Vegan Waldorf Salad

Hey, salad lovers! Ready to shake things up? Meet the Vegan Waldorf Salad – it’s all about crispiness, sweetness, and a whole lot of yum!

Seeing how today IS Mother's Day (and a very happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there), I thought a nice refreshing salad might be the way to go for today's recipe.

I chose the Waldorf not only because of its simplicity but also how easy it was to make vegan. It's simple but elegant at the same time so if you want to do something special for any of the 'moms' in your life, make them this salad 🥰.

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What Makes This Waldorf Salad Recipe So Special?

100% Vegan & Gluten-Free: Like all of my recipes, this recipe is 100% Vegan and just happens to be gluten-free as well for all of my gluten-intolerant friends.

Simple Ingredients: Every item in this recipe was purchased at a regular big-chain grocery store, so no wild ingredient hunts or last-minute Amazon purchases are required 😍.

Brand New Vegan Friendly: If you are new to this style of eating I've made this recipe as simple and tasty as possible. I want you to see that anyone can make healthy and delicious recipes like this no matter what your level of culinary expertise.

Ingredients & Substitutions

ingredients needed to make a vegan Waldorf salad

Apples

I used a sweet and a tart apple to make this recipe. Granny Smiths are the goto when it comes to tart apples and I used a Honeycrisp for the sweet one. Feel free to use whatever your local grocery store has on hand.

Celery Root

This knobby-looking bulb is also called Celeriac and is a cousin to the familiar celery plant we know today. Since it is a root vegetable it has a crunchy, earthy flavor kind of like celery but with some turnips tossed into the mix too. A good alternative would be regular celery, parsnips, turnips, or rutabaga.

Walnuts

Walnuts are the standard in a good Waldorf Salad and are a good source of healthy fats including omega-3. But feel free to substitute pecans if you already have them.

Vegan Yogurt

There are many brands of good vegan yogurt in the stores today and my personal favorites are Kite Hill or Forager. Just make sure you buy PLAIN yogurt, none of that vanilla-flavored stuff. If you need to substitute you can always use a vegan mayonnaise or if you are the adventurous type you can try to make your own vegan yogurt using your instant pot.

Vegan Sour Cream

Like yogurt, there are several good brands on the market today such as Tofutti, and Violife. Even the Kroger chain has its own brand of plant-based, dairy-free sour cream - Simple Truth. If you want to keep it as unprocessed as possible, you can always make your own using either tofu or cashews. My Green Chile Sour Cream Recipe (minus the chiles) would be a good start.

Sweetener & Spices

Inspired by the Executive Chef of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, I chose to "candy" my walnuts by roasting them with some sweetener & spices. You can always skip this step and just use plain walnuts. If you do make them as instructed, I used maple syrup as my sweetener but feel free to substitute your own favorite. As far as spices I used coriander, fennel seed, and paprika.

*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities and detailed cooking directions.

How To Make A Vegan Waldorf Salad

making candied walnuts for a vegan Waldorf salad

Step 1

Roast The Nuts

Toss the walnuts with the maple syrup until they are all coated well, then add the spices. Mix well and then roast in a 350° F oven for 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully as you do not want them to burn. Set aside.

a measuring cup of dressing for a vegan Waldorf salad

Step 2

Make the Dressing

Mix the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt & white pepper. Set aside.

Step 3

Prepping the Celery Root

Remove the stalks from the celery root (save them for soups or stews) and using a veggie peeler carefully remove the tough skin from the root.

Step 4

Shred the Apples & Celeriac

Now you don't HAVE to julienne these, but it does make it look fancy 😁. I used a mandolin to shred them into little strips. Otherwise, you can chop them into even-sized cubes and call it good.

a large bowl of freshly mixed vegan Waldorf salad

Step 5

Mix the Salad

Now we simply mix the shredded celery root, apples, walnuts, and dressing together.

Step 6

Plate, Garnish, & Serve

I copied the plating style of the hotel and arranged cut grapes and walnuts around the edges with a mound of salad in the center. I also topped my salad with cut celery leaves but you could also use micro greens.

Storage Hints

This salad will keep for up to a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, but keep in mind that it will eventually become watery and the apple will discolor over time.
I do NOT recommend freezing leftovers.

Top Tip

Feel free to swap out the apple variety with your own favorites.
Be sure and cut the apples last as they will start turning brown fairly quickly.
Don’t like walnuts? Try substituting pecans or almonds instead.
Some versions add dried cranberries, raisins, or grapes. Be creative and make this your own!

Recipe FAQs

Why Is It Called A Waldorf Salad

It was created by Oscar Tschirky, the original maître d'hôtel of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the late 1880s.

Do I Have to Candy the Walnuts? I Don't Do Sugar!

Not at all, but I would still suggest you roast them.

Vegan Sour Cream Is Highly Processed!

Very true, but for Brand New Vegans just getting started, making this recipe as simple as possible was my main goal. Feel free to substitute it with your favorite version of vegan sour cream.

What Would Go Well With This Salad?

You might serve it on a bed of greens with a thick slice of my Rustic No-Knead Bread (if you're not GF). Or maybe with my Gazpacho for a nice Summer Picnic.

How Long Will This Keep and Can I Freeze It?

I would not recommend freezing this, and if stored in an airtight container it should last for a few days in the fridge. Keep in mind it may become watery and the apples will eventually brown (but it will still taste good!).

Help! I Can't Find Celery Root!

You can easily substitute several stalks of fresh celery instead. Or be adventurous and try substituting a turnip, parsnip, or rutabaga!

Pairing

These are my favorite bread recipes that might go nicely with this salad.

GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD WAFFLES
Simple Vegan Cornbread
Oil-Free Vegan Pan PIZZA!
Oil-Free Gorditas