Waldorf Salad
This old-fashioned Waldorf salad comes straight from my grandma’s 1940s cookbook, with just 5 simple ingredients: crisp apples, crunchy walnuts, celery, creamy mayo, and a pinch of salt. It’s ready in about 10 minutes and makes the perfect sweet and crunchy side for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any family dinner. Make it ahead, chill it, and watch it disappear!
Servings 6
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Granny Smith Apples diced
- 1 Cup Walnuts chopped
- 1 Cup Celery diced
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Combine apples, celery, walnuts, and salt.
- Stir in mayonnaise. Start with 1 cup and add more if desired.
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Keep your apples from browning. Diced apples start to turn brown pretty quickly. Toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice right after you cut them, and they’ll stay fresh and bright. It won’t change the flavor much, and nobody will even notice it’s there.
- Cut everything about the same size. Try to dice your apples, celery, and walnuts into similar bite-size pieces. That way every spoonful gets a little sweet, a little crunch, and a little creamy. It looks nicer in the bowl too!
- Pat your ingredients dry. If you rinse your celery or apples, give them a good pat with a paper towel before mixing. Extra water can make the dressing thin and runny. Nobody wants a soupy Waldorf salad.
- Add the mayo a little at a time. Grandma’s recipe says to add more mayonnaise if you want, so start with the cup and see how it looks. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out! I like mine just coated, not swimming.
- Chill before serving. This salad tastes best cold. Pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can blend together. It’s a great make-ahead dish for busy holiday mornings.
- Stir gently. Fold everything together instead of stirring hard. This keeps the apples from getting mushy and the walnuts from breaking into crumbs.
- Serve it the old-fashioned way. Back in the day, Waldorf salad was often served on a crisp lettuce leaf. It’s a fun vintage touch for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and it makes each serving look extra special.