Waldorf Salad

I have a bit of a confession to make: I have never actually eaten this. But don’t fear, I’m not going to send you in to your kitchen to prepare something that tastes like sticks dipped in mud. I have made this for my husband many times, and he assures me that it’s a recipe that needs to be shared! It’s crisp, sweet, and a perfectly filling salad! (Or so I’ve heard!) I don’t like yogurt, which is the reason I haven’t enjoyed this dish before, but if you like that creamy goodness then I definitely suggest you try this salad!

Since my husband is the only one eating this I usually only make half the recipe. It gets him 2 decent sized servings. It doesn’t stay fresh for a super long time, so if you’re only making this for yourself then I suggest only making half.

Here are the ingredients:

1. 2 cups of cooked brown rice, cooled

2. 2 cups of cubed, golden delicious apples. (This is about 2 apples)

3. ½ cup of celery, halved and chopped

4. ¼ cup chopped onions, pushed through a garlic press

Note: Alright, I know this sounds strange. But I don’t like chunks of raw onions so I press it through a garlic press. If you don’t have a garlic press, then try to just chop the onions as small as you can. The onions add a lot of flavor but are best really small so you don’t get a chunk of onion in your mouth!

5. 1 bag of mixed walnut and dried cranberries – about 1 cup

Note: I like to use the mixed bag, usually a, “salad topper” bag for this recipe. It usually has more flavor than just plain walnuts and plain dried cranberries. (You know, they coat it with sugar and all that good stuff.) But, if you don’t have a bag then use ½ cup of chopped walnuts, and ½ cup of dried cranberries. I sometimes like to candy the walnuts if I remember to beforehand!

6. ½ tablespoon lemon juice

7. ½ tablespoon lime juice

8. ½ cup mayonnaise

9. ¾ cup vanilla yogurt

Here’s how you make it:

1. Make the rice and set aside.

Note: I almost always forget to make the rice ahead of time, so I make it and stick it in the freezer to cool down faster. You do NOT want to mix everything together if the rice is still warm. It will cause the yogurt/mayonnaise mixture to become warm and melt a little. Yuck.

2. Chop apples (don’t peel) and toss with lemon and lime juices in a medium bowl.

3. Add celery, onion, walnuts, cranberries and rice. Mix well.