Oscar Tschirky, the maître d' of the old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, created the original recipe for Waldorf salad, which consisted of equal amounts of chopped apples and celery blended with mayonnaise. Later, walnuts were added, increasing the popularity of this salad, and over time the recipe has been embellished with various ingredients to fit the tastes of the period. In the eastern United States, the dish has become a part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, adding a taste of freshness to the feast.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
6 minutes
Servings
8
Serves 8 to 10.
Ingredients
3/4 cup walnut or pecan halves
4 crisp apples, such as pippin, McIntosh or Rome Beauty
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 green onions, including some of the tender green portions, finely chopped
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. minced fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 or 2 heads Bibb lettuce
Directions
Preheat an oven to 200°F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 6 to 7 minutes. Coarsely chop and set aside.
Peel, core and quarter the apples, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. In a bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice. Add the celery, bell pepper, green onions and nuts and stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine the sour cream, mustard, honey and mint. Whisk until well blended, and season with salt and pepper.
Separate the lettuce leaves and use only the crisp inner leaves; reserve the larger outer leaves for another use. Arrange the lettuce leaves around the rim of a serving platter. Add the dressing to the apple mixture and mix well. Spoon the salad onto the center of the platter.
Serves 8 to 10.
Adapted from
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series,
Thanksgiving & Christmas,
by Chuck Williams
(Time-Life Books, 1993).
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Doingmybest from
Excellent and fastFantastic. I actually left the carrots out and added a little less sour cream (first time I made it, I almost had too much dressing to cover the fruit). I also don't bother with the base garnish of lettuce - no need unless trying to dress it up with folks over for dinner. Was excellent though.
Date published: 2015-01-16
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Snoogle from
Holiday WinnerI make this fresh and lovely salad every year at Thanksgiving. Even the health conscience person enjoys this light and fresh salad!! I highly recommend this for any occasion
Date published: 2013-11-16
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Peggalina from
Great for holidays and entertainingI've made this recipe several times for holidays and parties. My guests have always raved about the salad.
