This is a brilliant remake of the original Waldorf salad. This salad is rich and hearty, and a satisfying stand-alone meal. It is packed full of healthy fats, protein and the only sweetener (besides the lovely fruit) are a couple of pureed medjool dates.
Complements: Live Raw by Mimi Kirk
For the Salad:
2 green or crisp, firm apples, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Handful of raisins; if they are not plump, soak in filtered water for 15 minutes
1/2 cup walnuts and pecans, broken or chopped
Generous handful of grapes cut in half, your choice of color
1/2 lemon, juiced
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup almond, soaked for 4 hours
1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed (I wanted a sweeter tasting salad (instead of a savory salad) so I omitted the garlic and added 1 teaspoon real vanilla instead)
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 medjool dates, pitted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix and set aside or cover and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to add the dressing and serve.
Place all dressing ingredients except olive oil in a high-powdered blender. Blend at medium speed while drizzling in the olive oil. Blend until creamy and smooth. I added a few tablespoons of water to make a thinner sauce. Chill for 4 hours (I did not do this step, I was a bit impatient to indulge in my salad).
To serve the salad slowly pour 1/3 of the dressing on salad and toss well. Use as much of the dressing as suits your taste. Place a lettuce leaf on a salad plate or in a shallow bowl. Place a large scoop of the salad into the leaf. Enjoy!
