Vegan Chickpea Waldorf Salad

This Vegan Waldorf Salad is a healthy, plant-based version of the classic. It's made with apples, walnuts, celery, and grapes, with a homemade nondairy mayonnaise dressing. I've added chickpeas for a little oomph. It's a great side dish or starter, but it can also be a light meal on its own. This easy recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free

What is a Waldorf Salad?

The Waldorf Salad was created in the 1890s by Oscar Tschirkyat the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, and it consists of fresh apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts dressed in mayonnaise. Originally, the recipe didn't include walnuts, but they were added at some point later.

I had my first Waldorf Salad a few years ago, but I've always known how to make it, thanks to a hilarious episode of Fawlty Towers. In it, an American visits the hotel and asks Basil to make one for him. Basil tells the patron that they are "out of Waldorfs" and tries to get him to try a "Ritz salad" instead, which was the disgusting combination of ingredients that he knew were in the kitchen – apples, grapefruit and potatoes in mayonnaise. (I will not be recreating that dish for a blog post any time soon.)

Vegan Waldorf Salad

I created this recipe because I had a fridge full of apples after an apple-picking trip, and I was looking for creative ways to use them. Waldorf salads had been on my mind, as I had seen a rerun of that Fawlty Towers episode recently. I've added chickpeas to my recipe to give the salad a little heartiness, and also just because chickpeas make everything better!

I use my homemade vegan mayo in this recipe because it's low in fat and high in protein. You can use store-bought if you're short on time.

How to Make a Waldorf Salad

This recipe is super easy!

• Mix all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and then pour it over the salad. Gently mix everything together and you're done!

Serving Your Vegan Waldorf Salad

I like to serve Waldorf salad with leafy lettuce to make it seem like more a meal. It's great for a light meal, and it travels well, so it's perfect for lunch at the office.  It can be served for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer to starter. It's great for potlucks, too!

Vegan Chickpea Waldorf Salad

Dianne

This Vegan Waldorf Salad is a healthy, plant-based version of the classic. It’s made with apples, walnuts, celery, and grapes, with a nondairy mayonnaise dressing. I’ve added chickpeas for a little oomph. It’s a great side dish or starter, but it can also be a light meal on its own.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 14-ounce can chickpeas
• ½ cup walnuts lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• ½ cup red seedless grapes sliced in half
• 1 small apple coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 small head leafy lettuce

Instructions

 

• Mix the chickpeas, almond, celery, grapes, and apple together in a medium bowl.
• Mix together the mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.
• Pour the mayo mixture over the chickpea mixture and gently toss to combine.
• Refrigerate for half an hour before serving.
• Divide the lettuce among four plates and then spoon the salad over the lettuce.

Other Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy Include:

• Soy Curl Chick'n Salad
• Fattoush Salad
• Roasted Cauliflower Salad
• Asparagus and Arugula Farro Salad

More Chickpea Recipes You Might Like Include:

• Chickpea Peanut Stew
• Slow Cooker Chickpea Cacciatore
• Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
• Tahini Chickpea Salad