Waldorf Salad with Vegenaise

I have been craving Waldorf salad, full of crisp apples, crunchy celery and walnuts, and sweet, juicy red grapes. The only problem with this yummy salad is that it typically has mayonnaise in it. I don’t use this product any more. However, was there a plant based option? I headed to Natural Grocers to find out.

I selected organic Braeburn apples, celery and seedless red grapes. I picked up organic walnut halves as well. And thanks to the produce manager at the Natural Grocers, I found a selection of healthier mayonnaises, in the refrigerated section. I am not only plant based, I also avoid soy and canola oil. I passed on a couple of brands that contained eggs or canola oil. And I found the right product with Vegenaise!

This wonderful spread is gluten, egg, soy, refined sugar and dairy free. It is a non GMO product as well. This isn’t something I will use often, but it’s nice to have an alternative to classic mayo.

Here is the simple recipe for Waldorf Salad:

• 3 red apples, unpeeled & cut into chunks

• 1 cup of celery, thinly sliced

• 1 cup of seedless red grapes, halved

• 1/2 cup of walnut halves

• 1/2 cup of Vegenaise

• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a large bowl, combine apples, celery, red grapes and walnuts. In a small bowl whisk together Vegenaise, lemon juice and sea salt. Fold dressing into apple mixture. Chill for at least half an hour. Makes 4-6 servings.

Oh, this was a good salad! I’ve always loved this particular combo of fruits, celery and nuts. The Vegenaise is very light and does not overpower the salad at all. I enjoyed this Waldorf salad as a meal, rather than a side dish.

And this salad was perfect for me. I got in servings of fruits that are considered power foods and celery, which has so many amazing health benefits. Good food, that was good for me. It was a win/win meal!