Claremont Salad

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I was first introduced to Claremont salad at the Wegman’s deli counter. I grabbed a prepackaged container of it to go with a rotisserie chicken one night when a homemade dinner was just not in the cards for me. I was instantly hooked on the sweet and tangy salad made of cabbage, cukes, carrots and onion. Later that night I hit up google determined to find a recipe so I could make up my own batch of Claremont Salad. During my googling I found out that the Claremont Salad seems to of originated at the Claremont diner, go figure, a popular dinner in New Jersey. I have never been there, so I have no idea how this version stacks up to the original, but I do know that this salad is awesome!

Claremont salad Recipe from Home in the Finger Lakes

Claremont Salad

Claremont Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
  • 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 3 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 sweet onion, Vidalia or Bermuda, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 3 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Combine the cabbage, cucumbers, carrots and onion in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, oil, water and salt. Pour over the cabbage mixture, toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Drain excess liquid before serving.

Claremont salad will keep in the refrigerator all week, and really only gets better the longer it marinades. Because Claremont salad does not involve any mayo or dairy like many cold summer salads it is my favorite dish to pass to bring to picnics and BBQs, summer heat and sunshine just don’t mix with mayo, at least not for any length of time.

Recipe Source: Allrecipes.com

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16 Comments

  1. As police officers in Verona, we frequently got the call on the graveyard shift to pick up Morris and take him to the bank for a night deposit about 2:00 am. Comp dinner upon returning to the diner.

    If you liked the cabbage salad, you no doubt loved the Claremont cheesecake. Here’s the recipe…pretty intricate.

    Claremont Diner Cheesecake
    Courtesy Baker at Carnegie Deli (formerly at the Claremont Diner)

    Cookie Crust
    1cup all-purpose flour
    1/4 cup sugar
    1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 egg yolk
    1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4 – inch bits

    Cheese Filling
    1 1/4 pounds softened cream cheese
    3/4 cup sugar
    1 1/2 tablespoon flour
    1 1/2 teaspoons Lemon juice
    1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
    2 tablespoons heavy cream

    Crust:
    To make the crust, place the flour, sugar, grated lemon rind, vanilla extract, egg yolk, and butter in a large mixing bowl. With your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until they are well mixed and can be gathered into a ball. Dust with a little flour, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

    Butter and flour the bottom of a 9 inch X 2 inch spring-form pan, roll out a piece of dough to cover bottom. Dough should be as thick as for a normal sugar cookie (1/4 inch) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven to a light brown color. Cool the pan and bottom. Butter the sides of the pan. Roll out and line the sides of the pan with more of the cookie dough. Trim excess dough from the edges.

    Filling:
    To make the filling, place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until it is creamy and smooth. Beat in the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, and, when it is well incorporated, beat in the flour, lemon, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk and heavy cream. No lumps please!

    Baking Step One:
    Preheat the oven to 485-500 degrees. Oven should be hot to enhance color. Pour the filling into the cookie dough lined pan, bake in the center of the oven until a dark brown color has been achieved. The cake should also start to rise slightly. Cool for 30 minutes and set oven to 350 degrees.

    Baking Step Two:
    After cheesecake has cooled for 30 minutes, return the cheesecake to the oven for final baking (this procedure will set the cheesecake).

    NOTE: Cheesecake is like a pudding with only eggs being used to firm the cake. When the cake is bouncy in the center and slightly risen in the middle as well as on the sides, it’s finished!

    Baking time at 350°F will vary (usually 25 to 40 minutes) depending on your oven.

    Final Step:
    Cool cheesecake in pan for at least 2 hours before trying to remove it from the pan. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. For best flavor, cheesecake should be served at nearly room temperature. Slice cake using a hot, wet knife; wipe blade clean between slices.

    NOTE: If you over bake, the cake will crack and be too firm. If you under bake, the cake will tend to be soft in the center.

  2. OK, so one more person who grew up near the Claremont Diner (in fact it was walking distance!). They served this salad, which they called “health salad,” for free–there was a bowl of it brought to to the table as soon as you sat down. Soon after, they brought over a basket of onion rolls–also amazing. Like other commenters, I completely forgot about the salad until I spotted it at Wegman’s, and set about replicating it. Your recipe is excellent. I vary it in one possibly useful way: I heat the non-vegetables until they reach the boil, then pour the mixture over the vegetables, then wait exactly one hour before mixing carefully. One final fun fact about the Claremont diner: for years after the diner closed, no business could survive in that spot. Restaurants, car dealerships, they all closed. Some said it was Morris’ curse, lol. Very glad you’ve brought this recipe to the Finger Lakes, a place I now call home!

    1. @Norm, I also remember the Claremont Diner and that was my introduction to the “Claremont” Salad in the early 60s. I still make it to this day, as a matter of fact I am making it for our Game Nite next Wednesday. It’s always a big hit.

  3. I grew up near the Claremont diner. There was no place like it. Everyone knew the owner, Morris. And you always ran into someone you knew there. The Claremont salad was the best. I make it frequently. also, the cream of mushroom soup was fabulous as was all of the food. This site brought back such wonderful memories of my childhood. Thanks,

    1. @Faith, I also grew up eating this salad. Brings back memories ! We lived in Verona ! My mother would
      send me in just to buy a container of this salad.

  4. I lived near the Claremont Diner growing up and that salad was amazing as was all of their food!!! My mom would replicate this salad all the time. I forgot all about this recipe until I needed to use a small head of cabbage that came in a produce delivery. The longer it marinates the better it is. I have also made it using Splenda – sacrilegious I know but it was for someone who insisted. It turned out good too..lol

    1. @Linda, where did you grow up? We lived in Bloomfield and went to the Claremont frequently. Sure miss it !

  5. A full head of cabbage and the rest of the ingredients makes way too much! Try cutting the recipe in half.

    1. @Marie LaFontaine, Yes I kept asking in the store up until about a year ago and they said it all depended on what was selling. I live about 10 minutes from the Flagship store in Pittsford, NY. There is another store less than 5 minutes from me. Dinner by Danny is always a hit at my house, especially if I don’t feel like cooking.

  6. Stacks up great. From trips with grandma as a child to late night snacks after a night out. Best copycat Claremont Salad recipe on the internet. I used to inhale the stuff. Thank you.