This Waldorf Salad is a California Pizza Kitchen copycat recipe. It is a hearty salad full of fruit, veggies, and flavor!
When I go out to eat, I rarely order a salad. A couple years ago, though, a co-worker talked me into trying the waldorf salald from CPK, and I was totally hooked!
This salad is packed with delicious food – crisp apples, juicy grapes, tangy Gorgonzola cheese, and sweet walnuts – all in one fantastic salad.
The salad is topped with a deliciously tangy balsamic-Dijon dressing. And since you’re making it at home, you can easily customize it to your liking.
Ingredients and substitutions
Oil: You can use extra light olive oil or any other type of olive oil that you like.
Vinegar: This dressing does have a bit of a vinegar-y bite to it. Feel free to start with less vinegar and add in more to taste.
Sugar: The dressing isn’t very sweet. If you like a sweeter dressing, feel free to add additional sugar to taste.
Chicken: Poached or grilled chicken work well in this recipe. This salad is a great way to turn leftover chicken into a new meal.
Apple: A good eating apple, like a Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, works well in this salad. There’s no need to peel the apple unless you prefer it peeled.
Salad: A salad green mix with baby lettuce, arugula, and frisee works well.
Walnuts: Plain (unglazed) walnuts can also be used.
Gorgonzola: Blue cheese isn’t in the CPK salad, but it makes a good substitute for the gorgonzola.
How to make
To make the dressing, whisk oil and vinegar together. Add remaining ingredients, and whisk until combined.
Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. To make the salad, gently toss chicken, grapes, apple, celery, and walnuts together.
Toss in salad greens and dressing (or if you prefer, you can serve the chicken salad mixture over the greens and then drizzle the dressing over the top).
Sprinkle with Gorgonzola, and serve.
How long will the salad keep?
The salad will keep, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days. I recommend dressing the salad just before serving so that it doesn’t get soggy in the fridge.
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Waldorf Salad California Pizza Kitchen Copycat
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2/3-1 cup olive oil depending on how vinegary you want the dressing to be
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken chilled
- 1 cup diced apple
- 2/3 cup seedless red grapes quartered
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 6-7 cups mixed salad greens
- 1/3 cup glazed walnuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Instructions
- To make the dressing, whisk oil and vinegar together.
- Add remaining ingredients, and whisk until combined.
- Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the salad, gently toss chicken, grapes, apple, celery, and walnuts together.
- Toss in salad greens and dressing (or if you prefer, you can serve the chicken salad mixture over the greens and then drizzle the dressing over the top).
- Sprinkle with Gorgonzola, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Oil: You can use extra light olive oil or any other type of olive oil that you like.
- Vinegar: This dressing does have a bit of a vinegar-y bite to it. Feel free to start with less vinegar and add in more to taste.
- Sugar: The dressing isn’t very sweet. If you like a sweeter dressing, feel free to add additional sugar to taste.
- Chicken: Poached or grilled chicken work well in this recipe. This salad is a great way to turn leftover chicken into a new meal.
- Apple: A good eating apple, like a Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, works well in this salad. There’s no need to peel the apple unless you prefer it peeled.
- Salad: A salad green mix with baby lettuce, arugula, and frisee works well.
- Walnuts: Plain (unglazed) walnuts can also be used.
- Gorgonzola: Blue cheese isn’t in the CPK salad, but it makes a good substitute for the gorgonzola.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 5/20/13. Updated with new photos, tips, and video 5/7/21.
dressing adapted from food.com
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Rae Ann says
Started making this then realized I don’t have the garlic clove. Do you think garlic salt or garlic powder or garlic granules would work instead? The garlic granules bottle reads 1/8 teaspoon = 1 whole clove. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Definitely our favorite CPK salad.
Kate says
I think that you could use either garlic powder or garlic granules. I would tend to shy away from garlic salt just because of the extra salt in it. Hope that helps! =)
Gale Abernathy says
Next time, try the Thai Crunch Salad!!!! I’ll be eating the third meal of mine bought yesterday!!!!!
Kate says
I’ll have to try that one! I love anything Thai. =) Thanks for the suggestion!
Jess says
Yummy!! This salad tastes like the salad at CPK!
Susan says
I love this salad and can’t wait to bring it next time to a BBQ or other outing! Thank you very much for sharing. I had made vegan gorgonzola for a pear/walnut salad, which was great but I wanted to try something new when I ran out of pear but still had gorgonzola and all the other ingredients left and so happy I found this recipe. I further veganized it with MorningStar Chick-N Strips. Even before I became vegan, I never liked gorgonzola and blue cheese (the mold was too strong for me), but I love my vegan version. Has similar taste but much less pungent.
Kate says
Glad you were able to customize it to your tastes! =)
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
Waldorf salad is probably my favorite salad to order anywhere so I am definitely a big fan of this recipe.
Kate says
I love them, too! You can’t go wrong with a good Waldorf salad! Thanks!
karen gray says
For the Waldorf salad–are glazed walnuts available pre-packaged in the grocery store?
kateheartseating says
Yes, they’re available pre-packaged. My favorite brand is Blue Diamond, and I’ve found their glazed walnuts at the grocery store and at Sam’s Club. I’ve found other brands in the produce section at the grocery store, too, but I’ve found them to be more hit or miss as far as their taste (and they were more expensive, too). I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Cheryl says
I’ve never been to a California Pizza Kitchen, but this salad was so good. Everyone gave it two thumbs up.
Kate says
Thank you!
Charlene wells says
I love Waldorf salad, thank you!
kateheartseating says
Isn’t it great?! I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks for coming by to check it out!! =)
Anyonita says
Mmm, I love Waldorf Salad and your looks amazing! :) Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers! Please be sure to stop back by tomorrow & link up your best “man food” recipes in honor of Father’s Day!
kateheartseating says
Thanks! And thanks for hosting!! =)
Linda@With A Blast says
We eat loads of salads all year round and this looks great, Kate ! I shared this on Google+ today :-) Thank you for sharing at our ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS party !
kateheartseating says
Thanks!! I appreciate the share! And thanks so much for hosting, too! =)
Raquel @ Organized Island says
This salad looks great! Pinning from the Pin Me Party!
kateheartseating says
Thanks! And thanks so much for coming by!! =)
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
Great salad! I’m not a fan of Gorgonzola cheese but that is easily replaceable! I love the homemade dressing! Pinned!
kateheartseating says
Thanks! It is. Blue cheese would work really well, but you could just leave it out, too. Thanks for pinning and for stopping by!! =)
Jenna says
Yum, thank you! I love this kind of salad and the dressing sounds perfect, a wonderful summer meal!
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much!! =)
Heather @ French Press says
what a beautiful salad
kateheartseating says
Thank you so much! =)
Jackie says
I love that salad! I would love for you to share at my Tried and True party! I found you from the Marvelous Monday party! https://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2013/05/tried-and-true-recipe-14.html
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much!! =)
Krista @ joyfulhealthyeats says
Kate, this salad looks amazing! I love all the different textures in it. Not sure if you saw, but I featured it in a Summer Salad Recipe Roundup today! :) Congrats!
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much!! You had a bunch of great-looking salads in your roundup! I pinned it so I can make them later. =)
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
I love Waldorf salads!
kateheartseating says
I hope you enjoy this one if you try it! =)
Bettie says
really good salad love the dressing
kateheartseating says
Thanks!! =)
C. Cubby says
Delicious! Recipe made double the amount of dressing needed for listed ingredients, easy enough to save in a jar for another “batch” soon. Also, I glazed the walnuts rather than run back to the store. It was lovely. On an outdoor buffet table!
Kate says
I’m so glad that you liked it! Making a double batch of dressing is smart; it never hurts to have extra! =)