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Healthy Waldorf Salad – This classic salad of apples, grapes, walnuts, and celery is given a healthy makeover with the substitution of mayo with Greek yogurt.
Now that spring is here, I am craving tons of salads: pasta salad, fruit salad, broccoli salad – you name it! We had salads left over from Easter and, on more than one occasion, I served up a plate of various salads to eat for lunch and/or dinner. I was in heaven.
To honor my craving this time of year, I have one of my favorite fruit salads to share with you all. I’ve been making this Healthy Waldorf Salad since college. I have always loved the combination of the refreshing tangy dressing with apples, grapes, and celery and the slight saltiness (and extra crunch!) from the walnuts.
But what exactly makes this a “healthy” version, you ask? Simple – all I do is replace the mayonnaise in the classic recipe with plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Fun fact: I didn’t start making it “healthy” for the sake of being healthy. Nope, I actually starting using Greek yogurt because the idea of mixing fruit with mayo wasn’t appetizing to me. And after I tried it, I just loved the extra tang from the Greek yogurt so that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.
To make this salad, it’s incredibly easy. No cooking, very little prep, and its ready in less than 15 minutes. Could you ask for anything better?!
First, I make the dressing a large bowl by simply stirring together Greek yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The combination of lemon juice and Greek yogurt make for a perfectly tangy dressing. But if you want it more on the sweet side, you can add some honey. Or even use vanilla Greek yogurt!
After the dressing is ready, toss in the diced apples, halved grapes, and thinly sliced celery.
Now, all you gotta do is toss everything together and finish with toasted walnuts. If you want more sweetness, you can use candied walnuts.
I’m now realizing that I’m giving tons of tips on how to make this healthy salad more sweet. I just can’t stay away from the sweets, you guys!
Because I cannot write a post without helpful tips, here are a few that will help you with this recipe:
- I like big chunks of apples in this salad so I recommend cutting them in a large dice instead of finely dicing them. This will keep them nice and firm in the dressing.
- Celery can be an overwhelming ingredient in raw dishes. So make sure it’s finely sliced so you get hints of it instead of big chunks.
- I used raw walnuts in this recipe, which can have a bland taste. Therefore, I had to toast and season them before adding to the salad. You can buy yours already toasted and seasoned if you don’t want to do this step.
And that’s all there is! I hope you enjoy this healthy take on one of my favorite salads! What other salads are you loving this season? Let me know in the comments below!
Print Recipe
This classic salad of apples, grapes, walnuts, and celery is given a healthy makeover with the substitution of mayo with Greek yogurt.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- honey optional
- 2 large golden delicious apples
- 1 cup red seedless grapes
- 4 stalks celery
- 1/2 cup walnut halves
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, sour cream, and lemon juice together until combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and give the dressing a taste. If you need more seasoning, add some. If you want to get rid of a bit of the tang, add a little honey. I prefer it tangy, though.
Dice apples into big chunks and add to bowl with the dressing. Halve grapes and add to bowl. Thinly slice celery and measure out 1 cup. Add to bowl. Toss to combine with dressing.
Place salad on serving platter and top with walnut halves. Serve immediately.
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More healthy treats you’ll love:
Pineapple Melon Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing
Lemon Avocado Pasta Salad
Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat)
