Apple and Celery Salad with Walnuts and Yogurt Recipe
This is a French-style salad with celery and apple, light and crunchy, often served as a starter or a side dish to meat. It’s a bit like the American Waldorf salad, but simpler and less sweet. Perfect for a quick work lunch or a light dinner.
A lighter, less sweet cousin of the classic Waldorf salad, this version highlights crisp celery and tart apple in a simple yogurt dressing, making it both refreshing and satisfying.
Chef's tips
Choose really crisp apples and firm, pale green celery for the best texture. Toasting the nuts only takes a few minutes and adds a lot of flavor, so it’s worth doing if you have the time.
How to serve
Serve chilled or at room temperature, alongside roast chicken, baked fish or grilled pork. For a light meal, pile it onto a plate with a slice of wholegrain bread or spoon it over a bed of mixed salad leaves.
Ingredients
- celery stalks light green, firm - 4 stalks
- apple crisp, preferably slightly tart - 2 pieces
- walnuts roughly chopped - 40 g
- raisins optional, for sweetness - 30 g
- thick plain yogurt - 120 g
- mayonnaise - 1 tablespoon
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 2 tablespoons
- honey - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Wash the celery, trim the ends and remove any tough fibrous edges if needed. Slice the stalks into thin pieces.
- Wash the apples, cut into quarters and remove the cores. Cut into thin matchsticks or small cubes. Immediately drizzle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice so they don’t brown, and mix.
- In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, honey, a pinch of salt and pepper until the dressing is smooth.
- Roughly chop the walnuts. If you have a moment, toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
- In a large bowl, combine the celery, apples, raisins and most of the walnuts (reserve a little for sprinkling on top).
- Add the yogurt dressing and mix thoroughly so all the ingredients are lightly coated but not swimming in dressing.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed.
- Before serving, sprinkle the top with the remaining walnuts. You can chill the salad in the fridge for 20–30 minutes so the flavors meld better.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This salad is one of those dishes that feels elegant but is incredibly quick to make. It’s ideal when you want something fresh and crunchy that doesn’t weigh you down.
