Waldorf salad is a classic that got it right, yet features ingredients that don’t play to our strengths Up North. This salad plays off the classic but puts fennel in front instead of celery, skips the grapes but adds pickled onion. This is a delicious side salad, but options include adding chicken to round it into a full lunch, or extending it into a chicken pasta salad (you’ll need to make extra dressing for that).
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly into short lengths
- ½ cup vinegar, white wine or apple cider
- 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup chopped cooked chestnuts (may substitute pecans)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- salt
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 cup sliced fennel bulb
- ½ cup chopped fennel fronds
- ½ cup julienned celery root
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (always optional)
- 3 cups chopped apples (a firm variety)
- optional: 1–2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
- optional: 4–6 cups cooked penne or other pasta
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Start by making quick-pickled onions—place onion in a bowl with vinegar, sweetener and salt and stir until ingredients are dissolved. Set aside until salad is finished. Can be made even farther in advance.
Next make the salted, candied nuts—break up the chestnuts or pecans, drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt. Mix well then spread on a pie plate and bake in oven until sticky and toasted, 3–5 minutes.
Prepare the salad dressing in a Mason jar with a tight lid—add mustard, honey, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Shake until dressing is mixed and creamy. Taste and adjust for sweetness and salt.
In a large bowl add ingredients as they are ready—fennel bulb and fronds, celery root and cilantro. Leave apples until last to reduce browning. Peel apples as you like, core and cut into forkable chunks.
Pour dressing over salad—you may not want to use it all—and toss until everything is coated. Mix in candied nuts, or sprinkle them on top. Top with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pickled red onions.
