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Chicken Waldorf salad is everything you want from the classic; sweet and tart apple chunks, crunchy celery, toasty walnuts, and juicy grapes (or raisins) but with extra protein-power ingredient; succulent poached chicken breast. Smothered in a mustardy mayonnaise dressing and served on a crisp lettuce bed, it’s the perfect light lunch.
I am a sucker for a retro recipe gem lettuce salad. Take the Caesar salad for example; with salmon, with chicken and pasta, au naturel, or as a classy crostini canapé.
It’s quite a shock to say the first time I encountered Waldorf salad was 30 years ago! I had just left home in Russia to start a new chapter of my life as a college student in the US, when I came across it. It was surprisingly familiar, and at the time, a somewhat comforting dish.
The salad, heavy with apples, walnuts and mayonnaise was similar to salads I had grown up eating like crunchy apple and dill pickle Russian potato salad or creamy radish and egg salad. It reminded me of home while so far away.
Typically, Eastern European salad recipes are more inclusive and fortifying, they incorporate everything; eggs, salad vegetables, pickled vegetables, herbs, fruit, nuts, seeds and thick cream-based and lemony dressings. A far cry from the few limp lettuce leaves, cucumber and tomato slices of the West. Discovering Waldorf made me smile.
For this reason, Waldorf salad will always be a sentimental recipe to me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not about to give it a 21st century makeover!
Recipe for Waldorf Salad with chicken
At almost 136 years old, this iconic salad is still synonymous with wealth and opulence. Named after the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, where the recipe was developed, a Waldorf salad is characterised by crunchy fruit and nuts.
A classic Waldorf salad recipe calls for apples, grapes, celery and walnuts in a simple mayonnaise and presented on a bed of crunchy lettuce leaves. But when you’ve been around for more than a century, you are going to undergo a few tweaks over time- especially if you cross my cooking path!
I’ve tampered a little to suit my own tastes and needs. First, this originally vegetarian recipe has gotten a protein upgrade. My days of rabbity salads as a meal are behind me- protein is power! So, much to Brad’s enthusiastic agreement, my version of Waldorf comes with added tender poached chicken breast.
Second, I’ve left out the grapes and added raisins instead. I prefer the texture of raisins; a pleasing chew. I’m not keen on the burst of a ripe grape in what is already a fairly wet salad. What’s more, the raisins will give a little more longevity meaning leftovers will keep a day longer.
Finally, the dressing. A plain mayo, or some recipes even suggest a honey mayo, is not for me. I am all about big contrasting flavours, so I’ve gone a bit rogue making a mustard mayo with a dash of lemon juice.
Not only will the lemon juice keep the apple under control (preventing browning too quickly), but the savoury dressing acts as a counterweight to the sweet salad ingredients.
Recipe tips and notes
- I’ve always felt the urge to add chicken to this legendary salad, and now it’s official: Chicken Waldorf Salad.
- The poached chicken gives a protein boost and adds another texture to the dish.
- I’m not keen on a chicken salad recipe with grapes, so I’ve swapped mine for raisins. But feel free to stick to the OG if that’s what you prefer.
- Mayonnaise on such a sweet salad can be sickly. I’ve pepped mine up with Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice. This is just the right tang-level and brings out the savoury side.
- You can shred your lettuce leaves or leave them whole and scoop-shaped, which imo is much prettier!
Serving suggestions
This easy Waldorf salad with chicken is a low-carb, high-protein meal in itself. Totally my thing right now!
However, feel free to supplement it with a couple of slices of sourdough bread (and lots of butter), or French fries with crumbly feta.
Storage and leftovers
Chicken Waldorf salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any longer and the apple will have turned an obvious brown- unappetising! Store the salad in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container and if possible, separate the salad leaves from the chicken mix and discard them. Use fresh salad leaves for the next round!
The chicken salad leftovers also make for a mega wrap (chunky apple and celery are a bit pointy for delicate sandwich bread), so pack it, wrap it, and picnic! Or take it to the office.
More salad recipes to try
- Garden Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Lentils and Beets
- Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked (I prefer poached)
- 2 red apples
- 1 green apple, (Granny Smith)
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup raisins, or 1 cup grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Salt to taste
- 1 head romain lettuce, or gem lettuce
For the dressing
- 1/2` cup low fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1/2 tsp This is an affiliate link.Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts in the oven preheated to 180C/350F for 5 minutes, cool, then chop into large pieces. Set aside till needed.
- Cube the chicken breasts, core and cube the apples, slice the celery and chop the parsley. In a large bowl combine the chicken, apples, celery, raisins or grapes if using.
- In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice and the mustard.
- Add the dressing to the salad ingredients, mix to coat evenly, then add the chopped walnuts and give it another mix, add salt to taste. Allow the flavours to blend for 10 minutes before serving.
- Meanwhile separate the romaine lettuce head into leaves, rinse and dry. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter, top with the salad and serve.
Notes
- Grapes are traditional in a Waldorf Salad, but I’ve used raisins instead. Choose whichever you prefer!
- This is a sweet salad, which means a mayo dressing can be a bit much. I’ve added a tang to mine with Dijon mustard and lemon juice. It’s a simple combination, but makes for a dressing that pairs perfectly with this salad.
- The lettuce leaves can be shredded, or left whole and scoop-shaped for a bit more visual appeal!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
