Chicken Waldorf Salad with Cottage Cheese and Crepes
This Chicken Waldorf Salad with Cottage Cheese offers a healthy twist on the classic, featuring crisp apples, juicy chicken, and a naturally sweetened dressing. Serve it in gluten-free spinach crepes for a fresh take that’s perfect for meal prep or a special occasion. Simple to make, delicious to enjoy!
If you’re looking for a fresh and healthy take on the classic Chicken Waldorf Salad, you’re going to love this recipe! Not only is it packed with juicy chicken, crisp apples, and crunchy walnuts, but the dressing is made with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt for a creamy texture without all the extra calories. What sets this recipe apart is the naturally sweetened dressing—so simple yet so flavorful—and the option to serve it with gluten-free spinach and brown rice crepes.
These crepes turn the salad into fun, vibrant taco-style bites that are perfect for a special occasion or even a quick weekday meal. Whether you’re using leftover chicken or air-frying a fresh chicken breast in under 10 minutes, this recipe comes together effortlessly. Plus, it’s a great make-ahead dish to keep in the fridge for the week!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Chicken Waldorf Salad Recipe:
- It’s nutrient-dense with cottage cheese or greek yogurt.
- It’s naturally sweetened with applesauce without any processed white sugar.
- The spinach crepe soft tacos are a fun and delicious way to eat this salad by hand.
- All the simple ingredients are easily digestible for a gentle tummy
How to Make My Easy Waldorf Chicken Salad Recipe
Step 1: Cook the Chicken
You can cook a boneless skinless chicken breast in your oven or air fryer. Place your chicken in a plastic bag and pound it until it is an even thickness from one end to the other. Remove and place on top of the plastic bag.
Remove and place on top of the plastic bag. Spray it with avocado or olive oil. Then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Flip the chicken over and repeat.
OVEN METHOD:
Lay your chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 380°F for approximately 25 minutes. Flip the chicken over halfway and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F using a meat thermometer.
AIR FRYER METHOD:
Lightly spray the tray or basket inside your air fryer with the oil. Then lay the chicken breast in the bottom of the basket or on the tray. Cook at 380°F for 9 minutes. Flip the chicken over halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, check it with a meat thermometer to make sure it is at least 165°F throughout.
Remove the chicken from the air fryer or oven and allow it to rest on a plate for 15 minutes. Then cool the chicken in the fridge until you’re ready to add it to the salad.
Step 2: Toast the Nuts
You can add your favorite nuts to this salad. My favorite is cashews, and I like to toast them first. This step is entirely optional.
Add one teaspoon of butter to a frying pan over medium heat to toast your nuts of choice. Add the nuts and sprinkle with several dashes of salt. Mix the nuts for several minutes until they reach the desired toastiness. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
Step 3: Make the Dressing
Add the cottage cheese, applesauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, and salt to a blender or the chopper cup of an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and then pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 4: Add the Chopped Ingredients
Finely dice the apples, celery, grapes, and chicken and add them to the mixing bowl. Then mix all the ingredients.
Step 5: Make the Crepe Soft Tacos
Combine the spinach and milk in a blender cup and blend until smooth.
Add the blended milk, brown rice flour, eggs, oil, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to a mixing bowl and whisk together. The batter will be slightly thicker than a crepe batter and thinner than a pancake batter.
Pour the batter into a frying pan and flip once tiny bubbles have formed across the crepe. Allow to cook on the other side until lightly brown. Remove and allow to cool on a plate. Store them in a plastic bag to maintain their moisture.
Step 6: Assemble the Salad
For a beautiful salad presentation, line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves and fill the bowl with the salad. Garnish the top of the salad with a few half-cut grapes, toasted nuts and chopped green onions.
Add a spoonful of salad to the soft taco and top with the garnishes. You can also serve them open-faced on a plate and eat them with a fork.
Expert Recipe Tips
Cottage Cheese Tip: For a smoother texture in your dressing, blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor before mixing it into the salad. This gives it a creamier consistency, perfect for those who don’t love the curdled texture.
Make-Ahead Option: The Chicken Waldorf Salad can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep the crepes or other serving options separate to avoid them getting soggy.
Customize the Fruit: The classic version uses apples and grapes, but feel free to get creative! Try swapping in pears, dried cranberries, or even chopped peaches depending on what you have on hand.
Delicious Storage Tips
Gluten-Free Crepes: Use spinach and brown rice flour crepes as gluten-free wraps for the Chicken Waldorf Salad, turning it into fun taco-style bites.
Stuffed Avocados: Hollow out ripe avocados and stuff them with the chicken Waldorf salad for a creamy, satisfying low-carb option.
Over Fresh Greens: Serve the chicken salad over a bed of mixed greens for a light and refreshing gluten-free meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
Lettuce Wraps: Swap out tortillas and use crisp romaine or butter lettuce leaves to create a fresh, crunchy way to enjoy this salad.
Do you love salads? Check out more of my easy and nutritious salad recipes:
Chicken Waldorf Salad with Cottage Cheese and Crepes
Ingredients
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup grapes
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 apple
- 1/4 cup cashews or nut of choice
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra light is my fave
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Spinach Crepe Soft Tacos
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup milk almond milk is my fave
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil light olive oil is my fave
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast:
- You can cook a boneless skinless chicken breast in your oven or air fryer. Place your chicken in a plastic bag and pound it until it is an even thickness from one end to the other. Remove and place on top of the plastic bag.
- Remove and place on top of the plastic bag. Spray it with avocado or olive oil. Then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Flip the chicken over and repeat.
OVEN METHOD:
- Lay your chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 380°F for approximately 25 minutes. Flip the chicken over halfway and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F using a meat thermometer.
AIR FRYER METHOD:
- Lightly spray the tray or basket inside your air fryer with the oil. Then lay the chicken breast in the bottom of the basket or on the tray. Cook at 380°F for 9 minutes. Flip the chicken over halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, check it with a meat thermometer to make sure it is at least 165°F throughout.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer or oven and allow it to rest on a plate for 15 minutes. Then cool the chicken in the fridge until you’re ready to add it to the salad.
Toasting the Nuts:
- You can add your favorite nuts to this salad. My favorite is cashews, and I like to toast them first. This step is entirely optional.
- Add one teaspoon of butter to a frying pan over medium heat to toast your nuts of choice. Add the nuts and sprinkle with several dashes of salt. Mix the nuts for several minutes until they reach the desired toastiness. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
Salad:
- Add the cottage cheese, applesauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, and salt to a blender or the chopper cup of an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and then pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Finely dice the apples, celery, grapes, and chicken and add them to the mixing bowl. Then mix all the ingredients.
- For a beautiful salad presentation, line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves and fill the bowl with the salad. Garnish the top of the salad with a few half-cut grapes, toasted nuts and chopped green onions.
Spinach Crepe Soft Tacos:
- Combine the spinach and milk in a blender cup and blend until smooth.
- Add the blended milk, brown rice flour, eggs, oil, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to a mixing bowl and whisk together. The batter will be slightly thicker than a crepe batter and thinner than a pancake batter.
- Pour the batter into a frying pan and flip once tiny bubbles have formed across the crepe. Allow to cook on the other side until lightly brown. Remove and allow to cool on a plate. Store them in a plastic bag to maintain their moisture.
- Add a spoonful of salad to the soft taco and top with the garnishes. You can also serve them open-faced on a plate and eat them with a fork.
Video
Nutrition
This recipe has been reviewed by a healthcare professional for its nutritional balance and alignment with healthy eating principles.
I made your delicious Waldorf Chicken salad and the yummy Spinach taco.They were easier to make than I thought. I will definitely be making them again.
Hi Carolyn, I’m so happy to hear that! The spinach tacos are so much fun to make 🙂
This is incredibly delicious. Its the best wardorf salad I’ve eaten. I especially liked it with the tasty spinach .taco.
Hi Carolyn, thank you so much for the feedback! I love the spinach tacos too!! 🙂