Green Jello Pistachio Pudding Salad
This green cottage cheese salad makes a delicious sweet side dish for any meal, especially a holiday meal! With 9 grams of protein and so many possibilities, you’ll love the versatility of this delicious and healthy dish!
Jump to RecipeThe calories and macros for this green cottage cheese salad (per bowl) are 71 calories, 9 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, and only 1 gram of fat.
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Pistachio Salad Recipe
What a DELICIOUS side dish this would make for Easter, St. Patrick’s day or even as a side for Thanksgiving or CHRISTMAS! The color is just so festive.
I published last year this high protein PINK salad! It’s the same idea, except I used sugar free strawberry Jello powder, and strawberries.
Making this pistachio salad with cottage cheese is so simple. Gently fold in each ingredient until all the ingredients are distributed evenly. You can eat it immediately, or chill it for later.
Pistachio Pudding Salad Ingredients
For this cottage cheese salad, I included
- Fat free cottage cheese – At 80 calories per half cup, there is 14 grams of protein, and only 5 grams carb- plus zero fat! This makes a delicious, high protein, low calorie base for the salad.
- Sugar free pistachio pudding mix – This added 50 calories, because I used 2 tablespoons, but you don’t have to use that much. I just really wanted a rich green color.
- Sugar free cool whip – check out my calories and macros on the different varieties of cool whip here. You can swap out light cool whip, or even fat free because they are all PRETTY close in calories.
- Nonfat plain greek yogurt – I used a half a cup because it stretched the salad a bit and made it go further, without adding too many calories.
- I did crush some extra pistachio’s on top to make it look pretty, but it’s not necessary.
Substitutions in this recipe for Pistachio Salad
What I love about this, is any flavor mix would work. I’ve thought about a lot of tasty foods I could stir into cottage cheese. Those would be:
- sugar free chocolate pudding mix (topped with strawberries! OH MY!!)
- Sugar free lemon pudding mix
- Sugar free lime Jell-O mix.
- Sugar free raspberry Jell-O mix.
- fresh fruit like berries!
- Canned fruit like peaches.
- Bananas and Walden farms caramel dip!
- Peanut butter powder with zero calorie maple syrup
- and of course, use cottage cheese in recipes like this low calorie pancake recipe or strawberry cottage cheese pancakes!
How to make Pistachio Salad with Cottage Cheese
- Stir the sugar free pistachio pudding mix into your cottage cheese. Keep stirring until the pudding mix is dissolved and you can no longer see granules or crystals.
- Next, gently fold in cool whip and yogurt.
- Finally, eat your pudding salad, or chill it for later.
What to serve with Green Jello Salad
Even though this salad is mainly protein, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t go perfectly with your dinner, where you are having another source of protein. I think this salad makes such a fun holiday meal.
So, if you are going to eat this green salad for Easter, St. Patrick’s day, or Christmas, I would eat it with:
- Brown Sugar, Spiral sliced ham
- Baked potatoes
- Fruit salad
- and a green salad!
Of course, if you just want this for lunch, or an afternoon snack, add the other food groups to make this a complete meal. You already have the protein, so eat with fruit and toast to make it a balanced meal.
Pistachio Salad Recipe Storage
Can you make cottage cheese salad ahead of time
HECK YES!! In fact, I think it get’s better with age. It’s so yummy after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.
So, if you are making this for a holiday meal, prep it in the morning, and keep it in the fridge till dinner. You’ll have it out of the way and it’s going to still taste great!
Green Pudding Cottage Cheese Salad FAQs
There are so many things you can stir into cottage cheese. Most people enjoy fruit stirred in, but there are seasoning options that can turn cottage cheese into a dip. Stir in taco seasoning as a chip dip, or flavored yogurt for a fruit dip.
Cottage cheese on its own has a very mild taste, and will take on the flavor of the foods and seasonings you mix it with. So, first determine what flavors you enjoy (fruity flavors, savory, etc.), and then stir your favorite flavors into the cottage cheese.
Many people don’t like cottage cheese because of the texture. Blending cottage cheese until it’s smooth is a great way to change the texture and is enjoyable to a lot of people who thought they didn’t like it. I like to blend it until smooth, and then stir in some sugar free orange jello mix. It tastes like orange creamsicle!
If using cottage cheese as a vegetable dip (by adding a ranch packet, or taco seasoning), carrots and cucumbers are the perfect veggie to dip!
Draining cottage cheese isn’t necessary when you purchase cottage cheese to eat. If you’re including cottage cheese in cheesemaking or a recipe where any excess liquid will be detrimental to your final product, you can drain it. Otherwise, it isn’t necessary.
While Greek yogurt and cottage cheese have similar calories and macros, Greek yogurt is a little healthier because it has natural probiotics, and is lower in sodium.
Green Pistachio Jello Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup fat free cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar free pistachio pudding
- 6 tablespoons sugar free cool whip divided
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
Instructions
- Combine cottage cheese with sugar free pudding mix, 4 tablespoons of cool whip, and Greek yogurt.
- Divide among four bowls and top with remaining cool whip.
Nutrition
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My favorite is sugar free pistachio pudding mix
LG can of crushed pineapple
24 of low fat cottage cheese
Mix and refrigerate, serve cold.
Optional: May top with pecan pieces
do you drain the pineapple before adding to the pudding
Hi Lucy
There isn’t any pineapple in this recipe.
I don’t drain the pineapple. When possible I freeze fresh pineapple cut into small pieces and stir it in just before serving I like to add a bit of lime juice and almond extract as well.
Yum! What a great idea! Thanks for sharing
My family has been making the is recipe for many, many years. Although it’s called Watergate salad we’ve always called it green slime lol. It’s a great summer dish to bring to a BBQ
I’ve never heard that name before, but YES! Perfect for a BBQ!
Such an easy, quick, and delicious recipe. I am so excited to make this for everyone!
we will be making this again its a great side dish and so quick to prepare.
This was a great low cal snack!
YUM! This green cottage cheese salad is one of my favorite side dishes!:) Thanks!:)