Waldorf Salad With Buttermilk Dressing

Another variation of Waldorf Salad. This adds a twist to the usual Waldorf Salad, and yet is still fantastic. We love this variation with chicken added....See what you think! This is another Jeremy Vincent find in my favourite paper. Jeremy writes: Waldorf salad is traditionally made of fresh apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise, and usually served on a bed of lettuce. The salad was first created in the 1890s at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City and Oscar Tschirky, the maitre d'hotel, is widely credited with creating the recipe. The salad became so popular, Cole Porter featured it in his 1934 song You're the Tops. Along the way the original Waldorf salad has been tweaked, to accommodate different ingredients and tastes, though thankfully the original heroes are rarely completely discarded. Ingredients such as chicken, turkey, grapes and dried fruit (such as dates or raisins) are sometimes added. The dressing, too, can be fare game, as this variation shows.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1  egg yolk
• 1⁄2 cup  plus 2 tbspns  peanut oil
• 1⁄4 cup buttermilk
• 1⁄4 cup  Greek yogurt
• 2 -3  spring onions, finely chopped
• 1  large lemon, Juice of (1-2 tbsp)
• 2  garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 500  g  mixed salad greens, lettuces (include a good quantity of cos in the mix, it provides a good strong leaf)
• 1  red onion, sliced
• 3  sticks celery, finely sliced
• 3⁄4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1  granny smith apple, thinly sliced
• 1  raw medium beetroot, peeled and grated

Directions

1. Put the egg yolk into a bowl and whilst whisking, drizzle in the oil. (I used the food processor for this step.) Then stir in the buttermilk, yoghurt, chopped spring onion, lemon juice and garlic. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to desired taste.
2. Toss the lettuces in a bowl with three-quarters of the dressing; season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
3. Divide the salad between plates.
4. Garnish with the red onion slices, celery, walnuts, apples and beetroot and drizzle with rest of dressing.