Healthy Vegan Waldorf Salad Recipe • Happy Kitchen (2024)

This healthy Waldorf salad is a vegan take on the classic Waldorf salad. Deliciously creamy apple cider vinegar dressing is used instead of mayonnaise for a lighter and fresher version. Perfect for your Labor Day vegan menu!

Thank you North Coast for sponsoring this post. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

With Labor Day coming up, the end of summer grilling season is near. Being the last gasp of summer, Labor Day weekend might be your last chance to throw an awesome BBQ party with all the amazing late summer foods.

If you are looking for some inspiration for your Labor Day (vegan) menu, here is a side dish your family would definitely enjoy. This healthy vegan Waldorf salad would surely be a highlight of your Labor Day menu. No one would guess how healthy it is, as it tastes forbiddingly good! Plus it is completely vegan, too!

Combining late summer and early fall flavors, this salad is especially good for your Labor Day menu because all of the ingredients are in season. Here is why you should be happy about it.

Why Eating Seasonal is Good for You?

I love eating seasonal because that’s my chance to get a little extra nutrients and help the environment. I try to buy locally grown, sustainable and organic foods whenever possible. It’s not only beneficial for your health but also for the environment and your wallet.

Health wise, seasonal eating offers you the best quality foods with as much nutrients and as less contaminates as possible. They don’t get spoiled during transportation, because they are locally grown and sold right away at the peak of their season. Fruits and veggies don’t have time to lose their health benefits and flavor if they aren’t shipped far.

On the other hand, foods that are out of season have to travel from afar to reach your local grocery store. They have to be harvested before the peak of their ripeness to be able to sustain the shipping. That makes them more expensive and less nutritious, not to mention less flavorful.

Eating seasonal saves tons of energy used on transportation, storage and refrigeration that makes seasonal foods cheaper, more sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Seasonal produce means that it has reached the peak of its supply, so the cost of it is the lowest. That makes it cheap for farmers to harvest and for retailers to sell. It’s also nice to support your local farmers and community by purchasing their fresh produce!

Each season offers plenty of fresh produce and allows you to vary your diet and try new recipes incorporating seasonal foods and veggies. Late summer and early fall is time for apples, grapes, tomatoes, sweet corn and figs.

It’s always great to discover sustainable brands that care about environment, nutrition and their customers satisfaction. North Coast is one of those amazing brands you feel so excited with you tell all your friends about it. North Coast is committed to sustainability and produce organic products of the highest quality. Their products include freshest organic apple juices, apple sauces, ciders and vinegars all made from freshly-pressed ripe California-grown apples.

I’ve got a chance to try their organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar that can be used in so many ways! Add it to salad dressings for a little tangy note, use it as a baking agent along with baking soda to make your baked goods lift (same counts for fluffy pancakes), add to marinades, use it for your skin, hair and teeth or as a food preservative. The possibilities are endless!

Raw unfiltered and organic apple cider vinegars contain healthy probiotics and enzymes, providing numerous health benefits that include but are not limited to:

• regulation of blood sugar levels;
• has anti-bacterial properties;
• helps you lose weight;
• lowers cholesterol;
• improves heart health;
• keeps your gut healthy;
• improves digestion;
• and soothes a sore throat.

Today I’m sharing this Waldorf salad with healthy apple vinegar-based dressing instead of mayonnaise. North Coast organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar makes it extra nutritious and very tasty!

How to Make Waldorf Salad?

Waldorf salad is an essence of late summer and early fall: crispy apples, sweet grapes, crunchy walnuts coated in savory vegan cashew-apple cider vinegar “mayo” and served on lettuce leaves.

According to Wikipedia, Waldorf salad was invented in 1896 by Oscar Tschirky, the maître d’hôtel of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

The original recipe contained of apples, celery and mayonnaise. Nowadays you can find plenty of variations of this dish. Adding raisins, walnuts, cauliflower, chicken or tuna and using yogurt dressing instead of mayo are some of the most popular twists.

My favorite version of the Waldorf salad includes apples, grapes, walnuts, parsley and lettuce with creamy apple cider-vinegar cashew dressing.

Since many people (including my husband and me) don’t like celery, I skipped it without losing in taste, but feel free to add it, if you like.

Start by making the dressing. Place soaked cashews, apple cider vinegar, mustard, agave syrup, nutritional yeast into a high speed blender and pulse until smooth gradually adding water until the dressing looks as thick as mayonnaise. Try and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Slice grapes in halves. Core and chop apples. Combine grapes, apples, toasted walnuts and chopped parsley with the dressing and stir well. Serve the vegan Waldorf salad on a bed of fresh lettuce. Enjoy!

Celebrate Labor Day with this healthy Waldorf salad and don’t be sad because summer is coming to an end. I know it always feels bitter sweet but there is so much to look forward to in fall!

Here is my healthy and vegan Waldorf salad recipe for your Labor Day menu:

Other Easy Salad Recipes You’ll Love:

• Healthy Sweet Potato Noodle Salad
• 10 Best Vegan Salads for Thanksgiving
• Vegan Mexican Chopped Salad with Avocado Dressing
• Vegan Fall Harvest Salad with Kale and Pumpkin