Waldorf Salad – Classic Recipe

Waldorf salad (also pronounced “gualdorf”) is an amazing dish that made a hotel name famous for serving it. It was first served on March 14, 1896, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The creator of the salad is the hotel chef Oscar Chirski.

The classic salad recipe includes apples, celery stalks, and homemade mayonnaise. Walnuts appeared in ingredients only in the 1920s, and chicken and pineapples have only been added in modern times. Find the original vegetarian recipe below.

Waldorf Salad – What is it?

Waldorf is a refreshing crunchy salad of apples, celery stalks and walnuts with mayo sauce and lemon juice. Keep in mind that the choice of mayonnaise plays a key role in the flavor of the salad; It is highly recommended to use homemade sauce instead of the industrially prepared one.

For mayonnaise, it is best to use soy milk as it contains lecithin  which is also found in egg yolks. Thanks to this ingredient, the sauce turns into a thick dough faster and remains stable longer, which gives the salad both density and lightness.

To make good mayonnaise, use a hand mixer and a tall glass. After preparing homemade mayonnaise, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Waldorf Salad – Classic Recipe

The main ingredients in the classic Waldorf salad recipe are apples, celery, and handmade mayonnaise. The celery stalks, cut into thin strips, provide a pleasant crunch and notes of anise; we recommend using walnuts to enhance its flavor.

Ingredient selection

For the preparation of the classic Waldorf salad, it is recommended to use green sour apples (varieties Granny Smith, Golden, Renet Simirenko) or sweet crunchy apples (Honey Crisp, Black Prince).

It is best to bake the walnuts in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes before. This prevents them from falling apart in the salad under the influence of the sauce. You can also use almonds instead of walnuts – they taste a bit more delicate and they crunch really well.

Also, raisins soaked in water or red seedless grapes are often added to Waldorf salad. Although these ingredients are not in the classic recipe, they add an extra bittersweet flavor, as well as you can add a combination of different varieties of apples.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

For the mayonnaise sauce:

How to prepare Waldorf salad?

Waldorf mayonnaise sauce is made a few hours ahead to thicken in the refrigerator. Pour cold soy milk into a tall bowl or glass of a mixer, add all ingredients except vegetable oil, foam with a mixer for 1-2 minutes.

Now start adding oil in a fine stream without stopping the mixer. The mixture should thicken and increase in volume. Whisk the sauce for about a minute, then transfer to a jar or container and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Waldorf salad step by step:

1. Rinse the celery stalks well, cut them lengthwise, and then cut each half diagonally into thin, almost transparent slices. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Peel the apples, remove the core with the hard parts and the seeds with a knife, then cut them into small cubes. Transfer to a celery bowl and drizzle with lemon juice to keep it from browning.
3. Peel the walnuts, break them into two or four pieces and put them in a bowl.
4. Mix the lemon juice with mayonnaise (1 tablespoon), or just transfer the prepared mayonnaise sauce to the vegetables and nuts, mix well. Taste and add salt, black pepper, and lemon juice according to taste.
5. It’s best to put the finished salad in the refrigerator for 2 hours so that all the ingredients are “infused,” but the freshly made salad will be delicious too!
6. It is recommended to store the Waldorf salad in a closed container in the refrigerator, but no more than 3-4 days.

Bon appetite!

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