Vegan Waldorf Salad

Vegan Waldorf Salad Recipe

Our vegan Waldorf Salad is a gluten-free plant-based meal that won't weigh you down. Packed full of nutritional ingredients like apples, grapes, celery, onion and goji berries that are light to digest. Great for guests as an appetizer or as an entrée for families on the go!

The famous Waldorf Salad was first created in 1896 inside the restaurant in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York. The original dressing was a mayonnaise-based sauce stirred into the salad. However our vegan dressing challenges that convention with a sweet and savory mix of zested lemon peel, apple cider vinegar and coconut sugar.

'What-the-Waldorf' Salad 

My Mom brought out the Waldorf Salad for every "event" dinner. It was our reminder that even swanky dishes served in the dining rooms of expensive hotels like the Waldorf-Astoria could make it to our table. The Cross & Blackwell English mayonnaise was in full use for her dish and, whenever she felt especially funky, she added colored marshmallows for more sticky-sweet "oomph". My version takes all of those wonderful flavors with none of the bad saturated mayo fats…. or marshmallows.  Sweet, sour, crunchy and refreshing, this salad is not only a special events dish but a daily dish mainstay. 


Vegan Waldorf Dressing:

  • ¼ cup Delores hemp seeds

  • 3 tablespoon water

  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon rock salt

  • ½ teaspoon celery seed

  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

  • ½ lemon, peel zested

Vegan Waldorf Salad Dressing

Vegan Waldorf Salad:

  • 2 large Gala apples
  • 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved (or whole if feeling lazy)
  • 1 cup celery, sliced into½-inch-thick pieces
  • ¼ cup one green onion, finely chopped 
  • ¼ cup goji berries
  • Juice from ½ a lemon
  • 1 head Boston lettuce, trimmed, washed, and dried (optional for serving)

Vegan Waldorf Salad Ingredients

Vegan Waldorf Directions:

  1. Blend all dressing ingredients in Magic Bullet or food processor and set aside.

  2. Halve, core, and cut the apples into ¾-inch pieces, leaving the skin intact. 

  3. In a medium bowl, add the apples, grapes, celery, onion and goji berries and sprinkle with the lemon juice; then toss with the dressing. 

  4. When ready to serve, arrange the lettuce leaves on 4 salad plates and top with salad mixture.

ENJOY!