Everybody loves a Waldorf Salad, but it’s usually a dish reserved for company. Since “having company over” was seemingly abolished by the Chinese Virus, I decided to make a Waldorf Salad for just Nancy and me. It was company-worthy, a real summertime treat.
The salad is duly named for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. In 1896, the hotel hosted a charity ball to benefit St. Mary’s Hospital for children, and the maître d’hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, inspired what came to be the hotel’s signature dish.
The original recipe called for just apples, celery and mayonnaise. Nuts and other ingredients have since been added. You can even add chicken for a complete meal in one dish.
I decided to use a Vanilla yogurt as my sauce and added peeled and chopped Gala apples, a bit of lemon juice to keep the apples from turning, chopped celery, white seedless grapes that were halved and walnuts. Mix the ingredients, chill for at least an hour and serve with or without lettuce. Waldorf Salad is ideal for a summer dinner, it’s easy to fix and – hey- everybody loves it.
Jim’s Waldorf Salad
1 ½ C halved white seedless grapes
3 peeled and chopped Gala apples
1 squirt lemon juice
2/3 C chopped celery
1/3 C walnuts
½ C Vanilla Yogurt