Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad is a classic for a reason. The sweet mix of red grapes, chopped apples, crunchy celery, and buttery walnuts dressed in a tangy, creamy dressing can be served any time of year, whether as an appetizer, a side salad, or a light lunch. Try this retro salad piled high onto leafy green lettuce, then make it your own by adding flaked tuna or shredded cooked chicken.

The Waldorf salad was invented at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the late 1890s by the hotel’s maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky. At its inception, the salad was made with just mayonnaise-dressed apples and celery. As the years passed and the salad gained popularity in other hotels and society gatherings, chopped walnuts were added and became an integral part of the sweet salad.

Pink Lady (or Cripps Pink) were cultivated in the 1970s, decades after the Waldorf salad was introduced. This cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams varieties features a rosy skin and firm, crisp-sweet texture that’s perfect for Waldorf salad. Although this variety wasn’t around when the salad was first served at the Waldorf-Astoria, choose it or other crisp-sweet apples like Honeycrisp and Gala apples for the best results.

There are two ways to make the dressing for this updated Waldorf salad: with mayonnaise or yogurt. Choose one depending on what you like (or what you have in the fridge), then add freshly squeezed lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, and, if desired, a touch of granulated sugar.

• Mayonnaise: Mayo is the classic creamy component for Waldorf salad. I love the tangy homestyle flavor of Duke’s mayonnaise, but you can use whatever you have in your refrigerator or blend up a batch of homemade mayonnaise.
• Full-fat plain yogurt: Using yogurt makes for a dressing that has a tangy flavor and creamy texture without the weight of mayonnaise. Greek yogurt can be substituted for regular, but since it’s thicker, use milk or extra lemon juice to thin it to your desired consistency.