How to Make Dillicious Egg Salad
This egg salad is one of my favourite spring foods. Egg salad is great any time of year, but I particularly like it in spring when fresh herbs are readily available in my garden. It’s also a must make after Easter to use up all those pretty little Easter eggs! Decorating all those hard cooked eggs is fun, but eating them is better! And this egg salad is the tastiest way to enjoy them.
Also Read: Recipes for Leftover Eggs, How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs, Fast and Easy Pickled Eggs, Deviled EggsÂ
Our egg salad goes way beyond mayo and Dijon! It starts with sour cream (or plain yogurt) and a wee bit of mayo then builds up flavour with herbs, dill pickles and dill pickle juice. Dill pickle juice is vinegar that’s been flavoured with all the right herbs and spices to make a brine that turns cucumbers into pickles. It’s the liquid in your pickle jar! Why not use that flavoured vinegar to flavour your food!
Our family tradition is to add whatever fresh herb is in the garden to our egg salad. First thing in spring it’s chives or tarragon, then dill, parsley and sometimes basil.
How to NOT PEEL Eggs for Egg Salad
Wait, what?! To make egg salad, you need hard cooked eggs – out of their peel. Peeling 8 eggs at a time is NOT fun. Do this instead.
Place egg with shell in tact on cutting board. Use large knife and cut through the middle of the egg around the widest part. Apply gentle even pressure. The shell will crack a little, but you can do it! You now have two halves. Brush any loose shell bits away. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the egg.
And here’s another shortcut! If you prefer a finer textured egg salad, use a pastry cutter or fork to mash the eggs instead of cutting with a knife.
Egg Salad as an Appetizer
Why not turn egg salad into an appetizer? These cuties are affordable, nutrient rich and loaded with protein – not all appies can boast that. Check out these little beauties!
To turn this egg salad into appetizers, think small and think pretty! Here are two key tips:
Miniature Bites: Create bite-sized portions for your appetizer. Use small, crispy crackers, cucumber slices, toasted baguette rounds, hollowed out tomatoes (uber fancy!) endive spears or small romaine lettuce leaves as shown above. Place a dollop of egg salad on each. If you want to be uber fancy, you LOVE playing with food and you have the time, add the egg salad to hollowed out tomatoes or boiled baby potatoes – that’ll get some looks!👀
Garnish: Elevate the visual appeal of your egg salad appetizer by garnishing with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, paprika, a slice of olive, finely diced colorful veggies or edible flowers like chive blossoms, violas, rose petals, etc.
How Long Does Egg Salad Keep?
Hard cooked eggs kept in their shell in the fridge will last about 1 week in the fridge.
When you break open the eggs and use them in a salad like this, their shelf life is shortened. Egg salad will last about 3-5 days in the fridge.
Recipe for Dillicious Egg Salad
Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 8 hard cooked eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 Tbsp dill pickle brine or white vinegar
- 2-4 Tbsp finely diced dill pickles as you prefer
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, dill, parsley, oregano, etc)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Remove shell from hard cooked eggs. Peel OR simply cut eggs in half and scoop out the inside into a bowl.
- Dice eggs, or use fork or pastry blender to mash eggs to desired size. There are no rules as to how big or small egg pieces should be – make it the way you like best.
- If you prefer a chunkier egg salad, mix sour cream, mayonnaise and pickle brine in a separate jar, so you don't break the eggs too much when stirring in the dressing. Otherwise add ingredients directly to eggs and mix well.
- Mix in pickles and fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
More Egg Recipes
Best Ever Deviled Eggs (no mayo)
Our favourite deviled eggs.
What’s your family’s favourite way to use up leftover hard cooked eggs? Let me know in the comments below or share a photo on social media and tag @getgettys so I can see it and like it.
Getty Stewart is a Professional Home Economist, speaker, frequent media guest and writer dedicated to putting good food on tables and agendas. She is the author of several recipe books on enjoying and preserving fruit, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.
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