This Waldorf salad recipe is a twist on the classic with chickpeas and a creamy, lightened-up dressing. You will love the fresh flavors in this protein-packed dish.
This creamy salad is perfect for spring and summer. Itโs cool, refreshing, and filling, thanks to delicious chickpeas mixed in for a punch of protein.

When was the last time you had a classic Waldorf salad? Itโs a colorful fruit and nut salad with a combination of textures and flavors thatโs hard to resist.
The classic recipe is a little heavy on the mayo and lacking a bit in the protein department, making it a wonderful special occasion side dish. Still, it is not something I like to indulge in regularly. So, of course, Iโve played around with it and gave it a healthy upgrade.
Lightened-Up Waldorf Salad
First, I lightened up the dressing. Instead of an all-mayonnaise dressing, I substitute half of it with Greek yogurt. It gives the dressing a slight tanginess and lightness with a hint of richness from the mayonnaise. Itโs not nearly as heavy.
I also add a generous amount of chickpeas; protein-packed beans that pair perfectly with the other ingredients, making this salad perfect as a light main course.
The rest of the salad is just like the original โ a combination of juicy grapes, crisp apples, crunchy celery, and walnuts.
Itโs a wonderful side dish for potlucks, BBQs, and holiday meals, and you can easily double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe if youโre serving a crowd.

Ingredients
- Greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh lemon juice
- Canned chickpeas
- Diced Honeycrisp apple
- Halved red grapes
- Chopped celery
- Minced red onion
- Chopped walnuts
- Salt and pepper
- Butter lettuce
For the apples, I love Honeycrisp because theyโre sweet and a little tart, and they are wonderfully crisp. Pink lady apples are another great choice, or, if you love tartness, try Granny Smith.

How to Make It
- Mix the yogurt, mayo, and lemon juice together in a bowl.
- Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the dressing and toss it all together until well combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve it over butter lettuce.

Recipe Variations & Tips

What to Serve with It
You can serve this chickpea Waldorf salad as a light main or side dish. If serving it as a side, you might like to try:
- Grilled chicken flavored with my all-purpose seasoning
- Itโs delicious served as a side with my crock pot ham
- Or try it alongside baked or grilled pork chops

Pair this With…
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Chickpea Waldorf Salad

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas drained
- 1 honeycrisp apple diced
- 1 cup red grapes halved
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 tablespoons red onion minced
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and lemon juice and set aside.
- Add the chickpeas, apple, grapes, celery, onions, and walnuts to a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine until everything is fully coated.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over butter lettuce.
Notes

This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to make this! My family is going to love this!
Thank you!
Enjoyed this for lunch today and it was the perfect balance of light, crunchy and delicious! Easily, a new favorite recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
This Waldorf salad looks incredibly delicious!
Thank you!
Salad was extremely delicious and easy to make!
So glad to hear that!!
This is such an amazing salad!! Everyone at my house loved it!
Thank you! So glad to hear that.
Love the upgrade on this salad! The chickpeas are so tasty in it!
Thank you!
Love the idea of adding chickpeas! What a perfect combo!
Thank you!
Delicious loved this
This is so good, and I love this healthier version. It’s one of my new go-tos!
I have never had chickpeas in my waldorf salad, but, now that I have. I will never go back!
It’s beyond delicious! I made this and everybody at our house loves it!
always looking for new ways to eat chickpeas – so glad I found this, it was great!
I whipped up this Chickpea Waldorf Salad, and it was a refreshing twist on the classic! The chickpeas added a nice, hearty texture, making it satisfying yet light. Really loved the blend of flavors in this one.
The Chickpea Waldorf Salad was absolutely delicious! I loved how it combined classic flavors with a twist by using chickpeas.