This satisfying 5-ingredient vegan Waldorf salad is bursting with crunch, sweetness, and creamy dressing in every bite—perfect for potlucks, holidays, and everyday meals!
What Is Waldorf Salad
The Waldorf salad has been a classic for over a century, said to have originated at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d’hôtel, in the late 1800s, and originally containing simple apples, celery, and mayonnaise. However, over time, it’s come to include grapes, nuts, and many other variations - this time, I’m giving it a vegan twist.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This nostalgic, flavor-packed celery apple salad is easy to make with minimal chopping and just a handful of inexpensive, pantry-friendly ingredients and ONE simple dairy swap. The combination of crisp apple and celery and crunchy walnuts in a tangy, creamy vegan mayonnaise dressing creates a perfect balance of flavors and texture, perfect over lettuce cups, with a vegan smashed chickpea salad sandwich, or as a side dish at BBQs, potlucks, and holidays.
Like fruit in your salads? You might also enjoy my watermelon mint salad or vegan mandarin chicken ramen noodle salad.
Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
What Could I Add To Waldorf Salad?
- Sweetener: Optionally add a touch of maple syrup/agave to the dressing.
- Dijon mustard: To add zippy flavor and a bit of heat.
- Dried fruit: For sweet chewiness in the apple Waldorf salad. i.e., dried cranberries, raisins, sultanas, cherries, finely chopped dates, etc.
- Pears: Substitute some or all of the apples with pears.
- Other fruit: Diced pineapple, mandarins, pomegranate, or grapes/cherries.
- Shredded carrot: To add color, crunch, and subtle natural sweetness.
- Broccoli: Shredded for crunch and nutrients in this modern Waldorf salad.
- Vegan cheese: Crumbled vegan feta cheese/‘blue’ cheese adds creamy tang.
- Chickpeas: To add protein and extra heartiness to this apple Waldorf salad.
- Mint/parsley: To add color and fresh flavor.
How to Make Vegan Waldorf Salad
Step 1: First, wash, peel (optional), core, and dice the apples into bite-sized pieces. Transfer them to a large, lidded container and squeeze in the juice of one lemon, tossing well to coat evenly.
Step 2: Then, dice the celery and add it, the chopped walnuts, and the vegan mayonnaise to the container. Mix well until evenly combined.
This is important to prevent browning.
Step 3: Try it and add salt to taste, then cover the container with a lid and chill it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to meld before serving. Enjoy!
FAQs for Vegan Waldorf Salad
Use crisp apples, choosing how sweet or tart to your personal preference. You can also use a blend for a sweet-tart balance.
Great options include Fuji, Honeycrisp, Golden or Red Delicious, or Gala for a sweeter flavor. Pink Lady for a sweet-tart flavor, or Granny Smith for tart flavor.
You could make this vegan Waldorf salad recipe with dairy-free Greek yogurt (or a blend of vegan yogurt and vegan mayo) or cashew cream instead. You could also combine vegan mayo/yogurt with a vegan commercial whipping cream alternative.
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Pro Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, crisp apples: This ensures the best texture. Use a combination of sweet and tart apples for balanced flavor - or your preferred level of sweetness.
- Chop the ingredients evenly: That way, you can get a bit of everything in each bite, evenly dispersed.
- Let the flavors meld: Let it chill for 15-30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this vegan Waldorf salad as an appetizer or main alongside:
- Bread (easy air fryer garlic bread)
- Soup (vegan French onion soup or easy vegan mushroom miso soup)
- Plant protein (crispy air fryer tofu or easy vegan buffalo chicken dip)
Storage Instructions for Vegan Waldorf Salad
Store the celery and apple salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, though it will be freshest and crispiest within the first 24 hours.
If you tried this Vegan Waldorf Salad recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
Vegan Waldorf Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 apples peeled, cored, and diced
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the diced apples in a large container with a lid.
- Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the apples and toss well to coat evenly, preventing browning.
- Add the diced celery, chopped walnuts, and vegan mayo. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Taste and add salt as needed.
- Cover the container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
- Use fresh, crisp apples: This ensures the best texture. Use a combination of sweet and tart apples for balanced flavor - or your preferred level of sweetness.
- Chop the ingredients evenly: That way, you can get a bit of everything in each bite, evenly dispersed.
- Let the flavors meld: Let it chill for 15-30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Andrea says
Love this tasty salad!