The Original Waldorf Salad Recipe (2024)

My grandfather was a waiter at the Waldorf & taught my Mom how to make this, which we ALWAYS ate on Thanksgiving. Always used Red Delicious apples,(the only time we ever actually ate Red Delicious variety, but they work very well for this) celery, walnuts, raisins, mayo. Apples were diced(unpeeled)into a bowl of orange juice to prevent browning, then well drained & the dressing was mayo cut with some of the orange juice. Everyone I ever made this for said it was the best they ever had.

I prefer to use unpeeled apples and toasted walnut pieces when making this. I also mince the celery to avoid having large pieces overwhelming the flavor of the apples.

My mother used to make a variation of this every Christmas. In her variation, she would dice the apples, mix the mayo with an equal part of Kool Whip for sweetness, add walnuts, and dispense with the salt, pepper and lettuce. We still make it that way. It wouldn't be Christmas Dinner without it.

In making this salad, I always cut the mayonnaise half in half with either plain yogurt and a bit of lemon juice, or lemon flavored yogurt if you like it a little sweeter.

I prepare my version of Waldorf salad: cubed apples, sliced celery, sliced bananas, sliced dry apricots, sliced dates, raisin
s, nuts, a couple of tablespoon of mayonnaise, lemon juice (I put the bananas and apples in the juice while preparing the rest). Believe me – worth trying.

By all means, dice the apple! Cranberries or raisins. Walnuts. Wonderful.

I've always thought that the secret to Waldorf Salad was to blend honey and mayonnaise together for the dressing.

My Mother mixed the mayo with whipped cream and just a very small amount of sugar. It lightens the dressing and is softer. We also add grape halves.

In these comments, whether and why to peel the apples is raised a couple of times, and the answer is posted twice that the first instruction in the recipe is to "peel" the apples. In the photograph accompanying the recipe, however, the apples are plainly unpeeled. Why? (Whether peeled or unpeeled, however, the recipe is a winner.)

My aunt always added raisins, no lettuce, diced the apple. I make it like that too, but add dried cranberries. It's my favorite, even without the walnuts.

Diced apples, mayonnaise, slices of celery, pecan pieces, grapes sliced into quarters and a little salt.
This is the way my mother made Waldorf salad and it's always worked for me.

Actually, the first word of step one is "peel"!

I add small cubes of Swiss cheese,a little sugar, and a splash of cider vinegar.

It's the first word in Step 1.

This is the original recipe from the Waldorf-- not the venue for unpeeled apples.

What kind of lettuce?

My mother and grandmother served this as a winter salad when decent produce was hard to come by… apples, celery, raisins, Mayo topped with blue cheese and since we were from the south, pecans. Grapes and maybe Romain made an appearance as available.

I was this old when I realised the original recipe does not include chicken! None the less, I love it that way, so will continue - and sometimes add grapes and curry seasoning.

My Mom made Waldorf salad every Thanksgiving, with walnuts, even though she didn't like walnuts !Thanks for the memory.

In the bustling world of culinary delights, this recipe stands out with its refreshing simplicity, ideal for a swift yet satisfying lunch or dinner. Clocking in at a modest 517 calories, it's a dish that harmonizes well with most dining scenarios. While its unadorned charm is perfect as is, whether as a main course or a complementary side, there's room for creative embellishments for those celebratory moments, albeit with a slight uptick in calories.

Fantastic and refreshing. Made this for dinner with a pink lady Apple I had on hand. Added some walnuts and raisins. For the dressing I thinned the mayo with a little milk and added a few drops of lemon juice for zing. I also added a punch of sugar, and white pepper. Definitely a keeper and brings back so many memories!

Mother never made this without the walnuts.

Use Kaytkay’s suggestion. Cut apple and let sit in orange juice while chop celery and prep lettuce. Use raisin and walnuts as well. I forgot how much I enjoy Waldorf in the winter, it’s like a bowl of sunny weather!

My approach is to use a mixture of both sliced and unsliced diced apples. This adds a nice texture to the salad. My favorite variety of apple to use is Tango, then add walnuts, celery and craisins (dried cranberries). A little bit of Hellman’s mayo to taste, not too much. Voilà! A very tasty dish! I serve it during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

My dad worked there when he was in med school. The original Waldorf salad was made, not with mayonnaise but a boiled dressing made in a double boiler with eggs, cream and lemon juice. The old Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer has several boiled dressing options one of which is ideally suited to the traditional one. There is no comparison.

Add pomegranate seeds, add juice or yougurt to Mayo, pecans, golden raisins

While I can appreciate variations, why mess with the original? It's great as it is, simplicity in it's finest form!!To me it's always apples, walnuts and celery in a mayonnaise dressing, a pinch of salt and pepper, and voila!!

Apples were diced(unpeeled)into a bowl of orange juice to prevent browning, then well drained & the dressing was mayo cut with some of the orange juice. Oscar Tschirky, a Swiss immigrant who became known as "Oscar of the Waldorf," is credited with creating this piece of Americana in 1893, a timeless dish whose popularity has spread far past the Waldorf's exclusive doors and into home kitchens. Over time, variations would include blue cheese, raisins and chopped walnuts

I first tasted the Waldorf Salad in the freshman dining hall ( Marquis) at Lafayette College back in 1981. Their version included walnuts and raisins...for me it was love at first bite.

My mother's recipe included red grapes halved as well as walnuts. Along with unpeeled apples, celery, mayo and dash of lemon juice it is a recipe I enjoy making every treat for the holidays!