Waldorf salad traditionally consists of raw apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise, served over lettuce. Serve it as an appetizer or a light meal
Scale This Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
Units
FOR THE WALDORF SALAD
6 ounces
celery root, — peeled, diced and blanched
3 medium
apples in different varieties, — preferably organic
1 medium
celery heart
6 medium
butter lettuce leaves
1
small bunch of seedless red grapes- cut in half
Watercress for
FOR THE WALDORF DRESSING
1 large
egg yolk — beaten
2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons
plain yogurt
2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon
lemon juice
1 tablespoon
vinegar
0.25 cup
grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE CANDIED WALNUTS
0.25 cup
sugar
0.25 cup
water
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 ounces
walnuts
Instructions
1
Candy the walnuts: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and a minute to 2 minutes or till the sugar has dissolved. Season with salt and pepper. Steep the walnuts in the syrup for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Drain the nuts and place on a baking sheet and bake 35 minutes. Let cool and store airtight.
2
Make the dressing: Whisk together the egg yolk, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice and vinegar in a medium bowl. Slowly add the oil, constantly whisking, till emulsified. with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
3
Prepare the salad: Peel the celery root and cut into 3-inch fine matchsticks. for few seconds and refresh the celery. Cut the apple sides off the core. Cut the apple sides into ¼inch lengthwise slices. Slice the celery heart as thin as possible. Keep in ice water until ready to use, then drain and pat dry. Arrange the lettuce leaves in a bowl or plate. Combine the blanched celery root, apples and celery heart in a bowl and toss with the dressing; place into the center of the lettuce leaves. Garnish with the candied walnuts, halved grapes, and watercress.
A good salad lives or dies on the dressing balance — start light on the acid, taste, then adjust. If you'd like to go deeper, Knife Skills & Vegetable Cuts covers this in full.
If you'd ever like hands-on guidance for your own kitchen or restaurant, I also offer 1-on-1 coaching through OCS, or you can reach me directly for consulting at 911ChefEric.com.
Recipes come out right when you understand the method. Chef Eric’s courses teach the foundations step by step — knife skills, stocks, soups and classic French technique — with video lessons and short quizzes. Not sure where to start? OCRS™ will build your roadmap in five questions.
