Old-School Salads That Hardly Anyone Eats Anymore

Like any other type of food item, salads come and go, falling into and out of popularity depending on culinary trends, diet fads, and the price and availability of ingredients. Some of these old-school salads are worthy of a comeback, while others (I'm looking at you, California prune cream salad), are better off never resurfacing on tables again.

A variety of different vintage salads were once welcomed on 20th-century buffet, dinner, and party tables, but have since vanished from modern-day menus. For example, gelatin-based salads were all the rage during the 1930s and '40s, and had become a staple in most households. These wiggly, jiggly masterpieces were molded into various shapes, working double-duty as both table centerpieces and appetizers. Some salads, such as the 7-layer gelatin salad with its colorful stacked appearance, were almost too pretty to eat. Vegetables were also transformed into stunning showstopper salads, especially when evenly layered in transparent bowls.

Over time, molded, layered, and overly dressed salads were replaced with fresher, healthier options, as tastes shifted toward lighter, more nutritious fare. Some of the more over-the-top salads have completely faded from memory and now live on in the back of grandma's recipe box and on yellowing cookbook pages. Many of these old-school salads are nostalgic reminders of America's quirky and culinary past, and should be celebrated for their ingenuity and charm.

Frog eye salad

Despite its whimsical name, vintage frog eye salad contains no amphibian body parts. A nostalgic gem from mid-20th-century kitchens, the salad got its quirky moniker because it features tiny acini di pepe noodles, which are said to resemble frog eyes. Like many old-fashioned recipes, the word "salad" is used loosely here, as the pasta is folded into a creamy base containing whipped topping, pudding, and various canned fruits, including pineapple and mandarin oranges. Mini pastel-hued marshmallows had color and even more sweetness, while maraschino cherries typically top this non-savory salad.

Frog eye salad was created in the Midwest, and has been all but forgotten today. You can still find this classic recipe in historic community cookbooks circulating hometowns, but the dish with the quirky name is not likely to be passed around at church functions and potlucks like it once was. If you want to try making this salad but can't find the acini di pepe, you can substitute star-shaped pastina, the tiny Italian pasta with a very fitting name. 

Celery Victor

Although Celery Victor may not look like much when it is on a plate, this vintage salad is a refined relic of early California cuisine. The recipe was created by Victor Hirtzler, the head chef at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1910, during the golden age of hotel dining. This sophisticated yet understated salad traditionally consists of celery hearts that are simmered in either chicken or veal stock that's infused with bay leaves and peppercorns. After the celery is tender, it is then chilled in the refrigerator. To add even more flavor to the dish, the tender celery is tossed in a vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar, and tarragon. For both aesthetic value and a bit of crunch, the celery is served atop crisp lettuce leaves. Celery Victor, which was once a staple on the West Coast gourmet dining scene, is also traditionally accompanied by tomato wedges and sliced hard-boiled eggs. 

If you want to go all out and recreate this salad at home, start with a flavorful stock featuring chicken and veal bones, parsley, carrots, onions, peppercorns, and bay leaves. While you can use a store-bought broth or stock if you're pressed for time, the homemade version will give your Celery Victory a rich, authentic flavor.

Yum-yum salad

Old-fashioned yum-yum salad is just as its name implies — yummy. The vintage salad is a fruity, fluffy flashback to mid-20th-century America, when it graced the table of many a holiday party, potluck, and neighborhood gathering. The dessert-style salad features a charming combination of canned fruit cocktail, peaches, pineapple, shredded coconut, mini marshmallows, and maraschino cherries. These sweet ingredients are all folded into a cloud of store-bought whipped topping or homemade whipped cream. Some old-fashioned yum-yum salad recipes also call for cream cheese and orange Jell-O, giving it a vibrant color worthy of any table centerpiece. Chopped nuts are also sometimes added to the mix.

The sweet salad is so popular in Amish communities that it's often dubbed "Amish yum-yum salad." More of a confection than an actual salad, the recipe is a nod to the long-ago era's love affair with no-bake dishes, which often contained gelatin and other prepackaged convenience ingredients. Whip up a batch of yum-yum salad for guests at your next retro-inspired party, and get creative by using different colors of Jell-O to coordinate with the celebration theme.

Molded fruit salad

Who doesn't love a good molded fruit salad? The wiggly, jiggly delight was a beloved treat at celebrations during the mid-20th century, and another dish that walked a fine line between salad and dessert.  Most popular from the 1950s through the 1970s, these jewel-colored gelatin salads were filled with a variety of different canned fruits, including pineapple, mandarin oranges, peaches, and pears. They also sometimes contained fresh fruit, such as strawberries, grapes, and apples. The impressive-looking gelatin salads took ornate shapes in copper or glass molds, transforming the humble ingredients into edible works of art. Jell-O salad is still breaking the dessert mold even today.

The fruit, and sometimes nuts, shredded coconut, and mini marshmallows, would be suspended in the shimmering gelatin, and the dessert was often served on lettuce leaves and garnished with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Molded fruit salads were convenient in that you could customize the colors and flavors to match any party theme. If you want to make the salad a bit more decadent, you can also include a dairy element, such as cream cheese or sweetened condensed milk.

Pea and peanut salad

It's easy to see why old-fashioned pea and peanut salad used to be a beloved dish that was passed at Midwestern potlucks, parties, and picnics during the mid-20th century. The combination of different textures and flavors made it a surprisingly satisfying side dish for several decades. This vintage salad pairs crisp, sweet peas, crunchy, salty roasted peanuts, and the creaminess of mayonnaise to create a flavorful explosion in your mouth. Depending on the recipe, a touch of sugar and milk is added for even more richness. While pea and peanut salad is traditionally a vegetarian dish, you can add crispy bacon and Greek yogurt as a modern touch if you want to recreate the recipe today. The addition of extra protein can even elevate this retro salad to main dish status.

Some versions of vintage pea and peanut salad also include chopped celery, red onion, or bacon bits, which bring additional layers of flavor. Although this salad is rarely seen on modern menus, it remains a nostalgic favorite of those who grew up with it gracing their tables. If you want to try making this refreshing salad at home, be sure to use either fresh or frozen peas, since the canned version may make the dish too mushy. The salad is traditionally refrigerated and served chilled.

7-Layer gelatin salad

Old-fashioned 7-layer gelatin salad is almost too pretty to eat, with its vibrant, rainbow-colored layers that will brighten up any party table. This retro delight is a dazzling dessert that transforms basic pantry items, such as various colors and flavors of Jell-O, into an eye-catching centerpiece. The 7-layer gelatin salad is another dish that was popular in mid-century America, and was all sweet rather than savory. To create this jewel-toned marvel, seven tiers of flavored gelatin were typically alternated with creamy layers made with evaporated milk. Each layer of gelatin had to be chilled before the next was added, creating perfectly even tiers that didn't bleed into each other.

Although it's time-consuming to make and has fallen from the ranks of popularity in the culinary world, 7-layer gelatin salad still makes a dazzling addition to celebration tables. In fact, rainbow Jell-O is indeed still jiggly after all these years.  It can also be customized to coordinate with party themes, such as red and green layers for a Christmas gathering, or red, white and blue, for a 4th of July backyard BBQ. The colorful salad desserts were commonly served topped with whipped cream and even fresh fruit.

Jellied chicken salad

It's no surprise that jellied chicken salad is on the list of vintage summer dishes no one eats anymore. Popular throughout the 1970s, the salad begins with an ingredient list that doesn't sound too bad — chicken, celery, olives, lemon, and onion. When you take a closer look at the retro recipe card, however, things go downhill quickly. Instead of just serving this innocent-sounding chicken salad on a bed of lettuce or as a sandwich, foodies from the past added gelatin to the mix. Instead of binding the chicken salad together with creamy mayonnaise, clear, unflavored gelatin suspended the ingredients in a molded lump on a serving plate.  Vintage recipe cards called this jiggly, meaty sensation "perfect for hot summer evenings," and suggested serving it with buttered peas and iced tea.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to try whipping up a jellied meat salad in your kitchen, you can substitute the chicken with a variety of other cooked meats, including beef, lamb, and veal (as if that will help this recipe). You can even take it a step further and top the salad with a layer of cranberry Jell-O to give it a festive, holiday touch.

Lemon lime vegetable salad

There's something so refreshingly simple sounding about lemon lime vegetable salad, which was frequently found on tables back in the day. The salad is a tangy time capsule from the heyday of molded gelatin dishes, where everything from nuts to fruits was suspended in a shimmering mold. Vintage lemon lime salad was traditionally made with finely chopped celery, pimento-stuffed olives, and grated carrots for a satisfying mix of sweet and salty. A splash of apple cider vinegar added a touch of brightness. The ingredients were mixed with lemon lime-flavored gelatin, poured into a mold, and then chilled until firm.

Variations to this retro recipe include shredded cabbage and chopped walnuts, and the molded masterpiece was often served on a bed of crisp lettuce surrounded by grapes. If you don't have a ring-shaped mold on hand, you can make this wiggly salad in a baking dish. If fruitier vintage salads are more your thing, there was also a sweeter, creamier version of this lemon lime concoction made using canned crushed pineapple, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, and sweetened condensed milk.

Cranberry fluff salad

Another vintage salad that sounds more like a dessert is cranberry fluff salad. This creamy, whimsical whirl of sweet-tart nostalgia was often served in the 1970s, during the golden age of holiday potlucks in Midwestern church basements. Due to the addition of cranberries, this fluffy, sweet salad was a staple on holiday tables, and was served in a glass bowl or molded like many other dishes were in the mid-20th century. In addition to the tangy cranberries, the dish also features juicy mandarin oranges, crunchy pecans, softened cream cheese, mini marshmallows, and whipped topping. The cranberries can be blended in a food processor until they are chopped to give this salad a less chunky texture. Heavy cream can also be added for a richer, even creamier, texture.

This part-salad, part-dessert concoction had a surprisingly addictive quality, combining a variety of sweet and salty flavors along with various textures. Although it sounds like a decadent treat reserved only for holiday soirees, each ingredient in the recipe is easy to find year-round. You can use either fresh or thawed cranberries, depending on what you have on hand, and even add grapes to the mix to make the dish more kid-friendly.

Southern pear salad

A little bit quirky and a lot delicious, Southern pear salad offers up a hefty dose of nostalgia in each sweet and salty bite. According to culinary legend, this pear salad dates back to 1899, when it first appeared in "The American Salad Cookbook." The original recipe called for pears to be served on a bed of crispy lettuce, and slightly drizzled with a tangy mayonnaise-based dressing. Although this version didn't mention the addition of maraschino cherries and shredded cheddar cheese, they were most likely invited to the pear party in the 1950s. Although pear salad sounds like a quirky, haphazard list of ingredients that don't belong together, its combination of flavors and textures blend surprisingly well.

This simple recipe is sure to be a conversation starter at any vintage-themed party, and is easy to whip up. Start by placing a canned pear half on a plate, and filling the hollowed middle with a dollop of creamy mayonnaise. Consider using New Orleans-based Blue Plate mayo, the best mayonnaise you probably don't know about, for this Southern dish. Top the fruity concoction with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a bright red cherry for a pop of retro color. Although this retro recipe isn't as popular as it once was and probably isn't featured on modern restaurant menus, I'm willing to bet it's still served on the regular in Southern households.

Shout hallelujah potato salad

Joining the ranks of old-school dishes with quirky names is shout hallelujah potato salad, a culinary celebration of Southern flavor. Just when you thought potato salad couldn't get more delicious, this vintage Southern version will have you yelling from a rooftop. If your reaction isn't that dramatic, you'll at least be going back for seconds. The creamy, dreamy potato salad was created in the Mississippi kitchen of Blair Hobbs and featured in the "Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook." 

The flavor-packed dish combines traditional potato salad ingredients, such as mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, sweet pickles, and tender Yukon Gold potatoes. Some unexpected ingredients that perhaps put this recipe over the top are hard-boiled eggs, pimientos, and fresh parsley. Seasoned rice wine vinegar adds a touch of brightness to the mix, while jalapeños provide a spicy kick. The potato salad is finished with a sprinkle of smoked paprika for flavor and color. Some versions of this classic side dish also include Worcestershire sauce, onions, and green bell peppers.

24-hour vegetable salad

As impressive to look at as it is to eat, 24-hour vegetable salad is one of the tastiest ways to eat a variety of produce in one sitting. According to the Better Homes and Gardens Recipe Card Library, this colorful salad could be served for anything from brunch to dinner and conveniently made the day before a party. This retro make-ahead salad epitomizes mid-20th-century American potluck culture, when everyone showed up to a gathering with a dish to pass. This 24-hour vegetable salad was popular throughout the 1950s and '60s, fading from the culinary scene in the decades to follow.

One reason that this vibrant vegetable concoction is so tasty is that its day-long stay in the refrigerator allows the various flavors to mix and mingle. This fuss-free dish was designed to feed a crowd, and could be completely customized to reflect taste preferences and dietary restrictions. The traditional recipe included ingredients such as iceberg lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, thawed peas, green onions, crispy bacon, and shredded Swiss cheese, but you can also add green olives, bell peppers, and celery, if you'd like.

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