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Home » Recipes » Salads

Waldorf Salad

Published: Sep 10, 2020 by Lexi

2.1K shares
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We took the ingredients of a classic waldorf salad and gave them a more modern, healthy, vegan twist. This hearty fall and winter salad is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other holiday entertaining occasion! We're pretty sure your family will appreciate the contemporary update.

overhead view of vegan waldorf salad with walnut brittle and pomegranate in a bowl.

I'm not sure about you, but I've never been particularly enthused about a traditional waldorf salad. Apples, grapes and walnuts absolutely slathered in mayo...*shudder*...not exactly aesthetically appealing.

That being said, once you get past the unappetizing look, the ingredients actually go quite well together (which is probably why it's such a classic recipe!).

We decided to give grandma's classic waldorf a much more modern update, with a lot more pizzazz (pomegranate, dried cranberries, walnut pumpkin seed brittle) and a lot less mayo. The dressing is still creamy, tangy and delicious, but it doesn't completely overwhelm the salad.

close up view of walnut pumpkin seed brittle in a small white bowl.

Plus, it will look much, much prettier on your holiday table!

This vegan waldorf salad isn't just for the holidays. It's perfect for just about any fall/winter dinner or entertaining occasion! Don't skip the walnut brittle – it adds SO much.

overhead view of ingredients for waldorf salad on a cutting board, including celery, grapes, dried cranberries, apples and pomegranate.

Ingredients

  • Romaine lettuce: a good head of romaine lettuce has a nice freshness and crunch that holds up well to a heavy dressing. You can also use butter lettuce, bibb lettuce, mache, or any other mild leafy green.
  • Celery: essential to a waldorf salad!
  • Red Grapes: see above 😉
  • Apple: just about any variety will do, but I personally prefer something sweet and crisp, like honeycrisp or granny smith.
  • Dried Cranberries: optional, but they add a nice tartness and chewy texture. Dried tart cherries would be great, too.
  • Pomegranate: also optional, but they add so much!
  • Walnut pumpkin seed brittle: if you're feeling lazy, plain walnuts will do, but you really shouldn't skip this simple brittle. It adds so much to the recipe! You'll need walnuts, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, maple syrup, thyme, salt and pepper.
  • Yogurt dressing: instead of mayo, we used plain vegan yogurt for a lighter, tangier dressing that perfectly complements the other elements of this salad.
overhead view of vegan waldorf salad in bowl before adding dressing.

Instructions

Make the brittle. Preheat the oven to 275˚F. Add walnuts and pumpkin seeds to a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour over nuts and toss well to coat. Spread out on a small parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, break apart into bite sized pieces.

Make the dressing. Whisk together all ingredients, taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired.

Salad assembly. Prep all salad ingredients, add to a large mixing bowl and toss. Add dressing just before serving and toss well. Top with cooled brittle.

person pouring yogurt dressing onto waldorf salad.

Substitutions/add-ins

  • For a more classic waldorf salad: omit the lettuce and pomegranate seeds and toss all of the other ingredients in the dressing.
  • Add in pickled red onion for tanginess.
  • Sub dried cranberries with raisins or dried tart cherries.
  • Add in finely chopped broccoli.
  • For more plant-based protein, add in chickpeas.
overhead view of bowls of vegan waldorf salad.

More salad recipes you'll love:

  • Roasted Beet & Kale Salad
  • Roasted Vegetable & Wild Rice Salad
  • Dill Pickle Potato Salad
  • Kale Tahini Caesar Salad
  • Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
overhead view of vegan waldorf salad with walnut brittle and pomegranate in a bowl with serving utensils.

If you make this vegan waldorf salad, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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overhead view of vegan waldorf salad with walnut brittle and pomegranate in a bowl with serving utensils.

Waldorf Salad


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

We took the ingredients of a classic waldorf salad and gave them a more modern, healthy, vegan twist. This hearty fall and winter salad is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other holiday entertaining occasion! We're pretty sure your family will appreciate the contemporary update.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
  •  1 cup seedless red grapes, halved 
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • 1 large apple, diced*
  • ½ cup dried cranberries  
  • ½ cup pomegranate arils
  • Walnut pumpkin seed brittle (recipe below)

Walnut Pumpkin Seed Brittle:

  • ½ cup raw, unsalted walnut pieces
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Dressing:

  • ⅓ cup olive oil (or walnut oil)
  • ⅓ cup plain vegan yogurt
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 275˚F.
  2. Add walnuts and pumpkin seeds to a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour over nuts and toss well to coat. Spread out on a small parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, break apart into bite sized pieces.
  3. While the brittle is cooling, whisk together dressing ingredients and prepare salad ingredients.
  4. Toss together all salad ingredients. Add dressing just before serving and toss well to coat. Top with brittle. 

Notes

*We prefer a sweet, tart apple like honeycrisp or granny smith.

  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Bowl
  • Calories: 446
  • Sugar: 36.3 g
  • Sodium: 1013.9 mg
  • Fat: 26.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 53.7 g
  • Fiber: 8.7 g
  • Protein: 7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: vegan waldorf salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Sarah

    January 03, 2022 at 12:15 am

    This whole salad combo recipe was delicious for the holidays, thank you for posting! It was so yummy that today, I made a giant batch of the walnut brittle just for snacking (with more sea salt). Had to cook that big batch longer than expected but it turned out awesome. How do you suggest storing the brittle for the best crunch and longevity (since I have a lot of it LOL)?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      January 05, 2022 at 12:35 pm

      Oh yay I'm so glad you enjoyed! Omg yes, the brittle is the best part, love that you made another batch! I like to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find it tends to lose its crunch a bit at room temperature. Thanks so much for your comment!

      Reply
  2. Jaime

    September 02, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    This recipe sounds amazing! We're on a no added oil diet, currently. Is there anything I could substitute for the 1/3 cup olive oil in the dressing and still have it turn out well?

    Reply
    • Lexi

      September 06, 2021 at 1:44 pm

      Hi! Since this is a creamy dressing, it should be fine to just use more yogurt. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

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Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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