This delicious healthy chicken Waldorf salad is a dairy free take on the traditional Waldorf salad. Made with coconut yogurt, chicken breast, grapes, apples, and walnuts it’s an easy, tasty, and simple recipe!
This healthy chicken Waldorf salad is a recipe revamp I’ve been wanting to do for ages. I originally posted this salad and titled it my “Skinny Chicken Waldorf Salad” recipe back in 2012 when calling recipes “skinny” was appealing and somewhat glorified. Well, thank God that’s over and it’s 2019 and we focus on “strong” over “skinny” and being healthy over weighing as little as possible.
The whole view on food has really evolved over the past several years and we know that being healthy doesn’t have to do with the number on the scale and healthy food isn’t always low fat and low carb. We are all different, with unique nutritional needs, and good fats, whole foods, and balance is where it’s at. So now, I introduce my new and improved Healthy Chicken Waldorf Salad!
Chicken Waldorf Salad or Sandwich, You Decide!
I love that this dish gives you options. The chicken salad in itself is super delicious and good enough to be eaten straight out of a bowl, or you can pile it on a bed of leafy greens and munch away. Want an on-the-go option? Pack this healthy chicken salad between two slices of gluten free seedy bread or on your favourite grainy bun or wrap it in a tortilla and hit the road.
What is a Chicken Waldorf Salad?
My original name for this recipe “Chicken Waldorf Salad” was inspired by the ingredients I used. The very first “Waldorf” salad which contained diced apples, celery, mayonnaise, and whipping cream was created in New York City in 1893 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. It apparently was a big hit and loved by many making it a recipe that has been created, re-invented, and whipped up over and over again through the years.
My version of this chicken salad is still super simple and healthier in my opinion. I don’t like to overcomplicate things and like many of you, the faster to make the better.
I ditch the whipping cream and use chopped chicken breast seasoned simply with salt and pepper (or I’ll just chop the chicken from a whole store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time!), unsweetened coconut yogurt, a touch of real mayonnaise made with olive oil, crunchy celery, juicy grapes, crisp green apple (I love the tartness that green apples provide to this salad), and the perfect amount of walnut bits.
The Best Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwich Too!
I have to admit, I have a hard time deciding between enjoying this chicken salad on a bed of greens or going with the sandwich option. There’s something about two warm, toasty slices of grainy gluten free bread mixed with the cold, creamy chicken salad. It’s almost too hard to pass up!
These days a lot of people are trying out the ketogenic diet or other lower carb high fat ways of eating so if that’s the case for you this chicken salad on a bed of greens is a fantastic option as it contains a good amount of healthy fats from the mayonnaise, coconut yogurt, and walnuts, as well as protein from the chicken, and a limited amount of carbohydrates from the apple, grapes, celery, and greens.
Whether you want to enjoy this healthy chicken salad or healthier Waldorf chicken salad in sandwich form or sans bread, it’s going to be delicious.
Be sure to pin the photo after the recipe to save this one for later and of course, share the love! Have you ever had a traditional Waldorf Chicken Salad or do you have a special combination you use for your own version of a chicken salad? I’d love to read about it in the comments below!
The Best Healthy Chicken Salad
Prep time
Total time
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chicken, diced (pre-made or use store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 1 green apple, cored and diced into small cubes (peel on)
- ½ cup red seedless grapes, halved
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 heaping tablespoons plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
- 2 tablespoons real mayonnaise (not whipped dressing)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup chopped raw walnuts
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Dice or pull apart the cooked chicken breast and add to a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Add the grapes, apples, celery, and walnuts to the bowl with the chicken and pour in the yogurt dressing and stir well to combine.
- Chill the salad for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Serve over bed of mixed greens, in a gluten free tortilla wrap, or with gluten free bread to have as a sandwich.
- Enjoy!
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Enjoy and have a wonderful Sunday!
