Salad: United States – Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic United States) – Waldorf Salad

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 0 min

Additional 30 min

Total 50 min

Ingredients

- 3 medium apples, cored and diced (about 1 lb / 450 g total)
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 6 oz / 170 g)
- 1 cup (150 g) red seedless grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup (40 g) raisins (optional)
- 3/4 cup (75 g) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream (optional, to lighten dressing)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar (or honey)
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 4–6 large butter or Bibb lettuce leaves for serving
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Short Description:
A classic Pennsylvania Waldorf Salad of crisp apples, celery, and toasted walnuts bound in a creamy mayonnaise dressing, often tossed with sweet grapes or raisins and served on a bed of lettuce. Bright lemon and a touch of sugar balance the flavors for a refreshing salad course.

Regional Notes:
This Pennsylvania version emphasizes local apples (commonly McIntosh, Cortland, or Honeycrisp), crunchy celery, and toasted walnuts with a mayonnaise-based dressing rather than a purely yogurt dressing. Local variations frequently add seedless grapes or a small amount of raisins for extra sweetness, and the salad is commonly served on butter or Bibb lettuce as a plated salad course.

1. Toast the walnuts: heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
2. Prepare the fruit and celery: core and dice the apples (leave the skin on for color), thinly slice the celery, halve the grapes, and measure the raisins if using. Place apples, celery, grapes, raisins, and cooled walnuts in a large mixing bowl.
3. Make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, optional yogurt or sour cream (if using), lemon juice, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning—add a touch more lemon or sugar as needed.
4. Combine salad: pour the dressing over the apple-celery mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Chill the salad for at least 20–30 minutes to let flavors meld (up to 2 hours).
5. Serve: arrange butter or Bibb lettuce leaves on a platter or individual plates. Spoon the chilled Waldorf Salad onto the lettuce, garnish with chopped parsley if desired, and serve immediately.