Watergate salad

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Watergate salad is a quick pistachio-flavored dessert or side dish. It’s made by mixing instant pistachio pudding with canned pineapple, then folding in whipped topping (Cool Whip), marshmallows, and chopped nuts. The mixture is usually chilled before serving. It’s a popular potluck dish in the United States.

The salad has many nicknames, including Pistachio Delight, Shut the Gate Salad, Green Goop, Green Goddess, Green Fluff, Green Stuff, Mean Green, and Shamrock Salad.

The origin of the name Watergate Salad isn’t clear. The recipe appeared from General Foods using Jell-O Pistachio Pudding and Cool Whip. In the 1970s Kraft says the base recipe was Pistachio Pineapple Delight. The Watergate name came later, reportedly after someone started using it to boost interest; several explanations exist but none are proven. Some link it to Watergate Cake, but that connection is also not confirmed.