Simple Egg Salad

But there are many others who have shifted their opinions for the better, and have come to love and appreciate it over the years with zero guilt.

I’m one of them.

Outside of the normal excuse of just being a picky little kid, I had no other reason why I didn’t like egg salad – I never actually tried it. I only knew what it looked like from the deli cases at grocery stores, and from a couple references on children’s television shows displaying cartoon gloops and globules in messy, exaggerated heaps.

It wasn’t until my mom made it for a weekend lunch when I was a teenager that I finally tasted it for the first time.

And. I. Loved. It.

It was nothing like I imagined – it wasn’t the monstrosity I thought it was! It was chilled and refreshing, with the most tender morsels of hard-boiled yolks and whites roughly chopped and mixed with a little mayonnaise, mustard, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Some finely chopped onion provided crunch and zippy, zingy flavor – and dashes of salt and freshly cracked pepper were the only other seasonings.

I set aside my sticks and stones and replaced them with a fork, a smile, and an excited request for a second helping, please and thank you.

And so, I present you with the same exact recipe that immediately ended my prejudiced disdain and disgust.

Simple and flavorful, this is an ideal make-ahead dish for the home. Though the ingredient list may be small, the joy it causes is infinite. Serve it on a bed of billowy lettuce leaves, or use it as the ultimate sandwich filler.

If you’re exploring other ingredients to add to this basic recipe, scroll down to the conclusion for our favorite additions to play with texture and flavor.

I know I was a horrible brute to you in the past, egg salad. No more bullying – I vow to love you forever and for always, and to capture the hearts and stomachs of as many other cynics as possible with my recipe!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Hard-Boil the Eggs

Everyone has their own favorite technique to make perfect, hard-boiled eggs that are easy to peel – here’s the tried-and-true method I like!

Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat. You want the pot to be large enough for the eggs to have ample space for cooking evenly.

Once at a boil, gently place the eggs in the water using a heatproof skimmer. This is a handy tool for safely lifting food out of hot liquid!

We like Sur La Table’s Wire Skimmer, made of 18/8 stainless steel. You can buy it directly from the company’s website.

Boil the eggs for 11 minutes – this amount of time ensures the whites and yolks are fully cooked, but still leaves a slightly softer yolk.

While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl next to the stovetop for easy transferring. The ice bath shocks and helps to instantly stop the cooking process, and also helps shells easily peel off from the whites.

When the eggs have cooked for the full 11 minutes, immediately remove them from the pot using the same skimmer and submerge them in the ice bath.

Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before peeling them.

Step 2 – Peel and Chill the Eggs

When they are cool enough to handle after 5 minutes of being in the ice bath, you can now peel them.

Make sure you have a bowl for the peeled eggs, as well as a separate bowl for the shells. You can dispose of the shells, or save them to add to your kitchen compost.

Are there still tiny shell fragments? Briefly run the peeled eggs under cold water to remove anything remaining on the whites. Tap dry with paper towels.

Place the eggs in an airtight container and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator before moving forward in the recipe – this will take about 1 to 2 hours, but you also can leave the eggs in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 3 – Prep the Other Ingredients

Once the eggs are completely chilled, continue with preparing the other ingredients.

Finely mince half of a shallot, using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board – you’ll get roughly 1/8 cup. Finely chop the chives.

Juice a quarter of a lemon, which should yield about 1/2 tablespoon. It’s fine if it’s a little less or a little more, but anything over a tablespoon might be too acidic. Save anything remaining for another use.

Measure out the mayonnaise and mustard. Freshly grind the salt and crack black peppercorns for the best flavor. Make sure you have a little extra of both in order to adjust the seasonings before serving.

Step 4 – Make the Dressing

In a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, chives, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and black pepper.

Continue mixing until you create a creamy dressing.

Step 5 – Chop the Eggs

Using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board – use the same utensils you had for prepping the other ingredients for a lazy way of reducing cleaning – roughly chop all of the eggs.

While I prefer a chunkier mix, you can chop them more finely.

Step 6 – Mix Together

Transfer the chopped eggs into the bowl with the dressing. Using a spatula, mix everything together until completely incorporated.

I like stir vigorously and lightly crush some of the chopped yolks as I’m mixing, which creates a thicker dressing. For a thinner dressing, very gently mix to avoid crushing the yolks too much.

Step 7 – Serve or Store

Check the seasonings by having a little taste – adjust with more salt and pepper, if necessary.

At this point, you can serve it immediately, or transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

The dressing will thicken slightly the more it chills in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Small Additions, Big Flavors

The “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” phrase, at least when it comes to my egg salad, is a personal mentality I proudly stand by.

But there are ways of adding a few extra ingredients without compromising the integrity of a classic recipe – and without upsetting Mom!

On occasion, I like to mix in some chopped celery or bell peppers for a dynamic crunch.

And for a brinier punch, I’ll throw in some capers, chopped green olives, or sliced pickled green beans.