Gluten Free Waldorf Salad

I thought you’d appreciate a choice of a different salad for your Easter dinner. Apples are always refreshing, and the well known waldorf salad is always a bit hit. It was created by a chef at the old Waldorf Hotel, which later became the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. I have written this recipe so that you may control the amount of dressing used. Add as little or as much lettuce as you desire. Some individuals enjoy their waldorf salad heavily coated with dressing, while others only like a tad bit of dressing. If you decide to use yogurt to make a gluten free waldorf salad, ensure your yogurt is gluten free. Meanwhile, if you haven’t ever tried one, now’s the time. You can impress your guests with very little effort.

Yield: Serves 2.

A classic waldorf salad recipe with a few variations. It's inexpensive and easy, yet impressive!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons raisins (or 1/4 cup green or red seedless grapes, halved)
1 green apple (or red (Gala preferred) for sweeter salad), cored, peeled, sliced thinly, and slices halved
1/4 cup plain gluten free yogurt (or mayonnaise, for dairy-free)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar + stevia or honey, for citrus-free)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce leaves, torn

Instructions:

To toast walnuts, preheat oven to 375°F; distribute nuts on a baking sheet; bake until brown and a toasty aroma, approximately 5 - 10 minutes. Alternatively, you may toast them in a dry, preheated skilled on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. You may skip this step, if desired, as I did.
To make dressing, in a large salad bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper; add the apples, celery, raisins and walnuts; add lettuce; toss to coat.
When ready to serve, add lettuce; toss well to coat lettuce with dressing.

Tips

Adding color to a salad is very important to spark the appetite. The use of red apples or red grapes are ideal to achieving this goal.

Variations:

Mix yogurt with a bit of walnut oil.

Use candied walnuts. Find the recipe in my Candied Walnut Cranberry Salad recipe.

To impress your guests even more, chill the salad plates; serve apple mixture on individual beds of lettuce leaves, and garnish with chopped celery leaves.

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View Comments

Ben Karlin says:

March 28, 2013 at 4:24 pm

I have searched the web for a Waldorf Salad that contains gluten. Maybe cross-contamination could get some in there but none of the ingredients contain gluten. Waldorf Salad doesn't even come on toast points or have croutons, no bacon that may have hidden gluten. It is terribly out of fashion but during the 1960s was a regular part of our diets (Oh, those Kennedys!). That mayonnaise must pack a wallop in the fat and calorie departments. I wonder if making the mayonnaise instead of store-bought makes a big difference in taste... big enough to cut down on the amount to be used.
- Gluten Free Recipes says:
  
  March 28, 2013 at 4:30 pm
  
  Hi Ben,
  
  I normally would have titled this recipe "Waldorf Salad (Naturally Gluten Free), however, because I suggest using yogurt, I entitled it "Gluten Free". Some brands of yogurt contain gluten.
  
  I hope this raises your awareness in where gluten hides.
  
  Carla