Enjoy this fresh and summer version of a classic Waldorf salad, made Whole30 with a creamy tahini dill dressing. This spiralized cucumber chicken waldorf salad will become your new favorite summer lunch!
Contents
Spiralized Cucumber Salad
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve been obsessed with my new OXO spiralizer. This Spiralized Cucumber Chicken Waldorf Salad has been on the dinner table almost every night the past week. I wasn’t sure what to expect with cucumber “noodles,” but they are amazing!
They do taste like cucumber, but they have an uncanny similarity in texture to cold noodles. And they are certainly just as fun to eat as traditional noodles!
If you’re hoping for a more classic Waldorf Salad recipe, try this one!
How to Spiralize Vegetables
- My go-to method is using my OXO Spiralizer. If you’ve used a Paderno or other brand, you’ll be in for a real treat with this option. It’s so much easier to use, has better size blades for spiralizing a variety of fruits and veggies, and has a super strong suction. It’s also easier to clean than other brands.
- Many people recommend a julienne peeler for making veggies noodles without a spiralized, but I have never had very much luck trying to use one!
- If you don’t have a spiralizer, you could try peeling the “noodles” with a vegetable peeler, similar to how I peel the zucchini in this salad. However, I think the thin spaghetti-like noodles made from a spiralizer are part of what makes this salad so special and unique.
If you haven’t ventured out of the realm of zucchini noodles, you should definitely put some new vegetables on the list this summer, starting with cucumbers and apples.
We love this salad because it’s full of water and fiber, but mixes up your traditional lettuce or greens based salad. Once the spiralized vegetables are coated in the creamy tahini dill dressing, you might be convinced it’s a cool noodle dish.
Whole30 Chicken Waldorf Salad
A traditional Waldorf Salad has a creamy mayo dressing. I am not a mayo fan, and tahini is my go-to addition to turn a vinaigrette into a healthy creamy salad dressing.
This dressing becomes super creamy if you add all the ingredients together in the blender to emulsify it, but you can also just add everything to a container and shake. I love the addition of fresh dill, but it’s optional. We have also made this salad a lot with just a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic, and lemon juice. Use whatever option sounds good, or whatever dressing ingredients you have on hand!
Preparing these salads couldn’t be easier. They are customizable, but to keep the classic flavors of a chicken waldorf salad, don’t skip the apple, grapes, celery, or walnuts. I added peppers and sunflower seeds for a summer twist. Go ahead an add raisins if you love them!
I use golden raisins in my Whole30 Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps — if you’re looking for a more traditional preparation of Chicken Waldorf Salad, start there!
My other secret to taking these salads over the top and summery is to use a spicy grilled chicken. I adore using Grilled Moroccan Chicken in this recipe, but feel free to sub rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy summer dinner.
Tips for Spiralized Cucumber Chicken Waldorf Salad:
- The spiralizer I recommend is the OXO. I really think it’s worth having the extra kitchen tool around because it makes healthy meals so much fun. I understand the reluctance to add another tool to your kitchen, but this is one I use ALL the time. If you’re wanting to eat healthier, this is a great thing to have.
- I made a creamy tahini dill dressing for this salad, reminiscent of the mayo dressing on a classic Waldorf Salad. It’s delicious- however, most of the time when we eat these, we just drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, and lemon juice, and enjoy it just as much. If you don’t want to go buy cashew butter, no worries!
- Make it Vegan: This easy waldorf salad has all the protein you need without adding chicken. The tahini dressing plus walnut and sunflower seed topping make it a complete meal. Roasted chickapeas are also a good topping.
Spiralized Cucumber Chicken Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber large
- 1 apple red, large
- 3/4 cup red grapes halved
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 bell pepper sliced thinly, I used yellow
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds toasted
- 2 tablespoons walnuts raw
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped, to garnish
Tahini Dill Dressing
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoons fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- pinch sea salt optional
Chicken
- 1 chicken breast I used Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Instructions
- Prepare chicken, or plan on using left over chicken, rotisserie chicken, etc.
- Spiralize cucumber and apple using the small noodle blade.
- Top the cucumber and apple "noodles" with grapes, celery, peppers, walnuts and sunflower seeds.
- Chop chicken and add to the top. Garnish with parsley.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Add sea salt to taste (optional).
- Serve salads with dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Veggie “Noodle” Salads
- Chilled Cucumber Noodles with Sesame Dressing, by The Kitchn
- Spiralized Tzatziki Cucumber Salad, by Fit Foodie Finds
- Asian Crab and Avocado Spiralized Cucumber Salad, by Cotter Crunch
- Mediterranean Quinoa Zucchini Salad, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Refreshingly Light Raw Pasta Primavera, by Sunkissed Kitchen
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this looks amazing! i love how our spiralizers can make a dish that’s so simple and take to the next level!! YUM!
Your cucumber crab salad inspired this! I was on the fence about what cucumber would be like as “noodles” — but they are amazing! I’ve been eating them almost every day.
O my goodness! The sweet, the creamy, the chicken! How could you say no to a plate of this wonderful salad! LOVE!
It’s super fun to eat, too. My grandma was here the other night and was going to leave when I started dinner– I said you should stay. I’ll make you a salad like you’ve never had before. She ate the whole salad, and she typically eats about 1/4 of food at a time these days– but she was memorized!
I really need a spiralizer
They are super fun! At first, I didn’t want to spend the money, so I bought a julienne vegetable peeler. That was hard to use, so I bought a Paderno. That was hard to use– so I bought an OXO! So, I’ve spent about $90 to get what I should have just paid $40 to get in the first place! I use the OXO almost every day. Super easy and give veggies a new look/texture!
that creamy cashew dressing sounds delicious & ridiculously easy; i am imagining all sorts of possibilities for it.
It is great, and super easy! I have been using it a lot lately! Cashews are a pretty amazing substitute for dairy 🙂 Better, in my opinion!
You have added wow factor to this simple dish. Appreciate your creativity.
Thank you! This salad is so refreshing.