Egg salad is a healthy dish packed with proteins, devoid of carbs, and has little to no sugar. It is a very simple dish; its primary component is the egg.
The ingredients for egg salad are quite easy to put together, and one can even decide to become creative by mixing it with some seasonings, herbs, and spices.
Read on as we discuss the ingredients for egg salad.
Ingredients for Egg Salad
The ingredients for egg salad to be explored in this article are;
1. Eggs
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on earth and are the basis for egg salad.
Using them for egg salad means you have to boil them properly. Boil the eggs long enough for the yolk to solidify.
They are rich and considered filling. Besides, they are an excellent source of lean protein.
Boiled eggs will fill you up without the hassle of calories, which is helpful if you want to lose weight.
Consuming boiled eggs has myriad health benefits because they contain protein, healthy fats, and many nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, choline, iron, and folate.
2. Chives
Chives also constitute part of the ingredients for egg salad. They belong to the lily family and are close relatives of onions.
Furthermore, chives have a mild onion-like flavoring and are often used to flavor a dish at the end of cooking or as garnish.
They have an oniony taste and taste similar to leeks and add color and texture to the egg salad. Chives are usually used in egg salad as toppings or garnish.
3. Onions
Onions are said to be “the humble workhorse of the kitchen pantry.” They add aroma to various dishes, of which egg salad is no exception.
Moreover, these vegetables are healthy and crispy, adding texture, color, and flavor to the egg salad. Using green or red onions is advisable in egg salad.
Suppose you are using an onion with a very strong taste. In that case, you could slice and soak it in ice water for 20-30 minutes or sprinkle them with an acid such as vinegar so that the flavor of the onions will not overpower other ingredients.
Another way you could use an onion with a strong taste is to chop the onions and caramelize them in vegetable oil on medium-low heat until golden and sweet. Drain any excess oil and set the onions aside to cool completely.
If you want to use an onion with added flavor, soak the onions in lemon or lime juice, and you will get something extra flavorful. Yummy!
4. Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is also among the ingredients for egg salad. Using mayonnaise in egg salad enhances the taste of the egg salad. Apart from flavor, mayonnaise gives the salad a thick and creamy texture.
Mayonnaise ensures that the eggs hold onto the added fat very well and makes the eggs firm and easier to pick up.
Now, if you want a mayo-free egg salad, there are substitutes. One such substitute for mayonnaise in egg salad is Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt contains healthy fats and proteins, which fill one up nicely.
Still, one should be careful when using Greek yogurt because, unlike mayonnaise, greek yogurt has a tang capable of affecting the taste of your egg salad.
Avocado juice is also a good substitute for mayonnaise if you are comfortable with the fact that it can turn your egg salad green.
You can blend some avocado to get fresh creaminess and healthy fats to replace some mayo.
Vinaigrette and Ricotta Cheese are also substitutes for mayonnaise in egg salad.
5. Salt
Salt is one of the most widely used recipes the world over in culinary. It is a key ingredient for any egg-based dish, and salt is not an exception for our egg salad.
Here, salt is used to enhance the flavor of the egg salad. It makes the dish taste rich and satisfying.
Incorporating salt into your egg salad not only enhances the flavor but also helps to keep your egg salad concoction from turning too watery.
Sometimes, one can accidentally add too much salt. In such an instance, what do you do? Here is a hack!
You can make your eggs palatable again by dicing more onions or celery and adding them. If that doesn’t help, you can add more eggs and mayo.
6. Mustard
Mustard is also one of the ingredients for egg salad. It is used to emulsify and thicken the egg salad dressing. You can either use yellow mustard or Dijon mustard.
7. Celery
Also among the ingredients for egg salad, celery is a popular vegetable with long pale green stalks.
Celery makes an excellent addition to the egg salad and can be eaten raw here.
This vegetable doesn’t just increase the egg salad in weight; it is also packed with lots of nutrients with a mild flavor and aroma.
8. Peppers
Although known botanically as a fruit, pepper is often described as a vegetable from a culinary perspective. When used in your egg salad, pepper adds depth and spice.
Always use fresh pepper here, be it freshly ground powdered or fresh fruity pepper.
Ideally, though, you could opt for cayenne or paprika pepper. Pepper is also among the ingredients for egg salad.
How to Prepare Egg Salad
So, the ingredients for egg salad, as stated above, are eggs, chives, celery, onions, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, and salt. Now let’s look at how to prepare this fabulous simple dish.
- Step 1. Get your hard-boiled eggs. To do this, cook the eggs at a rolling boil for 9 minutes. After that, reduce the heat as quickly as possible by running eggs under cold water. After it cools, peel and chop them. Place the chopped eggs in a bowl and set aside.
- Step 2. Chop your onions, celery, and chives and add them to the bowl of chopped eggs.
- Step 3. For the dressing, get a separate bowl and mix the ingredients for the dressing together. I.e., whisk the mustard and mayonnaise, and add salt and pepper to taste at intervals to get the right mix.
- Step 4. Now that you have your dressing, gently stir in dressing to the bowl containing egg salad, celery, chives, and onions until it becomes creamy and thoroughly incorporated.
Your egg salad is ready! You can serve it with bread, lettuce wraps, patties chips, French fries, coleslaw, cheese sticks, or as desired. Bon appétit!
