Our Vegan Waldorf Salad is adapted from the traditional Waldorf salad of the 1800s and contains everyday staple ingredients: celery, apples, grapes, walnuts, and a creamy vegan mayonnaise dressing. This salad is fruity, fresh, and savoury, with walnuts adding an extra delicious crispy nuttiness. Perfect for lunch, a dinner side, BBQs, picnics, or as part of a party or buffet spread, you can also use the Waldorf salad as a filling for sandwiches, tortilla wraps, or baked potatoes.
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Origin of Waldorf salad
A Waldorf salad is one of the simplest salads to prepare, mainly consisting of fruit, vegetables, and nuts (celery, apple, grapes, and walnuts) combined with a mayonnaise dressing.
The Waldorf salad originated in New York City and was created in 1896 by Oscar Tschirky, the head waiter at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Oscar, who was also a cookbook author, featured his Waldorf salad recipe in his 1896 book The Cookbook by Oscar of the Waldorf. Surprisingly, Oscar was not even the chef at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, yet he managed to create and compile a 900-page cookbook!
The original Waldorf salad recipe was incredibly simple and humble, consisting of two diced apples mixed with some diced celery, finished off with a "good mayonnaise" stirred through the diced fruit and vegetables. The salad recipe was created for a charity ball in aid of a children's hospital, and the simplicity, tastiness, and freshness of the Waldorf salad were very well received.
As with all good recipes, adaptations occurred over the years. Walnuts and grapes have now become popular additions to the Waldorf salad, with some recipes incorporating ingredients such as lemon juice, mustard, cream, and fruit zest within the salad dressing. Other variations have even replaced some or all of the apple with pears, oranges, and even pineapple.
Our vegan Waldorf salad can be served in a salad bowl or used as a filling for sandwiches, tortilla wraps, or baked potatoes. A delicious idea is to prepare open crusty bread sandwiches or to fill crispy lettuce cups with the salad. These would be perfect for an easy, no-fuss starter for a special meal or dinner party.
Ingredients
This ingredients required for this Waldorf salad are- celery, apple, lemon, red onion, chives, walnuts, red grapes, lettuce, vegan mayonnaise, vegan plain yogurt, and some salt & pepper.
How To Prepare
A vegan Waldorf salad can be as simple as the original recipe and include merely diced apples and celery mixed with a vegan mayonnaise. This combination is actually really tasty as a sandwich filling.
Even if any family members dislike raw celery, do give this recipe a try as it's a whole different experience and does transform the celery. Although do feel free to switch ingredients up and tailor your Waldorf salad to your own preferences.
Step 1: First core and dice the apples. You can leave the skins on or if preferred remove the skins.
Step 2: Stir through the juice of about half a fresh lemon, about one tablespoon should be enough. The lemon juice will prevent the apples from turning brown.
Step 3: Next dice the red onion and celery into small pieces and add to a bowl.
Step 4: Stir through the diced apple.
Step 5: Chop the grapes into halves or quarters if preferred and stir the grapes through the rest of the ingredients.
Step 6: To prepare the salad dressing mix the vegan mayonnaise with the vegan yogurt.
Step 7: Pour in about one tablespoon of lemon juice, along with the chopped chives.
[The salad dressing can be doubled up if preferred for extra creaminess, especially if serving more portions and using more diced fruit and vegetables].
Step 8: Add a few pinches of salt and pepper.
Step 9: Line a salad bowl with lettuce leaves.
Step 10: Add half of the diced mixture on to the salad leaves.
Step 11: Cover with half of the salad dressing.
Step 12: Add the rest of the diced vegetables and fruit.
Step 13: Finally top with the remaining salad dressing.
Step 14: Garnish with the broken walnuts, extra grapes and chopped chives.
If available scatter a few chive flowers over [chive flowers are perfectly edible and really tasty. We just eat the entire flower! But the petals can be picked off instead and scattered over the salad if preferred. Alternatively, use any other edible flowers if available.]
Waldorf Open Sandwiches and Lettuce Cups
Waldorf salad can also be used as a tasty sandwich, roll/bap, pitta, or tortilla wrap filling. Or pack into large crispy lettuce leafs. Open sandwiches are especially delicious for starters, aperitifs, and delicious lunches.
To create the Waldorf filling mix the diced fruit and vegetables with the salad dressing, and sprinkle the broken walnuts over the top. Season to taste.
Recipe Notes
Storing
Leftover Waldorf salad can be covered in food wrap, or place a plate over the salad bowl, and stored within the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The salad dressing may split as it sits but it can be stirred back together or drained away if preferred.
If preparing the Waldorf salad in advance, its best to not add the salad dressing until near the time of eating. Simply prepare the diced vegetables and fruit and store tightly covered within the refrigerator along with the mayonnaise dressing in a separate tub. Assemble the salad just before enjoying for maximum freshness.
FAQ'S
Waldorf salad can be enjoyed on its own as a light lunch, snack or starter. A few ideas for accompaniments are -
* any salad or raw veggies and fruit
* juicy fresh tomatoes
* pickled cabbage, onions or beetroot
* add a scoop of Waldorf salad to a Buddha bowls or any salad
* serve the Waldorf salad as part of a buffet/party spread/BBQ
* scoop some Waldorf salad into a little bowl and enjoy along with a vegan Ploughman's lunch platter
* sweet potato chips/wedges/fries or scoop the salad into a baked sweet potato
or baked white potato
* parsnip/carrot/swede [rutabaga]/celeriac fries or chips
* vegan sausages
* vegetable burgers
Even though walnuts are the traditional choice of nut for a Waldorf salad you can replace these with a nut or seed that you prefer.
A few ideas:
* peanuts
* pecans
* almonds
* hazelnuts
* pinenuts
* sunflower seeds
* pumpkin seeds
* crispy chickpeas [see our curried cauliflower soup recipe as it has an easy method for roasted chickpeas]
* croutons [ our cream of swede [rutabaga] soup recipe has an easy recipe for home-made tasty croutons]
* pieces of torn crusty bread
* broken crackers or broken crispy breadsticks, scatter over the finished salad before serving - so as to avoid the crackers going soggy
* crispy tofu bites
This recipe uses shop-bought vegan mayonnaise simply for convenience and time saving. But if you would like to prepare your own have a look at this easy tofu mayonnaise recipe, which does not require any oil, over on the plant-based Dr McDougall's website.
Other ideas: [use a mixture of ingredients and experiment, you may develop your new favourite dressing or sauce - include spices & herbs as desired]
* hummus
* guacamole
* cashew cream
* vegan sour cream
* vegan creme fraiche
* your favourite salad dressing
* use all vegan plain yogurt, seasoned with salt and pepper and perhaps a little lemon juice
* a mixture of tahini and plain yogurt
* a mixture of cashew cream and plain yogurt or tahini
Try replacing with some chopped parsley, coriander [cilantro], mint, dill, thyme, oregano, basil, or spring onions [green onions].
Any variety of lettuce is perfect for a tasty Waldorf salad. Or go for a lettuce or baby green leaf mixture.
A few lettuce varieties that would be nice in a Waldorf salad:
* Romaine lettuce
* iceberg lettuce
* butterhead lettuce
* little gem
* arugula/wild rocket
* watercress
* frisee
* endive
* lambs lettuce
* corn salad
* baby kale
* spinach
* baby chard
* young beetroot leaves
* pea shoots
A few ideas to replace the grapes are:
* blueberries
* blackcurrants
* blackberries
* diced watermelon
* pineapple chunks
* diced pear
* avocado chunks
* sliced orange, satsuma, tangerine segments
* raisins/sultanas
* cranberries
* chopped dried or fresh apricots
* chopped dates
* prunes
* olives
More vegan salad recipes
For more delicious vegan fresh salad recipes to enjoy this spring and summer we have a few of our family favourites to share with you. Such as this easy vegan Ploughman's lunch platter or sandwich which is ideal for those days when cooking is less appealing.
Our tofu 'prawn' cocktail which uses smoked tofu is really fresh and delicious and is ideal for a starter, as a sandwich filling, or for lunch.
For a fruity curried salad try our take on a classic Coronation chicken salad our Coronation chickpeas and kidney beans which can be served as a tortilla wrap or sandwich filling or used as a stand-alone salad.
For another traditional recipe made vegan that also makes good use of raw celery and crunchy walnuts, do give our Old-Fashioned Walnut and Celery Sandwiches a try.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, or ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Vegan Waldorf Salad
Equipment
- Salad bowl or trifle or large dip bowl, or similar
- Vegetable knife
- cutting board
- lemon squeezer
- Small mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 170 grams apples [2 small dessert apples, diced small, or any variety]
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice [the juice from about ½ medium lemon]
- 100 grams lettuce [such as a whole Romaine lettuce or another lettuce variety]
- 95 grams celery [2-3 small stalks, diced small]
- 95 grams red onion [1 medium onion, diced small]
- 110 grams red grapes [or green/black, halved, plus a few extra for garnish]
- 40 grams walnuts [halved]
- 10 grams chives [sliced, plus a few extra sliced chives for garnish, if available use a few chive flowers for garnish, they taste delicious!]
Salad dressing:
- 5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise [shop-bought or home-made]
- 2 tablespoons vegan yogurt [can replace with cashew cream or vegan sour cream]
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice [juice from 1 medium lemon]
Instructions
- Line the salad bowl with the lettuce leaves.100 grams lettuce
- Stir the juice of half a lemon through the diced apples to prevent the apple becoming brown.1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Stir the diced celery, diced red onion and diced apples together within a mixing bowl. Add the grapes and mix keeping a few grapes aside for garnish if preferred.170 grams apples, 95 grams celery, 95 grams red onion, 110 grams red grapes
- In a small bowl add the mayonnaise, yogurt and lemon juice together. Stir through the chopped chives keeping a few chives for garnish.Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. [don't add too much salt at this point unless your going to eat the salad soon, as the salt can pull water out of the fruit and vegetables. Extra seasoning can always be added before serving]Give it a good mix.5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons vegan yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 10 grams chives
- Place half the diced fruit and vegetables into the salad bowl on top of the lettuce leaves.
- Cover with half of the salad dressing.
- Add the rest of the diced fruit and vegetables on top of the salad dressing.
- Finally top with the remaining dressing.
- [Alternatively mix the fruit and vegetables with the dressing and scoop into the salad bowl]
- Scatter the walnuts over the top of the salad, including any chopped chives and grapes that you may have saved for garnish.40 grams walnuts
Notes
- Nutritional information is for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients vary.
- Store leftover Waldorf salad for 1-2 days within the refrigerator. Cover the salad bowl with food wrap or transfer to a food container. The salad dressing may leak down to the bottom of the dish but can simply be stirred back through the salad.
- If preparing Waldorf salad in advance keep the diced fruit and veggies separate from the mayonnaise salad dressing, and combine before using.
- The walnuts can be replaced with a different variety of nut or seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, pecans, peanuts, or flaked almonds.
- Or replace the nuts with crunchy croutons, roasted chickpeas, olives, etc.
- Double up the salad dressing ingredients for an extra creamy Waldorf salad, or if you are requiring extra portions and are preparing extra diced fruit and vegetables.
- For a gluten-free Waldorf salad simply check that your vegan mayonnaise and yogurt are free from gluten ingredients.
- Waldorf salad can be prepared as a sandwich, roll/bap, pitta bread, or tortilla wrap filling. Just mix the diced ingredients with the dressing, scatter the walnuts over and use as a filling.
- Or simply mix the diced fruit and vegetables with the salad dressing and use the Waldorf salad as a delicious dip along with tortilla chips, crackers, etc., to scoop the creamy salad dip up.
- A scoop of Waldorf salad goes well as a side dish along with a nice baked sweet or white potato, a few veggie sausages, a vegetable burger, pasta or rice, or as part of a larger salad bowl.
- Even if you are not too keen on raw celery do give it a try within the Waldorf salad as it is surprisingly tasty and quite different from raw plain celery.
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared our Vegan Waldorf Salad? We would love to know how you get on with the recipe so do drop us a comment and click the star ratings. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks so much! All the best, Jacq x
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