A “lighter” egg salad
The Story
Okay, I know I’ve called my rendition of this classic dish “A “lighter” egg salad” and right off that bat, that may turn some people away. But let’s be real. All of those super traditional cold salads you associate with a picnic or a backyard barbecue (like macaroni salad, potato salad, etc.) are full of mayonnaise and not the most figure-friendly.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a mayo-based dressing for salads. I don’t remember where I heard Jacques Pepin say this (I feel like it may have been an episode of Top Chef or maybe this video he did warm potato salad for Food52) but he’s a big fan of what he called the “mayo-grette”. For whatever salad he was making, whether it be for a bed of greens, some boiled potatoes, or what have you, he put a spoonful of mayo in his vinaigrette to keep it emulsified and lend a creamier texture. Ever since then, I’ve been a big fan of adding mayo to even a simple balsamic dressing for a salad.
But sometimes you want a big bowl full of egg salad and not feel guilty because you’re putting away anywhere between a couple of tablespoons to a 1/4 cup of mayo. To keep my rendition “lighter” I swap out the mayo for greek yogurt and lean more heavily into umami-rich condiments to bring the extra punch of flavor. Feel free to customize my version however you’d like.
Serve a big scoop next to a salad or smeared on some toasted whole grain bread and you’re good to go. Or pack it up in a tupperware for a picnic alongside some other easily snackable dishes like my cucumber dill yogurt with ranch vibes, fried smash potatoes with gremolata, rice pilaf, or some artichoke dip.
Difficulty: 1 on a scale of 1-5
Active time to prepare: 20 minutes
Total time to prepare: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes inactive cooling time)
Serves: 4 - 6
The Ingredients
For the hard-boiled eggs:
12 large eggs
Ice
For the egg salad:
3 small / 1 large dill pickle finely chopped
1 bunch chives finely chopped
1 bunch dill finely chopped
2 Tbsp./28 g Dijon mustard (or whatever your favorite mustard is like yellow, whole grain, spicy German, etc.)
3/4 cup/175 g Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp./28 g olive oil
Juice of half of a lemon
1 Tbsp./15 g pickle brine
1 tsp./5 g tobasco
For the assembly:
Some crusty bread or salad greens to serve alongside it.
The Recipe
For the hard-boiled eggs:
Bring a large medium-sized pot filled with water to a boil. Reduce the heat so that there are still bubbles, but they aren’t moving around vigorously.
Place all of your eggs in a strainer and gently place them all in the water at the same time.
Cook for 11 minutes so the egg whites are set and the yolks are fully cooked through without being chalky.
Drain the cooked eggs and place them in a large ice bath. Immediately tap the shells all the way around the eggs with a spoon. Let sit for a couple of minutes to cool slightly.
Peel the eggs and place them on a paper towel. Dry completely. Set aside.
For the egg salad:
Break the hard-boiled eggs into pieces with your hands or roughly chop them with a knife. Add them to a large mixing bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Check the seasoning.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
DO AHEAD: You can boil the eggs up to two days in advance.
LEFTOVERS: Fully made egg salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days in an airtight container.
