The Incredible Edible Egg……Salad

Do you love egg salad? Do you try to avoid it because of the mayo? For me, the answer is “yes” to both of these questions. So, what are the options to solve this dilemma? Just like most answers when it comes to food….make it yourself! Making things yourself allows you to know what is in the food you eat and to customize as you so choose.

I used to eat store-bought egg, potato, pasta, and tuna salad all the time without regard to ingredients. Now I hardly look at the stuff in-store, and almost forgot all about these creations. Somewhere in the back of my mind I had a craving for some egg salad and decided I would make my own.


Knowing that I do not want mayo in my recipe, I thought of some great alternatives; low fat cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt seemed to stick out. As an added bonus, these options provide more protein with little to no added fat. Also, I support using whole eggs since the yolk has most of the nutrients, but only use it in moderation. So, I set to work using mostly egg whites and just one and half egg yolks to make an egg salad for two; Kelley and me.

Ingredients
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1 Whole hard boiled egg and 4 hard boiled egg whites, peeled and chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 Medium Stalk of Celery – thinly sliced
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard
1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt or Low-Fat Cottage Cheese*
2 tsp Dill
2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne powder
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions
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Remove yolk from one egg and place in a bowl; set the boiled egg whites to the side. Mix the rest of the ingredients with egg yolk until well combined. Toss in chopped whites and stir to incorporate into mixture. That’s it! Allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours for the flavors to “marry” together.
* I used Greek yogurt since Kelley doesn’t like cottage cheese, but you can blend the cottage cheese for a smooth consistency to get the same effect.
 

 

This salad is great on whole wheat or other grain crackers/bread/tortillas. For a grain-free option, serve with lettuce wraps or on top of a salad; arugula pairs really well with egg salad.

I boil eggs by placing them in a sauce pan and covering with cold, salted water. Place the pan on a burner and bring to a boil; remove from heat once boiling and allow eggs to sit, covered, for 6 to 12 minutes. Wait six minutes for a runny yolk and all the way to 12 minutes for a firm yolk. For egg salad recipes, it’s best to wait 12 minutes for a firm yolk.


Not a fan of eggs? I find mixing all ingredients above without the eggs or yolk creates a tasty baste for potato, tuna, and pasta salad too. I’m a fan of dill and use it a lot, but feel free to use basil or parsley instead. Try it out and see how you like it!