Old Fashioned Pistachio Salad {Watergate Salad}

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Happy Friday, y’all! I’m so excited to share this very old recipe today. It has been a favorite of my dad’s for many, many years. We make it for special occasions and it is always devoured. Why this recipe is called “Watergate Salad” I have no idea. Maybe President Nixon liked pistachios? Ha! I’m clueless.

Pistachio Salad[pinit count=”horizontal”]

I didn’t say it’s an incredibly healthy recipe. It’s not. But it sure is yummy.

Pistachio Salad is so quick and easy.  Love it!

Here are a few of our other salad favorites for this time of year…

What’s your favorite kind of salad?

xoxo

Myra

29 Comments

    1. My is pistachio salad but it made different from their
      We use 2 cans of peaches, 2 cans of pineapple, 2can of orange 2boxs of pistachio pudding mix,and cool whip mix it all together and let it cool and it good it been in my family for 15 years

  1. We actually make the same thing in my family and know it also by that name-though we never call it that. We call it Marshmallow Jello. We use colored marshmallows and don’t add extra nuts. I love how easy it is to whip up. And the pastels are pretty for any meal!
    Barefoot Hippie Girl´s last blog post ..Hot-Diggity-Dog!

  2. We never have a family gathering without the. We just call it green stuff.
    I recon it was created by the chefs at The Watergate and that’s why it’s called that, but that’s just a guess.

    1. I make it like my Grandmother made hers, no Marshmallows she used cottage cheese.none of us eat cottage cheese,but we would fight over the salad. I still make it that way .it’s so much better! Give it a try…

  3. Oh my, I haven’t had that in years! My grandmother used to make a Watergate cake also. In fact, it was the last thing she baked for me before she died. So many memories. 🙂

  4. One of the first “new” recipes I tried when I was a newlywed. One of my co workers at Oak Ridge Methodist Hospital brought this to a covered dish dinner at work and we were all AMAZED.!! Thanks for reminding me that this recipe is still a good one.
    Arlene Grimm@ Nanaland´s last blog post ..Recent Reading

    1. Kelly, that is so strange! Did you use the large box of pudding? I’ve never had a problem with it not setting up.

  5. I make this for every holiday meal it is my husband’s favorite. Sometimes I add some chopped maraschino cherries just to add alittle color (mostly at Christmas). Looks Good!

  6. I have made this recipe for years, we simply called it green fluff. Now that my daughter is old enough to take an interest in cooking (she’s 7) this is one of the first things she made, (besides scrambled eggs) and she makes it to take to all functions we have at Granny’s, Mamaw’s, home, church etc. So we have renamed it now, it is Gracie’s Famous Fluff. P.S. We leave out the marshmallows just cause we like it better that way!!!

  7. Hi there, no doubt the pistachio salad is really healthy.. Never tried. Usually this is the flavor that I avoid in ice creams.. But in a salad, I am tempted to try it out. Seems delicious!

  8. when the recipe calls for large cool whip how many oz’s? I’m needing to make this for church tomorrow so please someone give me an answer soon please and thank you

  9. I LOVE this salad. When Iwas diagnosed with type II diabetes, iIstarted making it with sugar free pudding, sugar free cool whip, pineapple in its own juice, and fewer marshmallows. Its not completely sugarfree, but its less sugar than the original AND nobody I’ve ever served it to could tell the difference!

  10. Oh my! My family has eaten this at all Christmas and Easter meals because it is our tradition. Mom started fixing it about 70 years ago and now we all do! We do add mandarin orange slices and marishino cherries as well. Love it!

  11. My is pistachio salad but it made different from their
    We use 2 cans of peaches, 2 cans of pineapple, 2can of orange 2boxs of pistachio pudding mix,and cool whip mix it all together and let it cool and it good it been in my family for 15 years

  12. I made it today but it is chilling in refrig now. I used 2 small boxes of pudding mix because there was no large. 2 med pinapple crushed because no large and 2 reg size whipped topping because no large. Will it turn out ok?\P

  13. I’ve made this for years. I think I started when it was Watergate salad. I now call it Pistachio Fluff. I don’t add nuts because lots of people don’t like or can’t eat nuts. (the few Pistacios don’t seem to bother them). Instead of the small white marshmallows I add the mini colored ones.

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