Waldorf Salad

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A Waldorf Salad is one of those classic salads that never goes out of style. Loaded with apples, pears, grapes, nuts, dried fruit, and even some cheese, this is a delicious riff on a classic salad that takes well to so many different dressings.

Hearty enough to be a main-dish salad, the nice thing about this Waldorf Salad recipe is that it can be customized to make it just how you like it. Don’t care for pears? Skip them? Love grapes? Add a few more!

There’s some cutting and washing involved, but if you use a bag of pre-washed mixed greens, you’ll reduce your prep time.

• It’s loaded with flavors, textures, and colors!
• It’s a fancy salad but still an easy-to-make salad!
• You can customize it with your favorite ingredients!
• Use your favorite Waldorf Salad dressing!

• Mixed greens – You can use your favorite lettuce blend or stick to one kind of lettuce. I love romaine, bibb lettuce, spring greens, and more for this salad.
• Apple – Pick crisp apples that aren’t too sweet or too tart. Pink lady, gala, and honey crisp work well.
• Pear – Pears add lovely color and texture to the salad.
• Craisins – I love dried cranberries in this recipe, but you could also use raisins.
• Grapes – I love grapes in this salad. Red or green grapes are delish, just cut them in half.
• Celery – Leave this out if you hate celery, but it adds such a pop of freshness.
• Pecans – Or walnuts. Roast them first, and they add so much crunch.
• Crispy shallots – Crispy shallots are so good on this salad. I’ll tell you below how to make them, or use store-bought crispy onions.
• Cheese – Parmesan, blue cheese, feta, or your favorite cheese will work.
• Dressing – Use your favorite creamy dressing. I love a creamy balsamic dressing with this salad.

Rather than tell you what kind of salad greens work in a Waldorf Salad, it’s easier to tell you what type of lettuce doesn’t work as well.

You want to avoid too many bitter greens like radicchio, endive, and arugula.

Also, avoid lettuce greens with too much texture, like kale or iceberg lettuce. Some is fine, but make sure it is just a small part of the mix.

1. Prepare the greens. Wash and spin them dry if necessary. Keep them chilled until ready to serve.
2. Cut the fruit. Core the apple and pear and slice them thinly. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice if you’re cutting them ahead of time.
3. Slice the celery and green or red grapes.
4. Toast the pecans or walnuts. You can toast the nuts on a baking sheet in a low (325-F) oven or in a dry skillet.
5. Assemble the salad by topping the greens with the fruit, nuts, crumbled cheese, and fried shallots.
6. Serve the dressing on the side, and enjoy!

Shallots have a lovely mild flavor – think of them as a cross between mild onions and garlic – and they have a natural sweetness, too. When fried, they become crispy and golden brown and are terrific on top of this salad, adding crunch, color, and texture.

1. Slice 2-3 shallots relatively thin – not paper thin.
2. Shallow fry them in olive oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.
3. Remove them from the oil and drain them on paper towels. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt. They’ll crisp up as they dry.

Waldorf Salad is perfect as a side salad or an entree. If you serve it as an appetizer salad and are wondering what to serve with a Waldorf Salad, pair it with fancier fare like stuffed salmon, braised short ribs, beef tenderloin, etc. Or, just enjoy the salad on its own and save room for a slice of Banana Pudding Pound Cake!

This easy Waldorf Salad recipe also pairs well with thick and hearty soups like seafood chowder, creamy tortellini soup, lobster chowder, or a meaty steak and potato soup.

You can make much of it ahead of time. The lettuce can be washed and chilled, the nuts can be toasted, you can make your dressing, and the shallots can be fried. The fruit should be cut before serving.

There’s some chopping involved, but yes, this classic Waldorf Salad recipe is easy to make. It won’t take you very long, and it’s so delicious!

A classic Waldorf Salad has lettuce greens, fruit – both fresh and dried – and nuts. You can also add cheese, fried shallots or croutons, and don’t forget your favorite dressing.

Yes, this is a healthy salad. It’s loaded with all sorts of nutritious greens and fruit. The fat and calories will come from any added dressing. However, it is not a keto salad because of the fruit, but it is a gluten-free Waldorf Salad.

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