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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Healthy Waldorf Salad with Chickpeas

    Published: Nov 12, 2024 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Healthy chickpea waldorf salad in a large serving dish with text box.

    This healthy Waldorf salad is a lightened up recipe inspired by the classic dish. Added chickpeas contribute protein to make it a more complete meal, while Greek yogurt is used in place of mayo as the base of the dressing. It’s a wonderful vegetarian main dish for lunch or meal prep and makes a great side for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

    Healthy waldorf salad in a large serving bowl with a spoon.

    Waldorf salad was created by the maître d’hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. It’s typically made with grapes, apples, celery, and nuts tossed in a mayonnaise dressing but has seen many iterations over the years. Some people like to add chicken, serve it over lettuce, or make it into a sandwich.

    I love how this dish is already so heavy on plant foods and easy to prepare, and I knew a few small changes could easily yield a healthy Waldorf salad with a whole lotta possibilities. If you’re a fan of creamy fruit salads or chicken salad made with grapes, I think you’ll love this rendition. The tangy, lightly sweetened dressing makes every bite so enjoyable.

    Greek yogurt replaces the mayo in my version, while chickpeas add some oomph, making it suitable to eat as a vegetarian main dish. However, it’s also wonderful as a side for the holidays! You can make it festive by choosing red apples and green grapes or by adding pomegranate arils or dried cranberries.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • Possible Additions
    • Instructions
    • Serving
    • Storage
    • Similar Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    Ingredients needed to make healthy waldorf salad.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Apples: Some people prefer the tartness of Granny smith apples for this recipe, but you can really use any variety you like. I enjoy Pink lady apples in healthy Waldorf salad. You can use one red and one green if you want both tart and sweet flavors.
    • Celery: You could skip this ingredient if you really don’t like celery or something, but it’s key to balancing the flavors in my opinion.
    • Grapes: Seedless grapes work best, either red or green.
    • Walnuts: Sub pecans if desired.
    • Chickpeas: Although these aren’t part of traditional Waldorf salad, I like to add them for some extra protein and to bulk up the recipe. White beans also work. Pulled chicken (use about 2 cups) is a good substitution if you don’t care if the recipe is vegetarian.
    • Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt of any fat percentage works best. To make the dressing low-fat, use a non-fat or low-fat variety. If you only have vanilla Greek yogurt, you can use that. If you like mayo and don’t want an all-yogurt dressing, consider using half mayo and half yogurt instead. I like Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayo.
    • Vanilla extract: Omit if you end up using vanilla yogurt.
    • Honey: A little sweetness brings out the flavors. Sub maple syrup or regular granulated sugar if that’s what you have, or omit if you don’t want the added sugar.
    • Lemon juice: Use just a little to help keep the apples from browning and to add some flavor to the dressing, but don’t go overboard since the yogurt already has tanginess. Sub apple cider vinegar or orange juice if needed.

    Possible Additions

    Want to make a festive Waldorf salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Choose dark red apples and green grapes, use green apples and add dried cranberries, or sprinkle in some pomegranate arils. Fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, or dill, also add good color and flavor!

    Instructions

    The full recipe card for healthy Waldorf salad is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the very easy steps!

    Chopped grapes, celery, apples, and nuts on a wooden cutting board with a knife.

    Chop the fruit, celery, and walnuts.

    Greek yogurt in a stainless steel mixing bowl.

    In a mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients.

    Grapes, apple, and celery added to the Greek yogurt.

    Add the salad ingredients.

    Mixed waldorf salad in a mixing bowl.

    Stir until everything is coated.

    Serving

    You can enjoy healthy Waldorf salad on its own or on top of a bed of lettuce. It’s also delicious on a roll or between two slices of bread as a sandwich. Keep in mind that it tastes best served chilled, so give yourself enough time to let it chill in the fridge before enjoying.

    Chickpea waldorf salad in a serving bowl topped with garnish.

    Storage

    Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to three days. Since it’s served chilled, you can easily make the recipe in advance too.

    Similar Recipes

    If you love this healthy Waldorf salad, give these dishes a try too:

    • Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple and Yogurt Dressing
    • Healthy Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad
    • Apple Jicama Slaw
    • Warm Fennel Salad with Grapes and Feta

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    Creamy healthy waldorf salad in a serving bowl.

    Healthy Waldorf Salad

    This lightened up version of a classic features a Greek yogurt dressing and added chickpeas. It's a crunchy, lightly sweetened, and satisfying vegetarian recipe that works as a main or side dish. Make it for meal prep or as part of a holiday spread!
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    Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
    Total Time: 25 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 1.5-cup servings
    Calories: 305kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Ingredients 

    • 2 apples - of choice; cored and diced, about 2 cups
    • 1 cup seedless grapes - red or green; halved or quartered lengthwise
    • ½ cup diced celery - from about 2 ribs
    • 15 ounce chickpeas - drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup walnuts - roughly chopped
    • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice - from ½ small lemon
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt - more to taste

    Instructions

    • Prep the apples, grapes, and celery, and gather the other ingredients.
    • In a mixing bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, honey, vanilla extract, and salt.
    • Add the apples, grapes, celery, chickpeas, and walnuts to the bowl. Stir until coated.
    • Cover and put in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to chill.
    • Enjoy chilled on its own, over a bed of lettuce, or on a roll or bread as a sandwich.
    • Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!

    Notes

    • Possible additions or substitutions: Pecans, dried cranberries, pomegranate arils, fresh herbs (parsley, mint, or dill), pulled chicken
    • This salad is easy to prep in advance, but I recommend making it no more than 24 hours before serving it for the first time to ensure that nothing gets soggy. Speaking from experience, the ingredients hold up very well and that’s why leftovers are still good after a few days (see below) but it tastes best if made within 24 hours.
    • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 479mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 151IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @vegworld_recipes and follow me today!

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    lizzie streit cutting carrots

    Welcome! I'm Lizzie, a Registered Dietitian and cookbook author who loves vegetables. And I'm here to help you love them too! My easy, veggie-forward recipes will help you get comfortable in the kitchen and celebrate the seasons.

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