Looking for the recipe for that fluffy green jello salad with pistachio pudding and mini marshmallows in it that your Grandma used to make? You know, that vintage recipe that was served at church dinners or a family reunion? Look no further! You're only 5 ingredients and 10 minutes from enjoying that family favorite!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This is an old-fashioned side salad that only needs 5 simple ingredients!
- Takes less than 10 minutes to prepare!
- Also known as Pistachio Delight, Watergate Salad, Pistachio Fluff Salad, or Pistachio Pudding Salad!
- Perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, holiday dinners, or family gatherings!
- The green color makes this perfect for St. Patrick's Day too!
Ingredient Notes
- Cool Whip - 2 Cups of freshly whipped cream can be substituted for the cool whip, aka whipped topping.
- Pineapple - crushed, tidbits or chunks. Chunks will need to be chopped into smaller pieces.
- Pistachio Pudding Mix - Be sure you've purchased the instant pistachio pudding mix.
Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat ⅔s cool whip, sour cream, and pistachio instant pudding mix together well.
- Dump the entire can of pineapple, with the pineapple juice, into the mixing bowl.
- Add the miniature marshmallows and the remaining cool whip.
- Mix well.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Feel free to garnish with maraschino cherries.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
In the 1970s, at the height of the Watergate scandal, Kraft Foods released a cake recipe using dry pistachio pudding mix and called it Watergate cake. Shortly after, they released this jello salad using pistachio pudding. A columnist in Chicago renamed their jello salad Watergate Salad after the cake. The name stuck, and it's still known by that today.
Yes, you will want to chop up the chunks smaller, but tidbits are fine.
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Pistachio Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz Cool Whip 8 oz container
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
- 3.4 oz Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix 3.4 oz pkg.
- 16 oz Crushed Pineapple (undrained) 2 x 8 oz cans
- 1 ½ Cups Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
- Beat ⅔s of the cool whip, sour cream, and pistachio pudding mix together.
- Mix in the pineapple, juice and all, marshmallows, and remaining Cool Whip.
- Serve or chill to allow to set up more.
Notes
- You can sub 2 cups of freshly whipped cream for the cool whip.
- Pineapple tidbits and chunks work as well. If using chunks, chop them up into smaller pieces.
Karen March
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Love it!