Lately, I’ve been trying to meal prep salads for lunch. They usually involve beans, plus some fruits and veggies that can handle marinating in a vinaigrette for a few days. This one is no exception. It’s my take on a waldorf salad, but with a balsamic vinaigrette instead of mayo because I despise mayo. It’s very sweet, but packed with nutrients. And most importantly, it’s easy to make.
What exactly is a waldorf salad?
A waldorf salad usually contains celery, walnuts, apples, grapes, and a mayonnaise based dressing. It’s named for the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, and was created by the hotel’s maître d’hôtel, Oscar Tschirky in 1896. It’s usually served as an appetizer or a light meal.
Mine is anything but traditional. It’s got the celery, apples and grapes, but I opted for a balsamic vinaigrette instead of a mayo dressing. I also added cannellini beans, broccoli, candied pecans, Persian cucumbers and goat cheese for good measure. It’s got the heart of a waldorf salad without sticking too closely to the classic recipe.
Is this an appetizer or a meal?
Well, that’s up to you. I made this salad to eat for lunch throughout the week, but it also works great as an appetizer or side. If you’re eating it as a main course, you’ll get around 4 servings out of it. But if you’re using it as an appetizer or side salad, you’ll get about 8 servings.
Time saving hacks
This waldorf salad was designed to be easy and stress free. With that in mind, I encourage you to embrace all the time saving hacks! I used pre-cut broccoli, store bought candied pecans, and pre-cooked cannellini beans for this recipe. And it tasted great! So don’t feel bad about taking some shortcuts here. It’s gonna be fine.
How to prevent apples from browning
If I’m being honest, your apples are going to brown in this salad. That’s because they’ll be coated in a dark balsamic vinegar. That said, I still like to soak my apples in water or squeeze some lemon juice over them before I add them to a salad. Sometimes I get really wild and soak them in water and lemon juice. This will help keep them looking fresher for longer! I also do this when I put apples in my daughter’s lunchbox and it seems to work quite well.
How to store this salad
If you won’t be eating this entire salad in one sitting, store it in an airtight container in the fridge! It’ll keep for about 5 days, and the longer it sits, the more flavorful (albeit less pretty) it’ll be.
Easy White Bean Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1 Shallot Diced
- 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
Salad
- 2 Green apples Chopped
- 1 cup Purple grapes Halved
- 5 oz Candied pecans
- 2 stalks Celery Thinly sliced
- 12 oz Broccoli florets
- 16 oz Cannellini beans Drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup Dried unsweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup Parsley Finely chopped
- 2 oz Goat cheese Crumbled
Instructions
Vinaigrette
- Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a jar or airtight container of your choice. Shake vigorously. Check to make sure there are no clumps or honey or dijon left in the dressing. If there are, give it another shake and then set it to the side.
Salad
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Pour all the vinaigrette over the salad and then toss once more to ensure everything is well coated, then enjoy!
So that’s it! Super simple and very little chopping. Just what I want for a few days of easy meals. And since it’s very sweet, my four year old loved it too. Always a nice bonus. If you make this, I truly hope you love it! Let me know what you think in the comments or on Instagram. And if you share it on the gram, don’t forget to tag me. I always love hearing from you and seeing your creations!
Looking for more salads that you’ll actually want to eat? Try my chopped veggie and cannellini bean salad! I also have a chopped kale salad with apricots and garlic vinaigrette that’s so simple, yet so delicious. Ooh, and a fig and gorgonzola salad pizza! Because life’s all about balance, isn’t it?
