Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of mayo
• the juice of one small lemon
• some fresh black pepper and salt to taste
• 2 apples
• Celery
• 1/2 cup halved grapes
• 1/2 cup roughly crushed walnut

Instructions

Step 1

Transcript: Waldorf Salad
Hi, I'm Chef John Mitzewich for About.com. Today we're making an American classic, the famous Waldorf salad. Waldorf Salad Dressing Ingredients So, this great fruit salad starts with a simple lemon and mayonnaise dressing. We have 1/3 cup of mayo, and the juice of one small lemon, about 2 tablespoons (use fresh if you can get it), and some fresh black pepper and salt to taste. It might seem weird using salt and pepper in a fruit salad, but it's very important to bring out the flavors. Origins of the Waldorf Salad This salad gets it name from the famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York where the maitre d' invented this in 1896. So this has been around awhile, and for good reason. Chop the Salad Fruit So, we're going to use 2 apples: one green, one red. I like the contrast - the green's a little crisper, more tart - the red, a little sweeter. Here's my method for cutting these. I don't use an apple corer, which tend to be dull which bruises the apple. I like to cut them in half and then in thirds. Then I just make one diagonal cut in the center and that removes the core.

Step 2

It's a really easy way to do it. Then, slice them in 1/2 thick pieces. You don't want them to small or they may break down in the dressing. So I like some fairly good size pieces. Chop the Celery So toss those in the dressing, and they won't discolor. For celery, I'm going to use one stalk per apple, so I have 2 stalks. We're going to wash it and slice it nice and thin, about 1/8th inch. Add that to the bowl, but don't toss it yet because we have 2 more ingredients to add. Toss the Waldorf Salad We have 1/2 cup halved grapes and 1/2 cup roughly crushed walnut. Toss that together until coated. You can do this a couple hours before serving and it's fine. Waldorf Salad Variations Modern versions of this salad have all kinds of crazy stuff in it. People put in pineapple, whipped cream, marshmallows... to which I say, no, no, and what?? So anyway, this is a semi-authentic version, the authentic version has only apples and celery, but I like to add the grapes and walnuts for a great crunch and a little extra dimension of flavor. Serve the Waldorf Salad I like to top with a few extra walnuts, put it on some lettuce - a nice soft Boston or Bibb lettuce. And that's it, a classic American salad - a delicious contrast of textures and flavors. So refreshing, crisp and sweet, you're going to love it. By the way, if you have some leftover chicken or turkey it's also good with it. I hope you give this a try. Enjoy.