A combination of savory, spicy, crunchy, and a little sweet — this is Easily the Best Egg Salad recipe to have in mind for a convenient meal!
As much as we try to slow down, there are times when we need a little bit of convenience and ease to best support yourself, especially on busy days.
When we think of food and convenience, options like frozen meals, processed foods, and takeout may come to mind.
But this Egg Salad is a great example of a convenient yet nourish-filled meal, made with ingredients you likely always have on hand.
You can make versions of this same recipe swapping eggs for salmon, tofu, or chickpeas too, giving you plenty of options for whatever you’re in the mood for or have on hand.
The Most Important Ingredient In Egg Salad — Good Eggs.
The key to making the best tasting and best nutritionally-dense egg salad is starting with great quality eggs. There are so many ways to shop for eggs nowadays and the labels can be quite confusing to know what you’re really getting — do you pick cage-free or natural, or do you get organic? My rule of thumb when purchasing eggs or animal proteins for that matter is to get as close to the source as you possibly can.
The next time you see a local farmers market going on, hop in and check out the farmers in your area, ask them about their farming practices or better yet, go visit them in their space! Another way to get the best quality eggs is to check out local co-ops, CSA’s, or when you’re shopping at the grocery store look for these third-party organizations and certifications when it comes to labeling eggs humanely raised, free of antibiotics, and organic: Food Alliance Certification, United Egg Producers, Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, and American Humane Certified.
Now that we’ve established the most important ingredient when making the best egg salad — eggs — now on to the other key components which make up egg salad, the dressing, the crunch, and how you serve it.
The Dressing For Egg Salad
I’m not the biggest fan of mayo, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. For me, it’s a texture thing, but when you’re making egg salad mayo is kind of a must-have. There are so many whole food companies making great store-bought mayonnaise, here are a few I recommend: Sir Kingston’s, Just Mayo, Primal Kitchens.
In addition to mayo, you need a great quality mustard, horseradish, a good amount of black pepper and salt. Egg salad is mostly soft in texture until you add some crunch, and having a crunch in this salad makes it the best! Use chopped celery, chopped pickles, and fresh dill and chives.
Tips To Make The Best Egg Salad
Since you’re using hardboiled eggs, make sure you’re getting the right timing for boiling the eggs — I recommend placing your eggs in cool water covering the eggs by about an inch, bringing to a boil, cover with a tight lid, then remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs, rinse with cold water, which can also help you as you peel the egg shells.
The next thing that makes this the best egg salad is the way you chop the eggs, there’s actually no chopping required! I took this tip from my sister in law who makes her traditional egg salad recipe from Russia and she always grates the eggs — it’s genius! The end result is an insanely fluffy, light, and airy egg salad. Of course, you can go the classic route of chopping your hardboiled eggs, but give this method a try at least once and see what you think.
If you have leftovers, which isn’t likely for a long time since it’s so delicious, then store in an airtight glass container for up to 2-3 days.
Onward to the nutrition!
CREATING A FOUNDATIONAL FIVE NOURISH MEAL WITH THE BEST EGG SALAD RECIPE
A Foundational Five Nourish Meal is any meal that contains all 5 elements within our Foundational Five system: non-starchy carbohydrates, starchy carbohydrates, healthy fat, protein, and the Flavor Factor.
The Foundational Five supports you in nourishing your physical body so you can learn what to eat, which is the first step in mindful eating. The remainder is knowing how to eat and to experience your food positively.
By including these 5 elements in your meal, you’re supporting your physical body on a cellular level, ensuring you’re consuming the nutrients you need to have a sharp focus, calm digestion, lasting energy, sound sleep, and vibrant long-term health.
Here are the following Foundational Five Elements in this Egg Salad recipe:
1 • Non-starchy Carbohydrates
- Celery
- Optional: serve over a bed of greens
2 • Starchy or Sugary Carbohydrates
- Optional: serve with gluten-free bread or crackers or quinoa
3 • Healthy Fat
- Eggs
- Organic Mayo
4 • Protein
- Eggs
- If you or someone in your household doesn’t eat eggs, you can still make this recipe using organic tofu (15 ounces, diced or crumbled), or with 2-3 cups of cooked chickpeas!
5 • Flavor Factor
- Dijon mustard
- Horseradish
- Dill
- Chives
- Salt
- Pepper
Vitamins and Minerals
Eggs are powerhouses when it comes to nutrients — they contain all of the important vitamins and minerals needed to create a baby chicken! An egg includes calcium, vitamin A, D, E and K, folate, phosphorous, selenium, vitamin B5, B6 and B12, and zinc.
Healthy Fats:
One egg contains about 5g of healthy fats. Healthy fats help store energy, as well as insulate our bodies and protect our vital organs. They also help us digest fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K to keep our brains, cells, hormones, tissues, hair, skin, and nails healthy, and provide the structural component to many cell membranes which are essential for cellular development.
Protein:
The average egg contains about 6-7g of high-quality protein. Both the egg white and yolk provide protein, though the egg whites contain mostly protein whereas the yolk contains mostly fat.
