Egg salad is a lunchtime icon for a reason. Creamy, satisfying and made with ingredients you are likely to have on hand, this sandwich topping deserves a spot in your midday meal rotation.
Piled high on rye bread and fresh greens, it makes an amazing open face sandwich or smørrebrød. Or simply spoon it on top of crackers or crispbread for a quick and easy lunch. And did I mention that it comes together in less than a half hour AND that you can make it three days ahead of time? YES. What are we waiting for? Let's make egg salad!
Why This Recipe Works
- The eggs are perfectly boiled, thanks to a unique cooking technique I'll explain below.
- The base of the salad is deliciously creamy and flavorful.
- Capers and fresh dill bring briny, fresh flavor and a welcome Scandinavian profile to this version of egg salad.
The Ingredients
- This recipe calls for 4 large eggs which makes enough egg salad for about two people. Simply double or triple the recipe as necessary depending on how many servings you need.
- A combination of prepared mayonnaise, sour cream and tangy dijon mustard provide the luscious base of this egg salad. You can easily substitute greek yogurt, skyr or creme fraiche for the sour cream.
- Shallot brings aromatic flavor and a bit of crunch without being overly onion-y. No shallot? You could also use scallions or a red onion instead.
- Finally, capers and chopped fresh dill add a briny, fresh flavor to the basic egg salad base. Don't love capers? Feel free to omit them entirely. You can also replace the dill with any soft leafy herb such as basil, parsley or tarragon.
How To Make This Recipe
- Assemble your ingredients and place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about an inch. Place on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. Let the eggs sit for exactly 10 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl filled with ice water and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop the shallot, capers and dill. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the mayo, mustard and sour cream.
- Gently crack and peel the eggs, removing all of the shells. Cut each egg in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Transfer the yolks to the bowl with the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Chop the egg whites and fold them into the creamy salad base.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!
Expert Tips
- Start with perfectly boiled eggs. I've been using the method outlined above for years and I swear by it. Simply submerge the eggs in cold water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cover for exactly 10 minutes. Transfer to cold water to stop the cooking. Perfect hard-boiled eggs every time!
- Make sure you've removed all bits of shell attached to the egg whites. Sometimes eggs peel more easily than others. Be fastidious about ensuring to shell remains. No one wants a bit of crunchy shell in their egg salad! If your egg shells are particularly "sticky", feel free to rinse the peeled eggs under cool water to ensure that they are shell-free.
- Whisk in the cooked egg yolks before adding the whites. It's nice to be able to really whisk those yolks into the creamy base vigorously without having to worry about damaging your nicely chopped egg whites.
- Be sure to taste before adding salt. Capers are very salty and you may not need to add any additional salt to the recipe. Taste first!
FAQs
Yes, it keeps very well in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Egg salad is one of the world's best sandwich fillers. Whether you choose to sandwich this creamy golden goodness between two slices of soft white bread or pile it high on a piece of dense rye bread or toasted sourdough is entirely up to you. I love it with crispbread or crackers. Or you can skip the bread entirely and serve it simply with lettuce greens or chopped fresh vegetables such as cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes and/or snap peas.
I would recommend my Chickpea Salad if you are vegan. Same creamy goodness but no eggs! Make sure you are using a vegan mayo and a plant-based yogurt for this recipe if you want it to be vegan.
Related Recipes
Looking for other Scandi-inspired sandwiches to enjoy for lunch? Give these blog favorites a try:
I hope this Creamy Egg Salad with Dill and Capers finds its way into your lunch rotation sometime soon. You won't be disappointed!
Recipe
Creamy Egg Salad with Dill and Capers
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons prepared mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tablespoon capers rinsed, drained and chopped coarsely
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Set over medium high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling, remove the pan from the heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl filled with cold water and ice. Let the eggs rest in the ice bath while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, shallot, capers and dill in a medium bowl. Peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Transfer the yolks to the bowl. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Chop the egg whites into a medium dice. Fold into the mayonnaise mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Be sure to taste first! Capers are quite salty and you may not need any additional salt. Serve immediately or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition
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Matt says
It’s better to bring water to a boil and THEN add eggs. This will separate the membrane from the whites and make them super easy to peel. Then it’s 10-12 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
If you do a cold start, fresher eggs will tend to stick and be difficult to peel though older eggs may be easier to peel due to the sulfur build-up.