Classic Waldorf Salad is a timeless recipe with the perfect blend of crisp apples, juicy grapes, and crunchy celery tossed with toasted walnuts in a creamy dressing. It’s light, refreshing, and just the right balance of sweet and savory. Whether I’m making it for a simple lunch, serving it alongside a holiday meal, or bringing it to a potluck, this timeless recipe always brings a little something special to the table.
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I grew up with this exact same salad at almost every meal! My mom makes it the exact same way. I love your recipes and so many of them are part of our family as well. Thank you!
Kimberly
Waldorf Salad has been a favorite in my house since, well…forever. The boys grew up eating it, and Mr. SS is a huge fan. Like my other family favorites, Mom’s Macaroni Salad, Egg Salad, and Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, this simple, timeless salad recipe is satisfying and easy to make.
What Makes This Waldorf Salad Special?
- It’s a Classic, Done Right – This timeless salad is just as delicious today as when it was first created. The combination of crisp apples, juicy grapes, and toasted walnuts never gets old.
- Perfect for Sharing – Whether it’s a holiday table, a potluck, or a simple family meal, this dish fits right in. It’s easy to make and always enjoyed.
- Great for Meal Prep – Waldorf Salad tastes even better after chilling, making it a great make-ahead option for busy days or entertaining.
What Is Waldorf Salad?
It’s easy to call this recipe a classic since its history lasts over 100 years. The original Waldorf Salad recipe was created by the Maître d’hôtel (Oscar Tschirky) at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York city for a charity event and appeared to be an instant hit.
- Red and green apples bring the perfect amount of sweet and sour and are classic Waldorf salad ingredients.
- Red seedless grapes add a juicy flavor, but green grapes will work, too. These will just be a bit more sour.
- For crunch, I like to add celery and crunchy walnuts.
- You’ll need mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and fresh lemon juice to make the creamy dressing.
Yummy Recipe Variations
- Add Chicken: Rotisserie or leftover chicken (turkey is good, too) is a great addition. Serve it on a bed of lettuce for lunch or a light supper.
- Sour Cream Swap: Substitute Greek plain yogurt for the sour cream.
- Make it Sweeter: Pears, cranberries, or golden raisins would be great for some additional sweetness.
- Walnut Alternatives: If you’re not a fan of walnuts, change them out for pecans or toasted almonds.
Step By Step Directions
- Toast the Walnuts: I like to toast the walnuts to bring out extra flavor, but you can skip that step if you are short on time.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, measure the ingredients for the dressing and whisk them together.
- Dice Everything Up: Chop the apples and toss in lemon juice and sugar. Next, slice the grapes in half and chop the celery. Put everything in a large bowl.
- Mix it Up: Mix the ingredients using a spatula, then chill the salad in the fridge until ready to serve.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The salad will keep for about three days. Make sure to gently toss because some of the dressing will have settled while storing.
Donya’s Tips For The Perfect Waldorf Salad
- Use fresh apples. Choose ones that are firm with no blemishes.
- Chop the apples and celery and slice the grapes to the same size.
- Whisk the dressing until it is smooth before adding it to the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
This salad can be made up to a day before serving. The dressing holds up well to everything, so go ahead and prep it! If you plan to serve it on a bed of lettuce, store it separately.
It adds a lot of flavor, so I highly recommend it. But you can skip it to save a bit of time.
Yes, honey will work in place of sugar. Honey tends to have a pretty specific flavor, so be sure to add the honey slowly and taste as you go.
Yes, you can absolutely use Greek yogurt in Waldorf salad! In fact, it’s a great way to lighten up the salad while still maintaining a creamy texture. It adds a nice tanginess that complements the other ingredients. You can use it in combination with mayonnaise for a richer flavor or on its own if you prefer a lighter version.
Serving Suggestions For Apple Walnut Salad
I love this salad as a light lunch paired with this Ham Jam Sandwich or Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken Sliders. It also makes a fantastic side to dinner. You can serve it with Crock Pot Chicken Thighs, Busy Day Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Garlic Parmesan Skillet Rolls.
Craving More? Try These Salads
If you tried this Waldorf Salad Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 2 cups red and green apples (1 of each apple) chopped
- 1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium heat, heat walnuts until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool then chop to the desired size.
- Place chopped apples into a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar. Add the sliced grapes, chopped celery, and walnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently mix until combined. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Add Chicken: Rotisserie or leftover chicken (turkey is good, too) is a great addition. Serve it on a bed of lettuce for lunch or a light supper.
- Sour Cream Swap: Substitute Greek plain yogurt for the sour cream.
- Make it Sweeter: Pears, cranberries, or golden raisins would be great for some additional sweetness.
- Walnut Alternatives: If you’re not a fan of walnuts, change them out for pecans or toasted almonds.
Nutrition
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I made this for Thanksgiving Day. It was very good! I will be making this again.
Wonderful! Thanks so much.
~Donya
Absolutely love Waldorf salad. Adding chicken makes it a hardy meal.
Thanks, Carolyn for the great rating! This dish is one of our favorties,too. Great suggestion about the chicken.
~Donya
Loved this recipe. Only I had never toasted walnuts before. Did it a little too long, and they burned. Went ahead and added more walnuts to salad, only untoasted. I made this for the grandkids, and called it fruit salad. They loved it.
Thanks for the recipe!
Good call on the fruit salad title! I used to do that with my boys.
~Donya
One of my favorite salads, and a good way to use up some apples you might have left over. This recipe was so easy to make and it tastes very good too!
Thanks for the outstanding rating!
~Donya
Mama always made this with raisins and just mayonnaise and so do I. We ate it frequently at home. Grew up in Georgia and never had sour cream until I lived in California in 1963!
My Yankee husband loves it and so did my kids so I’ll just continue without sour cream. No recipe, just toss together! Pecans or walnuts, raisins or dried cranberries added. Celery only if I have it on hand. For the two of us I use one apple and eyeball the other ingredients.
Hey Margret!
Thank you so much for sharing, I love hearing about which recipes bring back memories! I love how Waldorf Salad is just one of those southern staples and everybody has their own special twist on the recipe. I completely agree with you though, it can definitely one of those “throw in whatever is on hand” recipes. Thank you for sharing your story, I appreciate your support!
~Donya
OMG I Love your recipes, all of them. Thank you so much
Lynn, you are so welcome!
Thank you for your kind words and support. More yumminess is on the way.
Have a wonderful day,
~Donya
This is the exact salad I grew up eating. I am so glad to have a recipe for it! Thank you so much!! I am making this year!
Hey Lisa!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the recipe. It brings back good memories for me too!
Have a wonderful day,
~Donya
I grew up with this exact same salad at almost every meal! My mom makes it the exact same way. I love your recipes and so many of them are part of our family as well. Thank you!
Kimberly,
You’ve just melted my heart. Your message has inspired me. THANK YOU!
I am so glad you’ll be making this recipe. Keep me posted on any recipe you make.
With so much love,
~Donya