Rumour has it (according to Wikipedia) that the Waldorf Salad originated at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC in the late 1800's. It was initially created as an apple, celery and nut (walnut) salad, mixed with mayonnaise and served as a side salad at special hotel events.
Today, the Waldorf Salad is served world-wide, with it's modern iterations including apples, celery, nuts, and other ingredients such as lettuce, herbs and grains. Due to the current global climate, I am spending a lot of time looking at the ingredients I have in the pantry and the fridge to figure out what healthy, hearty meals I can prepare. This week, I happened to have all of the main ingredients or substitutions (substitutions all listed below in Ingredients) to make a Waldorf Salad. I decided farro, an ancient grain high in fibre and protein, with it's nutty flavour and chewy texture, would pair well with the sweetness of the fruit and the dressing. Feel free to add any hearty grain you have on hand, such as quinoa or barley if you don't have farro.
I'm serving my version of the Waldorf Salad for lunches this week. I know it will keep me filled up and ready to work from home!
I hope you enjoy the Waldorf Salad. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or at #mykuratedlife on Instagram.
Stay safe everyone,
Krista
Waldorf Salad
serves 4 side salad sized portions
Ingredients
For The Salad
1/2 cup farro, rinsed, cooked & cooled
1/2 cup walnuts, roasted & chopped into pieces
1 cup red grapes, larger halved
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, roasted & cut into pieces or cubes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 package spring lettuce mix, washed (I substituted spinach)
4 celery stalks, sliced 1/2" thick
1 apples, 1/2 cored and sliced (or cut into matchsticks) & 1/2 cored and cut into chunks
dill fronds, small for garnish (substitute parsley, tarragon, thyme)
For The Dressing
1/2 cup yogurt (substitute a combo of yogurt & mayo, or all mayo instead of yogurt)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I substituted white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon creamy dijon (substitute regular mustard)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dill fronds, chopped (use same herb in dressing as to garnish salad)
*1 tablespoon honey, optional (I recommend if using all yogurt)
Method
For The Farro
Rinse farro under luke warm water until water turns clear. Add farro plus two cups of water to a medium sauce pan (farro cooks at a 1:4 farro to water ratio). Top sauce pan with a lid and bring to a boil. Stir farro after water boils, then return lid to pan and turn temperature to simmer. Let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The farro will split open and taste el dente when cooked. Strain farro, set aside and let cool.
For The Chicken
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Add chicken breasts to a half-sheet pan, pat dry with a paper towel, then drizzle both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove chicken from oven, let cool and then cut into pieces or cubes.
For The Walnuts
Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Add walnuts to a half sheet pan and toast for 5-8 minutes, shaking pan half way. Every oven is different, so watch the walnuts to ensure they don't burn. The walnuts will turn a light to medium brown colour and start to smell "nutty", when they are ready. Remove from heat and let cool, then chop into large pieces.
For The Dressing
In a medium bowl add the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, salt and pepper, dill fronds and honey if using. Whisk until combined.
To Assemble The Salad
Place washed spring lettuce mix onto a platter, covering the entire base. Sprinkle farro over top.
Start layering remaining ingredients, forming a pinwheel - repeating chicken, celery, grapes and apples sections, keeping walnuts for the centre bull's eye.
Garnish top of Waldorf Salad with small dill fronds, or other herb if using.
Drizzle dressing over top of salad and serve.
Recipe Notes:
*Optional - roast the grapes with the walnuts to add an extra layer of caramelized flavour.
*This salad is the perfect base to get creative and add seasonal ingredients - for fall add dried cranberries and pecans, for summer add berries, basil and almonds, etc.
댓글