Waldorf salad with apple, celery and walnuts

Preparation time: approx. 25 minutes
Cooking time: approx. 3 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Waldorf salad

• 250 g celeriac

• 150 g tart apples

• 50 g walnuts

• 150 g mayonnaise

• 50 ml sour cream

• Juice of ¼ lemon

• Salt

• White pepper from the mill

For serving

• 20 g fine salad greens, for example frisée or lamb's lettuce

• Some leaves of red basil

• Edible pansy flowers as desired

• 2 tbsp bread cubes

• 2 quail eggs

• Some roasted walnuts

Preparation

1. Prepare the celeriac

Peel the celeriac.

First cut into very thin slices and then into fine strips.

Bring salted water to a boil and blanch the celeriac strips in it for about 3 minutes.

Drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and dry well on kitchen paper.

The celeriac should remain slightly firm to the bite.

2. Prepare the apples

Peel the apples, quarter them, and remove the core.

Cut the flesh into fine strips as well.

Immediately mix the apple strips with the dressing to prevent browning.

3. Prepare the dressing

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice until smooth.

Season with salt and white pepper.

Add the celeriac strips, apple strips, and walnuts and gently combine.

Let the Waldorf salad rest in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

4. Roast the walnuts

Coarsely chop the walnuts.

Roast briefly in a dry pan over medium heat until aromatic.

Then let cool completely.

Mix part of them into the salad and use the rest for serving.

5. Prepare the bread cubes

Cut the bread into small cubes.

Heat some butter or olive oil in a pan.

Fry the bread cubes all around until golden brown and crispy.

Drain on kitchen paper.

6. Cook the quail eggs

Bring water to a boil.

Carefully add the quail eggs and cook for about 3 minutes.

Then immediately cool in ice water.

Peel carefully and cut in half.

Serving

Season the Waldorf salad again with salt, pepper, and some lemon juice.

Arrange centrally on the plate using a serving ring or loosely portion with two spoons.

Distribute the salad greens around.

Garnish with halved quail eggs, roasted walnuts, and crispy bread cubes.

Finish with red basil and edible flowers.

Gourmet tip

For a finer version, use a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith or Braeburn.

A few drops of walnut oil in the dressing enhance the aroma of the roasted walnuts.

A small amount of crème fraîche in the dressing also makes the salad a bit finer and lighter.

For extra freshness, you can place some very thin raw apple slices on the plate just before serving.

Gourmet serving idea

Waldorf Salad
Apple · Celeriac · Walnut · Quail egg · Frisée · Crispy bread

Arrange the Waldorf salad compactly in a small ring.

Place a halved quail egg on top.

Loosely lift some frisée leaves upwards.

Distribute roasted walnuts, bread cubes, and a few drops of walnut oil around.

What goes well with Waldorf salad?

Waldorf salad goes especially well with:

• Roasted duck breast

• Guinea fowl

• Chicken breast

• Veal

• Venison

• Red deer

• Smoked poultry

• Roast beef

The salad also works very well as a standalone small appetizer.

FAQ

Can I prepare Waldorf salad in advance?

Yes. You can prepare the Waldorf salad about 3 to 4 hours before serving and keep it well chilled.

Add salad greens, bread cubes, and garnishes only shortly before serving.

Which apple is best suited?

Use a firm and slightly tart apple.

Granny Smith, Braeburn, Elstar, or Boskoop work very well.

Do I have to cook the celeriac?

For this version, blanch it for about 3 minutes.

This makes it milder but still pleasantly firm.

You can also use very young and tender celeriac raw.

Why doesn’t the apple turn brown?

The lemon juice in the dressing slows down oxidation.

Therefore, mix the apple strips with the dressing immediately after cutting.

Can I make Waldorf salad lighter?

Yes.

Replace about half of the mayonnaise with sour cream, natural yogurt, or Greek yogurt.

Can I serve Waldorf salad vegetarian?

Yes.

The basic recipe is vegetarian and works very well as an appetizer or side dish.

Can I omit the quail eggs?

Yes.

The Waldorf salad also works without quail eggs. For a purely plant-based version, additionally replace mayonnaise and sour cream with vegan products.

If you like, I will write all Genussregion recipes exactly in this format with bold headings from now on.