Waldorf salad recipe (2024)

Apples, celery, walnuts and a dash of high society: yes sir, this is one fine salad.

Dec 10, 2019 1:40am

By Alice Storey

  • 10 mins preparation
  • 5 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
  • Waldorf salad recipe (1)

    Print

If you're after a dish with a serious society pedigree, you really can't go past the esteemed Waldorf salad. As with most iconic dishes, its provenance is murky. One theory is that it was created by the Waldorf Lunch System, an early 20th-century lunchroom chain whose logo, at one time, was an apple.

Conventional wisdom, however, has it that the dish was created for a society supper for 1500 guests at New York City's Waldorf Hotel in 1893 (a precursor to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which opened in 1931).

Credit for the salad's creation is given to Oscar Tschirky, the hotel's maître d', a man apparently held in high esteem by the society types who frequented the hotel. But despite his standing and the fact that the Waldorf salad became a staple in restaurants and hotel dining rooms, early opinions on the dish weren't unanimously positive. The New Yorkers's food editor at the time, Sheila Hibben, was vocal in her disapproval, stating that Tschirky's combination of apples and mayonnaise "bred the sorry mixture of sweet salads" and steered the American housewife in the wrong culinary direction.

In its original form, the recipe for Waldorf salad was very brief. It appeared in Tschirky's book ,The Cook Book by "Oscar" of The Waldorf, and instructed simply: "Peel two raw apples and cut them into small pieces, say about half an inch square, also cut some celery the same way, and mix it with the apple. Be very careful not to let any seeds of the apples be mixed with it. The salad must be dressed with a good mayonnaise." The now ubiquitous walnuts were added later, as was the custom of presenting the salad on a bed of lettuce.

We've lightened it all up a little in or recipe. The lettuce bed becomes a tumble of radicchio and witlof leaves, adding a slight bitter note and colour contrast. Apple and celery remain, of course, and as for the mayonnaise, we concur with Oscar. Whip up a batch of your own and this is one salad that can't be beaten.

Ingredients

  • 75 gm walnuts, plus extra to serve
  • 2 red apples such as pink lady
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ celery, finely sliced widthways, heart leaves reserved for serving
  • 1 radicchio, leaves torn
  • 2 witlof, leaves separated
  • 200 gm red seedless grapes
  • 1 cup (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves

Mayonnaise

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp chardonnay vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 130 ml olive oil
  • 25 ml walnut oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

Method

Main

Notes

For best results, use stalks from the inner part of the celery for this recipe; they're the most tender.

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Waldorf salad recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does a Waldorf salad contain? ›

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.

What five ingredients demanded by one of basil fawlty's guests to make the infamous Waldorf salad? ›

In the episode named after the salad, the American guest kept asking for Waldorf Salad – apple, celery and walnuts. (Actually I had to refresh my memory and only could find a Waldorf Salad remix online which showed that my memory is faulty (fawlty) and it is actually celery, apples, walnuts, grapes. Grapes?

Which of the fruits mentioned below is used for Waldorf salad? ›

Healthy Waldorf Salad – This classic salad of apples, grapes, walnuts, and celery is given a healthy makeover with the substitution of mayo with Greek yogurt.

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

5 Steps to a More Satisfying Salad
  • Use fresh ingredients. ...
  • Use ingredients that add different textures. ...
  • Create balanced flavors. ...
  • Skip the greens. ...
  • Include protein to make salad more filling.
May 1, 2019

How to make a weekly salad? ›

Salads that stay fresh all week use separate containers for toppings and dressing to keep crunchy foods crunchy. Prep the toppings and dressing so the entire salad will be ready to grab when needed – just mix the containers together before eating. Meal prep salad is a lot like building a salad you'd eat right away.

What is the three sacred sisters salad? ›

Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds butternut squash.
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  3. 1 (15.5-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
  4. 2 cups fresh corn kernels.
  5. ½ small red onion, sliced.
  6. ½ cup chopped fresh basil.
  7. Balsamic Vinaigrette.
  8. 3 cups loosely packed arugula.

What is the most popular salad ingredients? ›

A typical salad starts with raw greens, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, mixed greens or arugula. However, you can also add several other raw vegetables. Some popular raw veggie toppings include chopped carrots, onions, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms and broccoli.

What are the 4 basic components of a salad arrangement? ›

The basic parts of a salad are the base, the body, the garnish, and the dressing. The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination.

Who invented Waldorf salad? ›

Who created it? The salad was part of a menu created by Edouard Beauchamp, the Waldorf's original executive chef, and Oscar Tschirky, its maitre d'hotel. Tschirky, eventually nicknamed Oscar of the Waldorf, is reputed to have been the salad's creator.

What is ambrosia salad made of? ›

The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite!

What is the fancy name for fruit salad? ›

A fruit salad is sometimes known as a fruit co*cktail (often connoting a canned product), or fruit cup (when served in a small container). There are many types of fruit salad, ranging from the basic (no nuts, marshmallows, or dressing) to the moderately sweet (Waldorf salad) to the sweet (ambrosia salad).

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

The Waldorf salad is said to have originated over 100 years ago at the Waldorf hotel in New York City. Starting out as a simple salad of apples, celery, and mayonnaise—ingredients that are in season all year long—over the years its flavor was tweaked with the addition of grapes and nuts added to the mix.

What is the meaning of Waldorf salad? ›

noun. Wal·​dorf salad ˌwȯl-ˌdȯrf- : a salad usually containing apples, celery, nuts, and mayonnaise. Etymology. named for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

What is a common ingredient in most bound salads? ›

Bound Salads

The reason they are a less-healthy option is that the binding agents are typically mayonnaise-based. Some of the most popular bound salads are egg and tuna. Most egg salad recipes are similar, which means that you can tweak the ingredients to your liking.

What does a main dish salad contain? ›

Main Dish Salads
  • Salad Greens. Use about two cups of salad greens for each person and place on the plate as a bed for building the salad. ...
  • Fruits & Veggies. Next add about a cup or two of other vegetables and fruits. ...
  • Protein. Now it is time to add some protein. ...
  • Dairy. ...
  • Dressing. ...
  • Whole Grains.

References

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