A refreshing, crunchy and easy to make fruity salad with crisp apples, juicy grapes, crunchy celery and heart-healthy walnuts in a creamy no-mayo but “curried” Greek yogurt dressing; perfect as a meal by itself or as an appetizer or side with any meal. Add more of your favorite salad ingredients to this Curried Waldorf Salad to make it your own. Jump to Recipe Summer is just around the corner in many parts of the world. Although it is still windy and cold here where I am right now I still don’t mind a salad any time! Hot days warrant some fresh salads to cool you down especially during the fiery summer days don’t you feel? I have a few salads in my recipe repertoire but this one is actually my current favorite….creamy, crunchy, sweet, mildly spicy and refreshing Curried Waldorf salad with lots of apples, celery and grapes!
WHAT IS WALDORF SALAD?
It is a salad that originated in USA in a New York hotel called Waldorf Astoria Hotel decades ago using basic ingredients in that classic salad with just apples, celery and grapes in a mayonnaise dressing. Walnuts were added later that delightfully gives that typical crunch. As it got passed along down the years; depending upon who was making it, their preferences, availability of ingredients etc. different variations popped up with the addition or substitution of yogurt instead of mayo, some additional fruits and/or veggies, spices, seeds, flavors etc. But apples, celery, grapes and walnuts especially are a must to get the true experience!
CURRIED WALDORF SALAD:
Classic Waldorf salad consists of two components; the fresh vegetable/fruit mix and the classic mayo dressing. Dressings can make or break a salad and you can add seasonings to suit your taste. My version of the salad had to be made a tad bit spicy (what with my Indian palate so used to spices), so made the dressing a bit spicy; not too much mind you! Rummaging through my spice rack, I found a jar of curry powder waiting to be used up. So I decided to use that up! You can substitute with any garam masala powder instead too or even omit it totally; up to you. Not a big fan of mayonnaise (all that oil and eggs although you can use eggless mayo instead too), so reached out to a carton of Greek yogurt in my fridge and stirred in a few seasonings to make it delicious. Greek yogurt (or use thick hung curd/yogurt) is more nutritious than mayo; never been happier with the final flavor and taste! Salad part has all the basic ingredients – crispy apples, crunchy celery and juicy grapes with of course walnuts. Toast the walnuts if you want to add more crunch and bite. For more oomph and more flavors, I added some sliced red onions and a handful of red cherry salad tomatoes; this is optional. Just make sure to cut the apples last so that they do not brown too early. Once the Greek yogurt dressing is ready and fruits are chopped up, just mix them, chill in the fridge for at least an hour and serve when ready.
BASIC INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE CURRIED WALDORF SALAD:
Apples – I have used crisp Gala apples; use any you have or like. Just make sure it still has that crispiness and freshness. Celery - again adds that crunch factor. Black grapes – you can use green grapes too. Walnuts –toast them in a pan for best flavor and crunch. Greek yogurt – you can use mayonnaise or a mix of both. Curry powder – optional or you can use any of your favorite spice mix Himalayan Pink rock salt – or any salt you like or have. Black pepper powder – optional but love the flavor it imparts. Lemon juice – adds a lovely tang and freshness to the dressing
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: Along with the above you can also use:
Dried cranberries Pecans Sunflower seeds Dates Cucumber Bell peppers Carrots Green peas Chickpeas Beans Cooked meat Seafood and so on.
HOW I MADE MY CURRIED WALDORF SALAD:
Prep the ingredients for the salad: Wash and cut celery into chunks (1 cup) and halve grapes and tomatoes (1/2 cup each). Slice red onions if using; again ½ cup or as needed. Wash, core and chop apples into similar size as celery; you will need 2 cups.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon pink salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon curry powder and 2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Do a taste test and adjust accordingly. Set aside. Toast walnuts in a pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted.
To assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix apples, celery, grapes, tomatoes and onions. Add the dressing and toss or mix gently to coat evenly. Stir in toasted walnuts (leave some to top later if preferred). Chill the salad in the fridge for at least an hour or even two.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Freshly made Waldorf salad or any salad for that matter is best served the same day, chilling it a bit…maybe an hour at least. Serve them as starters/appetizers or as a side with any meal. You can also serve it in bowls or over a bed of fresh lettuce.
It tastes so good; I do not mind having it as a complete meal any day or any time of the day! If there any leftovers, store in fridge for no more than a day ….salad may become a bit watery but just mix it and it will still taste delicious. Do try my foodie friends especially those salad lovers! If you do happen to make this, I would love to see and hear about your version. Do share it on Instagram, tag me @curryandvanilla16 and also leave your thoughts in the comment box below (do not forget to give a rating). You can also share on my Facebook page here. Enjoy and Happy Eating! If you love salads like me, then do check out these too from my blog:
Greek Salad Mung Beans Sprouts, Mango and sweet corn salad Easy Marinated Vegetable Salad Rainbow Garden Pasta Salad Fruit Salad/Chaat Zesty Three Bean Salad
Now, to the recipe:
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