettuce that you actually like! ...
  2. Add roasted veggies: I love adding roasted sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts or broccoli to a salad! ...
  3. Mix it up & Chop it up! ...
  4. Add a little crunch: A little texture difference is a big thing in a salad!
Aug 5, 2019

What can I put in my salad to make it taste better? ›

12 Easy Ways to Make Salad Taste Amazing – Seriously
  1. Make Your Salad a Spectacle. ...
  2. Mix and Match Leaves. ...
  3. Upgrade Your Salad Dressings. ...
  4. Massage Your Salad Greens. ...
  5. Toss in Cooked Veggies. ...
  6. Add Fresh Herbs. ...
  7. Sweeten with Fruit. ...
  8. Heat Your Salad Dressing.
Mar 9, 2022

How do you pimp up salad? ›

One of the easiest ways to get some flavour in your salad is to mix up your leaves with bright herbs that pack a punch. Plants like parsley, dill, mint and coriander can really kick your salads up a notch and give them some (much needed) depth and can give a great dose of flavour in every bite.

Which fruits does the fruit salad contain? ›

Common ingredients used in fruit salads include strawberries, pineapple, honeydew, watermelon, grapes, and kiwifruit. Various recipes may call for the addition of nuts, fruit juices, certain vegetables, yogurt, or other ingredients. One variation is a Waldorf-style fruit salad, which uses a mayonnaise-based sauce.

What fruit is in a fruit salad sweet? ›

Fruit Salad is a type of "raspberry & pineapple flavour chew" according to its packaging. It is a chewy confectionery.

What is a salad that contains fruits as their main ingredients? ›

Fruit salad contain fruits as their main ingredients,like appetizer salads or dessert salads while gelatin salad are usually served as main courses or fruit courses rather than accompaniments or side dishes.

Which type of salad is usually sweet and contains fruits and nuts? ›

Dessert salads are usually sweet, often containing fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts, cream, and/or whipped cream. The BASE or UNDERLINER of the salad is usually a layer of greens. The BODY of the salad is the main ingredient.

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