Frog Eye Salad Recipe

Do you know frog eye salad? This is a super old recipe but it is still a classic dish today. Frog eye salad offers a delightful mix of flavors. It combines the subtle sweetness of various fruits, such as pineapple and mandarin oranges, with the creamy richness of the whipped topping. The pasta adds a smooth texture to the salad.

Frog Eye Salad is a delightful and whimsically named dish that marries the sweetness of fruits, the creaminess of whipped topping, and the unique texture of acini de pepe pasta. Despite its vintage roots, this salad continues to charm with its medley of flavors and contrasting textures. The tiny pasta balls, resembling frog eyes, add a playful touch to the overall presentation.

Vadim Rachok

Chef

What is Frog Eye Salad?

It’s a sweet salad that can be a dessert for your holiday table. It is cooked with ingredients like canned fruit (pineapple, mandarin oranges), whipped topping, marshmallows, and sometimes coconut flakes. If you find this blend of flavors unusual, you just haven’t experienced this salad yet. Get your ingredients ready and start cooking!

This is a classic American dessert salad, with a very special name. It has been a popular dish in the United States since at least the mid-20th century, although its exact origins are not entirely clear. In spite of its playful name, Frog Eye Salad has become one of the most popular comfort foods served at potlucks, picnics, and family gatherings across the country.

Why Do They Call It A Frog Eye Salad?

Why does the salad have a name like that? Despite its name, it doesn’t contain actual frog eyes! Instead, it’s made with small pasta, typically acini de pepe, which looks like tiny little frog eyes. That’s why the salad has such an unusual and interesting name.

Frog Eye Salad Ingredients

• Pineapple: Adds sweetness and tang to the salad, as well as fruity flavor and texture.
• Juice from a can of pineapple: Enhances the flavor of the pineapple and adds moisture to the salad.
• Chicken egg: Used to make a custard-like dressing that holds the salad together and provides creaminess.
• Sugar: Sweeten the dressing and balance the tang of the pineapple.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the dressing and gives it a smooth, silky texture.
• Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the salad and helps balance the sweetness of the pineapple.
• Tangerine: Adds citrus flavor and juiciness to the salad as a complement to the pineapple.
• Marshmallows: Adds sweetness and a chewy texture to the salad for a fun element.
• Cream 33%: Gives the dressing a rich and creamy texture.
• Powdered Sugar: Sweets the cream and helps stabilize it for a creamy texture.
• Acini de pepe pasta: The main component of the salad that provides a chewy texture and absorbs the flavors of the dressing and other ingredients.

How Do You Make Frog Eye Salad?

1. Put a saucepan of water on the stove, add 0,04 ounces (1 g) of salt, and bring to a boil.
2. Add the pasta to the pot and cook for 5 minutes or according to the package instructions.
3. When cooked, drain the water and let the pasta cool, stirring occasionally.
4. Make the sauce: Combine the pineapple juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Beat the eggs until smooth and add to the sauce.
5. Cook over low heat until the sauce is completely thickened. Cover with foil, and set aside to cool.
6. Peel mandarins, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut into 4 pieces. 
7. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar using the whisk attachment of a blender.
8. Mix the sauce with the pasta and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to let the pasta cool completely. 
9. Add the mandarin, canned pineapple slices (if they are whole, chop them), marshmallows, and cream to the pasta with the sauce.
10. Place in a serving dish and top with a few more marshmallows.

Chef Recipe Tips:

• If you add pineapple juice to the water in which you are cooking the pasta and cook the pasta there, it will be more flavorful. 
• Ideally, the pasta and sauce should sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to fully absorb the flavor.

How Do You Make Acini Di Pepe Pasta?

Heat the water until it reaches a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the acini de pepe pasta and adjust the heat to a lower setting until al dente, for about 5-7 minutes.

Quick tip

Acini de pepe is a small type of pasta that means “grape seeds” in Italian, which describes its tiny spherical shape. This pasta is similar in size to couscous or slightly smaller than peppercorns. But don’t be intimidated by its size – cooking it is just as easy as cooking other types of pasta!

Storing, Freezing, and Make-Ahead Advice

How long will this keep in the fridge? Once your sweet, delicious salad is assembled and ready to go, it will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze this? Unfortunately, frog’s eye, salad, doesn’t freeze well, but it’s so incredibly easy to make that you really don’t need to think about freezing it. It only takes a couple of minutes to put it together, and you’re on your way to creamy, dreamy bliss!

Make-Ahead Tips: It’s easy to break this up into steps because most of the ingredients need to be chilled before mixing. Simply place the pasta and pudding mixture in the refrigerator, along with the fruit in a separate container. These can be prepared a day or two ahead. When you’re ready to serve, just pull it out and toss it all together with the rest of the goodies. Simple as pie! Just keep in mind that it will last a total of 3-4 days after the pasta is cooked, the pudding mixture is made, and the canned fruit is opened.

Storage tips: I prefer to mix the acini di pepe with the pudding and store them separately from the mixed fruit in the refrigerator. Then I mix everything together and add the other goodies just before serving.

How to Serve Frog Eye Salad

Frog Eye Salad is usually served family-style in a large bowl at picnics or potlucks. Sometimes it’s garnished with additional mandarin orange slices or perhaps a pineapple wedge if you’re feeling extra fancy. You can also serve it in individual dessert bowls. This makes for a pretty presentation.