Waldorf Salad

Remember the episode on the TV show Fawlty Towers 1979 entitled “Waldorf Salad?” Waldorf salad is refreshing, crunchy, sweet and filled with hydrating ingredients. It is a light salad yet unbelievably filling. When you eat a Waldorf salad you can feel the goodness going into your body.

The Waldorf salad was created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the 1890's not by a chef, but by the maître d'hôtel Oscar Tschirky. The Waldorf salad was an instant success.

The original version of this salad contained only apples, celery and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts later became an integral part of the dish. Waldorf salad is usually served on top of a bed of lettuce.

Waldorf salad can also be an entrée just add a meat like Strips of Chicken Breast, Turkey or Grilled Salmon. For example if you have a salmon BBQ and have leftovers, you can flake on top of the Waldorf salad.

Walnuts definitely are not a hard nut to crack when it comes to their health benefits. Walnuts' concentration of omega-3s (a quarter-cup provides 90.8% of the daily value for these essential fats) has many potential health benefits ranging from cardiovascular protection, to the promotion of better cognitive function, to anti-inflammatory benefits helpful in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis.

In addition, walnuts contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties. A quarter cup of fresh walnuts is approximately 163 calories. Not only do walnuts contain Omega 3’s they also include manganese, copper and tryptophan.

This is my healthy version of the original recipe from the 1890’s.

Waldorf Salad Recreated

• 2 cups diced unpeeled one of each red and green apples
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/2 to one cup walnuts cut in half
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons unpasteurized honey
• Juice from one freshly squeezed orange

Directions

• Put juice from orange in bowl.
• Cut apples in uniform pieces place in bowl and coat with orange juice.
• Drain juice before adding celery and walnuts to mixture.
• In a small bowl stir together yogurt, honey and orange juice.
• Combine all ingredients together and chill until cold.

Serving Suggestions

• For a sweeter Waldorf salad top with raisins, currents or green grapes.
• To spice up the Waldorf salad try adding a little curry or Cajun powder and use pine nuts instead of walnuts.
• For a richer Waldorf salad add a tablespoon of mayonnaise and only one tablespoon of yogurt.

Bon Appetite!...TKH