Remember the overly sweet Waldorf salad your aunt would bring to the annual potluck picnic when you were young — the salad so drenched with creamy dressing that all of the other ingredients couldn't be tasted? This Waldorf salad isn't like that. Giada's new-age version, her Updated Waldorf Salad with Apple Vinaigrette (pictured above) from Food Network Magazine, is everything your aunt's isn't, with a fresh mix of colors and textures, plus a made-over topping that only enhances the best flavors of this tried-and-true dish.

While the old-fashioned recipe largely features fruit and nuts, Giada's salad goes several steps further by incorporating grains and lettuce. She starts by making whole-wheat pearl couscous, then adds to it crunchy fennel, as well as the requisite green grapes, apples and toasted walnuts so it doesn't lose that traditional taste. These ingredients become married with a simple dressing of apple cider vinegar and honey. For an additional spin on the classic, Giada serves her Waldorf salad in individual lettuce cups — the leaves of bright-purple radicchio — to offer added crispness. Perhaps best of all, because Giada's salad takes only 25 minutes to prepare and doesn't need to chill in the refrigerator before serving, it's a go-to last-minute recipe for when you're tight on time.

Get the Recipe: Updated Waldorf Salad with Apple Vinaigrette from Food Network Magazine

Meatless Monday, an international movement, encourages people everywhere to cut meat one day a week for personal and planetary health. Browse more Meatless Monday recipes.