What's the difference between Waldorf Salad and Watergate Salad?

Jenny Porter Tilley, The Herald-Times
·3 min read
2

“Are you making the green stuff or the pink stuff?”

It’s a question I asked my grandma while she prepped for every big meal. If it was during the holiday season, typically she chose the green stuff — the pink stuff goes better with a summer meal. But often it depended on which ingredients she had on hand.

Whichever she chose, it was like having a secret path to dessert. The two sides, full of marshmallows and sugary flavors, weren’t technically dessert; they were served as a side dish during the main meal. And they were a way to have a second dessert before the real dessert.

Personally, I have always preferred the green stuff. First created in the 1970s, it became known colloquially as Watergate Salad, possibly because of the time period — its key ingredient, pistachio Jell-O mix, was released in the same era as the Watergate scandal. According to kraftrecipes.com, it was published in the mid-1980s on the side of Jell-O boxes with the name Pistachio Pineapple Delight, and eventually the name was officially changed to Watergate Salad.

As an adult, I asked my grandma for the recipe so I could make it on my own for a pitch-in. She insisted, “There is no recipe. It’s just a thing of Cool Whip, a thing of Jell-O, a thing of marshmallows and a thing of pineapple.”

She was right — making it really is that simple, and it’s my kind of recipe. If it’s for Christmas, I like to add maraschino cherries just for the extra color. Kraft’s official recipe calls for extra nuts, but I prefer mine to be less crunchy.

The pink stuff comes in many forms. I never asked for the recipe, but I do remember my grandma making it with apples. The version I found that seemed closest is called Ambrosia Waldorf salad. It’s based on the Waldorf Salad, which, according to kitchenproject.com, was first served at the Waldorf Hotel in New York in 1986.

The Ambrosia version can be made even more simply by using canned fruit salad instead of fresh fruit. Personally, I always preferred this one with the colored mini-marshmallows.

Either salad can be a quick, easy and refreshing addition to a pitch-in dinner any time of the year.

Photos by Jenny Porter Tilley | Herald-Times
Photos by Jenny Porter Tilley | Herald-Times

Watergate Salad recipe

  • 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping

  • 1 can crushed pineapple in juice

  • 1 box pistachio Jell-O

  • 1 bag mini marshmallows

  • Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup maraschino cherries

Combine pineapple (do not drain), Jell-O mix, marshmallows and pecans, if desired. Add whipped topping and refrigerate 1 hour. Add cherries on top, if desired.

Adapted from kraftrecipes.com.

Ambrosia Waldorf Salad recipe

  • 2 cups frozen cranberries, partially thawed and cut in half (I couldn't find any, so I substituted raspberries. I found it to be a little too sweet, so if you substitute, you might want to use less.)

  • 1⁄2 cup sugar

  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows

  • 2 cups diced, unpeeled golden delicious apples

  • 1 cup green seedless grapes, cut in half

  • 1 can crushed pineapple

  • 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping

  • Easy option: Instead of fruit listed above, use canned fruit salad.

Combine the cranberries and sugar; mix thoroughly and set aside. In another bowl, combine marshmallows, apples, grapes and pineapple. (Mine came out a little runny, so I would recommend draining the pineapple. This isn't necessary in the Watergate version because the pudding mix makes it a little more solid.)

Add whipped topping and the cranberry/sugar mixture; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Adapted from geniuskitchen.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Thanksgiving and Christmas side dishes: Watergate vs Waldorf salad