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Crunchy Apple Salad with Raisins and Walnuts Recipe

Crunchy Apple Salad with Raisins and Walnuts

A creamy, crisp Waldorf-style salad featuring diced apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts in a lightly sweet lemon dressing. This no-cook salad is ready in 15–20 minutes and can be chilled before serving.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 4 medium apples, about 1 1/2 pounds total Crisp apples, cored and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup Celery, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Raisins
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
Dressing
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Honey or granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon Black pepper

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Wash, core, and dice the apples into approximately 1/2-inch pieces. Immediately toss them with the fresh lemon juice in a large serving bowl to slow browning and add a bright acidic note.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, plain yogurt or sour cream, honey or granulated sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and evenly combined.
  3. Add the sliced celery, raisins, and roughly chopped walnuts to the bowl with the lemon-coated apples. Pour the dressing over the mixture.
  4. Fold everything together gently with a spatula or large spoon until the apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts are evenly coated without crushing the fruit.
  5. Refrigerate the salad for about 30 minutes before serving if you want the flavors to meld and the salad to become thoroughly chilled. If preparing it ahead, reserve some walnuts and stir them in immediately before serving.

Notes

Peeling the apples is optional; leaving the peel on adds color and texture. Crisp apples such as Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith work well. For extra nutty flavor, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 3–5 minutes, cool them completely, and add them just before serving.