Who knew that such old recipes could be so delicious after so many years? You've probably come across a Waldorf salad at least once or twice in your life. It's simple, fresh and filled with lots of fruit and nuts. Now, don't let its simplicity fool you — this dish is refined and elegant enough that it came from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. You can serve this dish to a gathering, or just make it for yourself – no need to share.
Check it out if you love a delicious, creamy fruit salad Grandma's Ambrosia Salad such as
Why our recipe?
- A simpler version of the historic dish from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
- Creamy and fruity, with that little crunch of celery and almonds.
The classic Waldorf salad recipe first appeared in 1896. Named after – and created by – the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, the salad was served as a charity for children at St. Mary's Hospital. Chef Oskar Tischirki – widely known as 'Oscar of the Waldorf' – included it in his cookbook, cook book, published in 1896. This recipe has changed over time, the original salad only included apples, celery and mayonnaise; Season with salt and pepper.
Material notes
- Granny Smith Apples: Choose an apple that won't brown quickly and pay attention to its texture and flavor. We love Granny Smith apples for their crunch and tart flavor, but you can also use Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Fuji or Gala.
- Lemon Juice: This helps keep your apples from browning and adds a touch of tang.
- Zinc Sugar: It's optional, but we like a touch of sweetness.
- Red Grapes: We usually use red grapes because they add a pop of color and are sweet enough – green grapes tend to be a bit more tart.
- Celery: This salad is all about the crunch and celery it brings to the table.
- Walnuts: They add really nice texture and we love the rich and nutty flavor they bring. We even like to toast our walnuts before adding to the salad to make this recipe even better! But you can skip them if you want.
- Dressing: We like plain Greek yogurt (you can use sour cream instead), mayonnaise (which helps carry the flavor and brings a smoothness to the salad), and salt. Simple and delicious.
Grape cutting tip
Our classic Waldorf salad recipe includes a healthy helping of fresh grapes! To cut your grapes, place them on a plate – single layer – and place another plate of the same size on top. Then, take a serrated knife and cut horizontally between the two plates. You will save a lot of time and labor compared to doing the halves individually.
Storage instructions
Keep in fridge Up to two days in an airtight container – if it lasts that long!
More delicious fruit salads…
Watch the video below Where Caytlin walks you through each step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we've always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes YouTubeour facebook pageOr here on our website with their respective recipes.
