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Meatloaf and Melodrama

A food blog sharing quick and easy recipes for your family, featuring one dish dinners, Instant Pot recipes, easy desserts and everything in between!

May 10, 2018 Easy Recipes

Pistachio Salad

Pistachio Salad, or Watergate Salad, is made with only 4 ingredients and is light, fluffy and makes a delicious side or dessert salad for potlucks, parties, picnics or holidays. It’s a classic retro recipe that’s worth revisiting!

pistachio salad or watergate salad with marshmallows

 

We’ve been having such warm weather lately that it definitely feels like summer! And when I think of summer recipes, I think of cool, light fluffy recipes, if that makes sense.

I’ve been going through some of my grandmother’s old cookbooks and notes, and reading through those old recipes is utterly fascinating!

As I was reading some of the recipes out loud, the Hubs and I got to talking about some of the retro recipes we remember, and one of them was an easy pistachio salad, or Watergate Salad, as it’s also called. Bonus points if you know why it was called Watergate salad!

As I recall, this dish was usually reserved for potluck dinners or parties. I don’t think we ever had it as part of an ordinary dinner.

It’s super simple, and it only consists of four ingredients, or five, if you decide to add nuts. I thought it would be fun to make this fluffy green Jello salad for my own kids, just so that they could say they had tried it. 

My kiddos had never tried pistachio pudding before, and at first they rebelled at the thought. I don’t know if they were expecting mashed pistachios, but as soon as I showed them the ingredients, which are basically Jello pistachio pudding and Cool Whip, they got over it! And because pistachio salad is so easy to make, I let my little Diva try it on her own.

How to Make Pistachio Salad (Watergate Salad)

First, you combine crushed pineapple and a small box of instant pistachio pudding. This looks pretty wild, and you can see that the ingredients gave off kind of a weird glow. 

mix-pineapple-pistachio-pudding

Then, you mix in a small container of whipped topping. And, the weird yellowish-green glow disappears!

make-watergate-pistachio-salad

Finally, you fold in some mini marshmallows. And that’s all, folks — you’re done!

marshmallow-pistachio-fluff

I think the original recipe for Watergate salad called for chopped almonds or walnuts, but my kids hate nuts in their food, so I left that out. If you want more of a crunch, go ahead and add some nuts. But, I think I’m going to agree with the kiddos on this recipe and say that it’s fine without the nuts.

Pistachio salad is one of those recipes that instantly takes you back. I haven’t had this in years, but after one bite it was like, Yes — I remember this!

pistachio salad in white bowl with marshmallows

Looking for more vintage retro side salads?

  • Lime Jello Salad 
  • Strawberry Jello Salad
  • Orange Jello Fruit Salad
  • Easy Ambrosia Fruit Salad
  • Marshmallow Fruit Salad

Recipe For Pistachio Salad

pistachio-fluff-watergalte-salad-recipe

Pistachio Salad

Classic Pistachio Salad, or Watergate Salad, as it's also known is made with Jello pistachio pudding, Cool Whip, pineapple and marshmallows.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pistachio salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 150kcal
Author: Dee

Ingredients

  • 1 3.4-ounce box of instant pistachio pudding mix
  • 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple not drained
  • 1 8-ounce container whipped topping thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

  • Mix the pineapple with the pudding mix in a medium bowl
  • Fold in the whipped topping
  • Stir in the mini marshmallows
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal
Loved this recipe?Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

 

 

If you like retro recipes, I hope you enjoy this pistachio salad recipe as much as we do!

This post was originally published in 2016.

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Related Posts

  • Grandma’s Potato SaladGrandma’s Potato Salad
  • Grasshopper PieGrasshopper Pie
  • Double Snicker Apple SaladDouble Snicker Apple Salad
  • Marshmallow Fruit SaladMarshmallow Fruit Salad

Categories: Easy Recipes Tags: Cool Whip, Jello, Marshmallows, retro recipes, salads

Previous Post: « Instant Pot Hawaiian BBQ Pork Chops
Next Post: Instant Pot Macaroni Beef Casserole »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ginger Wroot says

    February 17, 2016 at 12:02 am

    Watergate salad? Never heard it called that before, but I like the retro name and look of this dessert! Pinned this one for a pudding to try soon, maybe this summer…the pale green looks so cool and refreshing!

    Reply
    • Dee says

      February 17, 2016 at 6:29 am

      Thanks! This is perfect for warm weather. 🙂

      Reply
  2. JANET VINYARD says

    February 17, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    Hi Dee, This is so good – being from the South, we always added chopped pecans. I believe it was called Watergate Salad because President Richard Nixon supposedly liked this! Thanks for sharing! Blessings, Janet

    Reply
    • Dee says

      February 17, 2016 at 4:51 pm

      I wondered why it was called that. Thanks, Janet! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Traci says

    February 18, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    This salad sounds yum!

    Reply
    • Dee says

      February 18, 2016 at 4:59 pm

      The kids absolutely loved it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Miz Helen says

    February 23, 2016 at 7:50 am

    We just love this salad, it is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a fantastic day!
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  5. Laurie says

    June 17, 2016 at 5:39 am

    This was always on the table during the summer. We’re from upstate NY, my mom added a tub of sour cream and no marshmallows.

    Reply
    • Dee says

      June 17, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      That sounds good, and I love that there are so many different variations.

      Reply
  6. Dorothy at Shockinglydelish says

    May 11, 2018 at 4:53 pm

    This recipe takes me back! I remember eating this all the time as a child. I have to introduce my kids!

    Reply
    • Dee says

      May 12, 2018 at 10:36 am

      I have a soft spot for vintage recipes, so I felt the same way! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    May 12, 2018 at 2:58 am

    Looks so perfect! Definitely a must try!

    Reply
    • Dee says

      May 12, 2018 at 10:36 am

      Thanks, Erin. It’s so easy, too!

      Reply
  8. I Heart Naptime says

    May 12, 2018 at 6:14 am

    This looks so light and refreshing!

    Reply
  9. Katerina @ diethood .com says

    May 12, 2018 at 9:24 am

    This looks and sounds incredibly delicious!! Perfect for summer!!

    Reply
  10. Allyson Zea says

    May 13, 2018 at 4:01 pm

    I’ve never even heard of this! It looks so good!

    Reply
  11. Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling says

    May 24, 2018 at 9:56 am

    Looove pistachio! This would be perfect for summer picnics!

    Reply

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