Creamy Apple Salad with Walnuts
Crisp apples, crunchy celery, toasted walnuts and chewy raisins are folded into a tangy Greek yogurt dressing brightened with lemon. It's a no-cook, 15-minute salad that works as a side, light lunch or potluck dish.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 6 min
- Wait
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 6 min
- Makes
- About 6 cups (6 side-dish servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use firm, crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith; soft apples turn mealy in the dressing.
- Make the dressing before you cut the apples so the lemon is ready to coat them right away and prevent browning.
- Plan on at least 30 minutes of chilling so the flavors meld and the raisins soften slightly.
- Toast the walnuts first so they have time to cool completely; warm nuts will thin the dressing.
Toast the walnuts
- Place the walnut halves in a dry 8-inch (20 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan every minute, until fragrant and a shade darker.
- Tip onto a plate in a single layer.
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Ready when: Nuts smell nutty and toasty and have slightly darkened edges.
Tip: Walnuts burn quickly once they smell toasty; remove them from the hot pan right away.
Cool and chop nuts
- Let the walnuts cool on the plate for 15 minutes until no longer warm to the touch.
- Chop coarsely into pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm), leaving some larger chunks for crunch.
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Ready when: Nuts feel completely cool and snap cleanly when bitten.
Tip: Use this wait time to prep the dressing and the celery.
Zest and juice lemon
- Finely grate the zest from the lemon(s) to get 1 teaspoon, then halve and squeeze to get 3 tablespoons (45 ml) juice.
- Pick out any seeds.
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Ready when: You have 1 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice, seed-free.
Tip: Zest before juicing; a squeezed lemon is nearly impossible to zest.
Whisk the dressing
- In the medium bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, cinnamon (if using) and salt for about 30 seconds until completely smooth and pourable like thick sour cream.
- Taste and add a tiny pinch more salt or a little more honey if needed.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, with no streaks of honey or lumps of yogurt, and tastes bright and lightly sweet.
Tip: If the honey is stiff, warm the spoon under hot water first so it releases cleanly.
Cut the apples
- Quarter and core the apples, then cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, leaving the skin on for color and texture.
- Transfer the cubes straight into the large mixing bowl as you cut and add them to the dressing within 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Apple pieces are roughly uniform in size, about ¾ inch (2 cm).
Tip: Cut evenly so every bite has the same crunch; uneven pieces make some mushy and others hard.
Slice the celery
- Trim the celery ends and peel off any tough outer strings with a vegetable peeler.
- Slice the stalks crosswise ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and add to the bowl with the apples.
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Ready when: Celery slices are thin and uniform, about ¼ inch (6 mm).
Fold it together
- Scrape the dressing over the apples and celery.
- Add the raisins and about two thirds of the chopped walnuts.
- Fold gently with a rubber spatula, turning the bowl, for 20 to 30 seconds until every piece of apple is evenly coated.
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Ready when: All apple cubes glisten with dressing and no white pockets of yogurt remain.
Tip: Fold rather than stir vigorously, which bruises the apples and makes the dressing watery.
Chill to blend
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours, so the raisins soften slightly and the flavors meld.
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Ready when: Salad is cold throughout and the dressing has thickened slightly.
Tip: Hold back the remaining walnuts until serving so they stay crunchy.
Season and serve
- Stir the salad gently once.
- Taste and adjust with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of honey or a pinch of salt.
- Spoon into a serving bowl and scatter the remaining chopped walnuts over the top.
- Serve cold.
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Ready when: Salad tastes balanced: tangy, lightly sweet and just salty enough.
Tip: If it looks loose after chilling, drain off any pooled liquid before the final stir.
Good to know
Tips
- Leave the apple skin on for color, fiber and a pleasant bite, but peel if serving people who dislike skin.
- Keep the lemon juice in the dressing; its acidity slows browning, so the salad stays attractive for hours.
- Choose a mix of sweet and tart apples, such as Honeycrisp with Granny Smith, for the best flavor balance.
- For a more substantial lunch, add 1 cup (150 g) halved red grapes or serve over salad greens.
Make ahead
Toast and chop the walnuts up to 3 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature. Whisk the dressing up to 2 days ahead and keep covered in the fridge. Cut the apples and assemble no more than 4 hours before serving for the best crunch.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days; the apples soften and the dressing loosens over time. Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Not suitable for freezing because the apples turn mushy and the yogurt separates. Serve cold; no reheating. Stir before serving.
Substitutions
- walnut halves → pecans or toasted almonds. Toast the same way and use the same amount; pecans give a sweeter, softer crunch.
- plain whole-milk Greek yogurt → sour cream or a half-and-half mix of yogurt and mayonnaise. Sour cream is milder; the mayo mix is richer and more classic.
- raisins → dried cranberries or chopped dates. Use the same weight; cranberries add tartness, so you may want a bit more honey.
- honey → maple syrup. Use the same amount for a vegan-friendly sweetener if using a non-dairy yogurt as well.
