Modern Waldorf Salad - Crowded Kitchen (2024)

We took the ingredients of a classic waldorf salad and gave them a more modern 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.

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.

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

This 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.

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, salt and pepper.
• Yogurt dressing: instead of mayo, we used plain yogurt for a lighter, tangier dressing that perfectly complements the other elements of this salad.

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.

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.

More salad recipes you'll love:

• Dill Pickle Potato Salad
• Kale Tahini Caesar Salad
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

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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