Healthy Waldorf chicken salad is fresh, fruity and crunchy with a creamy, semi-sweet dressing. Loaded with shredded chicken, green apple, grapes, walnuts, celery and more! It’s a twist on the classic Waldorf salad, but healthier and bulked up with protein.
Chicken salad in the spring and summer months is one of my favorite things to eat, and I’m always up for new iterations. This healthy Waldorf chicken salad does not disappoint! It’s a spin on the classic Waldorf salad, but lightened up, less sweet and with a few more savory elements. Plus protein, of course, which makes it a main meal instead of a side dish.
This salad is easily customizable too, and I love that about chicken salads in general. Use any tart apple variety you like, red or green grapes, different nuts or seeds, more herbs, more or less dressing, etc. And, there’s many options for serving as well: over quinoa or greens, in a wrap of some sort, with cucumbers slices or your favorite crackers, on its own, etc.
What’s in healthy Waldorf chicken salad?
- Shredded chicken breasts
- Green apple
- Grapes
- Celery
- Green onions
- Parsley
- Walnuts or pecans
- Avocado oil mayonnaise
- Plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- Fresh lemon juice
- Raw honey
- Sea salt and black pepper
Interested in other healthy chicken salad recipes? Check out my dill pickle chicken salad, ginger honey mustard chicken salad and strawberry chicken salad with Greek yogurt poppy seed dressing.
Cheers and enjoy!
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Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded
- 1 medium green apple, chopped (or other tart apple of choice)
- 1 cup red or green grapes, halved
- 1 large stalk celery, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp plain whole milk Greek or Icelandic yogurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp raw honey
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, dry toast the walnuts or pecans. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and stir frequently for 5-6 minutes or until fragrant and toasted. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Next, mix together all the salad ingredients, except for the toasted nuts, in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate medium-size bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust flavor, as desired.
- Pour dressing over salad and stir to coat. Mix in the toasted nuts. Serve over greens, in a gluten or grain-free wrap, in a lettuce wrap, on gluten-free bread or however else your heart desires.
