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Pistachio Salad

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Submitted by Carole817

Pistachio salad (Watergate salad): the retro fluffy green potluck classic with instant pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, and whipped topping. Five ingredients, no cooking.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

20 min

READY

15 min

Call it pistachio fluff, Watergate salad, or shut-the-door salad. Whatever the name, this is the no-bake, neon-green church potluck staple every Midwestern kitchen has on rotation. Five ingredients, one bowl, ten minutes, done.

The trick is the order. The pudding powder gets mixed straight into the crushed pineapple and its juice, no milk, no whisking. The juice rehydrates the pudding into a thick base in about two minutes. Skip the can juice and you’ll end up with a chalky paste.

Fold the marshmallows in before the whipped topping. They distribute evenly while the base is still loose; once the Cool Whip goes in, you risk deflating it by overstirring.

The nuts on top are the textural payoff. Salted shelled pistachios are the obvious match, but plenty of cooks lean on chopped pecans or walnuts. Add them right before serving so they stay crunchy instead of going soggy in the cream.

Chill at least an hour so the pudding can fully set and the marshmallows soften into pillowy bites.

Pro Tips

  • Don’t drain the pineapple. The juice is what activates the dry pudding mix.
  • Use the small box of instant pudding (3.4 oz), not cook-and-serve. Cook-and-serve won’t set this way.
  • For a firmer, more salad-like texture, refrigerate overnight. For a softer mousse-like consistency, serve after one hour.
  • Garnish individual bowls with a maraschino cherry for the full retro effect.

Variations

  • Stir in a cup of mandarin orange segments for color and brightness.
  • Add a half cup of shredded coconut for tropical flair.
  • Swap pistachio pudding for vanilla and add a few drops of almond extract for a different angle on the same dessert.

Ingredients

1 1
PACKAGE PACKAGE PUDDING, PISTACHIO *
1 1
CAN CAN PINEAPPLE, CANNED, CRUSHED
keep juice *
1 237
1 1
CARTON CARTON WHIPPED TOPPING, PREPARED *
1
X NUTS
to taste *

Directions

Mix pudding, crushed pineapple and juice together.

Add marshmallows.

Add Cool Whip.

Add sufficient nuts to topping.

Mix well and refrigerate.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

Comments


Peggy

This is also known as Watergate Salad

anonymous United States

I NEED MINI MARSHMALLOWS

 

 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 6g (0.2 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 324 28% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 8g 42%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 94mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 19%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars g
Protein 6g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 5% Iron 1%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Low Sodium
 

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