This Healthy Egg Salad is a simple, tasty recipe that’s packed with protein and easy to prepare. A scrumptious lunch or midday snack!
My Mom’s Egg Salad Recipe
Growing up, I was an extremely picky eater. Are you shocked? Don’t be shocked! A lot of people who are total health-foodies today were like me growing up: they just had picky taste buds, and only liked a few certain dishes. One of my favorites, that I still love today, was my mom’s egg salad.
Back then, I ate this on toasted Wonder Bread, but now I like to serve it on a healthier sandwich bread, or just on romaine lettuce leaves for a light, keto-friendly meal. This is a feel-good recipe that will take you back, a family favorite that I’m proud to share.
This Healthy Egg Salad Is…
- Healthy: With plenty of protein and healthy fat from the eggs, this easy egg salad will fill you up and make you feel good. The only other ingredients are simple pantry basics that you can tweak as needed for your diet.
- Easy: Nothing could be simpler than chopping up a few boiled eggs and stirring in some yummy seasonings.
- Old-Fashioned: If you grew up eating egg salad like I did, this one will take you back! It’s the real deal, just the way Mom used to make it.
- Versatile: Serve this easy egg salad for a tasty lunch, hearty snack, or even as a breakfast option. It’s wonderful on toasted bagels!
Ingredients
While you can definitely tweak the ingredients for this recipe, I highly recommend keeping the celery seed and the sprinkles of paprika. They really make a difference, and give it that special flavor.
- Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs are the basis of this dish. For an easy tutorial, check out this post on how to make hard boiled eggs.
- Mayonnaise: Your favorite mayo, or you can substitute Greek yogurt.
- Mustard: Plain yellow mustard is what we use, but if you want a different spin, you can use other kinds of mustard.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
- Celery Seed: This under-appreciated ingredient gives the egg salad a true boost of zesty flavor.
- Honey: Or sugar. You don’t need much – it’s very subtle, but gives depth to the egg salad.
- Paprika: Sweet paprika, not smoked or hot.
- Romaine Lettuce or Toasted Bread: Optional, for serving.
How to Make Healthy Egg Salad
It is so easy to make this simple, healthy egg salad recipe. all you have to do is prepare the eggs, and then mix everything together! After that, you can serve it right away, or chill it for a cold, refreshing version.
- Peel and Cube the Eggs. If your eggs are tricky to peel, you can try peeling them under cool running water.
- Combine the Ingredients in a Medium Bowl. Add all of the ingredients except the toasted bread and/or lettuce leaves to a medium bowl.
- Toss to Combine. Toss gently so you don’t smash the eggs, but everything gets evenly coated.
- Enjoy! Serve as-is, or on toast or lettuce leaves.
Tips for Success
Of course, the best egg salad is the one you like best! So feel free to take this basic recipe and make changes that work for you. Here are a few easy ways to change it up:
- Add Crunch: Some chopped celery or red onion can add a punch of flavor and fresh, crunchy texture.
- Add Herbs: Snips of fresh chive, parsley, or basil would be amazing here.
- Brighten It Up: Need something more? Finely minced dill pickle or a small bit of lemon juice would brighten up the flavors.
- Make It Savory: Add a little bit of chopped ham or crumbled bacon for a savory, smoky depth of flavor.
What Goes Best with Egg Salad
Healthy egg salad is great with any kind of bread or cracker, and it’s also delicious as part of a keto friendly lunch. Here are a few side dishes you could try with egg salad:
- Soup: Since I often have egg salad for lunch, I like to pair it with other lunchtime classics like a good bowl of soup. This Garden Minestrone would be perfect.
- Asparagus: asparagus and eggs are a great combination, especially when you serve asparagus in these adorable Asparagus Lemon Tartletes.
- Green Salad: Serve egg salad as a topping for your favorite leafy green salad, and you’ll have a winning combination. You’ll love this Spring Mix Salad with Blueberry Pistachio Champagne Dressing!
How Many Days Does This Healthy Egg Salad Last in the Refrigerator?
Egg salad will last for three or four days in the refrigerator. It should be kept in an airtight container, or covered tightly with saran wrap. Serve it cold – don’t warm it up or leave it out.
Can I Freeze This?
Sadly, you can’t really freeze egg salad. The eggs tend to become porous and watery once they are frozen and thawed. This is one dish that’s best enjoyed fresh!
Healthy Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs {read how to boil eggs here}
- 3 tablespoons mayo or 3 tablespoons of greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon honey or sugar
- few sprinkles of sweet paprika
- Romaine lettuce leaves or whole grain bread
Instructions
- Cube eggs and add all the ingredients to a medium bowl. Gently stir to coat ingredients evenly.
- Serve on toast or on lettuce.
I just featured your recipe today. It was such a tasty Egg Salad! Thanks for sharing! I did link back to you! 🙂