Egg Salad with Dill
Egg salad is an American deli classic, a common fixture of picnics, barbeques, and sandwich shops. The egg salad belongs to a family of dishes known as bound salads, in which ingredients are chopped into small pieces and held together with a creamy sauce. Mayonnaise-based salads exist in both British and German cuisine, from which many American dishes descend. However, America has made the bound salad its own, with a bewildering array of variants: chicken salad, tuna salad, pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad, and of course egg salad, are common examples [1].
While putting together an egg salad is a simple process, building a good one requires a bit of intention—it is easy to end up with a stodgy and unappetizing mix of overcooked, chalky yolks and far too much mayo. Our favorite egg salad recipe is built on perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, plenty of fresh herbs, and just enough mayonnaise to hold the salad together.
Ingredients
8 eggs
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
The most important aspect of preparing egg salad (or any hard-boiled egg application) is to not overcook the eggs. Egg whites will become firm and release sulfurous aromas above 180° F, while egg yolks will go chalky and dry above 170° F [2]. At these temperatures, the iron in the yolk will also react sulfur in the white to create iron(II) sulfide, creating an unappetizing gray-green layer between the yolk and white. The key to hard-boiled eggs correctly is precise timing, such that neither the white nor yolk gets overcooked. Using a pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, gently lower the eggs into the pot. Clamp on the lid and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the eggs for exactly 10 minutes (or 12 minutes for jumbo-sized eggs). When time is up, remove the eggs from the pot and immediately place them in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
When the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel them under cool running water. Then cut the eggs to your preferred size—some people prefer larger chunks of egg, while others prefer a smoother texture. If the egg salad is destined for a sandwich, I would recommend a finer dice.
Now it’s time to assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the chopped eggs with the finely chopped dill and chives, mustard, and mayonnaise. Toss gently to avoid breaking up the delicate egg pieces, until the ingredients are well combined.
Season the salad to taste with salt and white pepper. I recommend using white pepper for this dish rather than black pepper, because its more subtle flavor pairs better with the eggs and fresh herbs. Serve immediately, or hold in the refrigerator for up to three days. Serve as an appetizer, with a green salad, or in a sandwich!
Substitutions
You can add other ingredients to egg salad, to your taste. Some common additions include finely chopped celery, cooked potato chunks, capers, ham, or pickle relish. I recommend avoiding scallions, shallots, or onions—these fresh alliums will overpower the flavor of the egg itself. Other common herbs and spices which will change the flavor profile of the salad include parsley, marjoram, paprika, and celery seed. For a slightly lighter egg salad, you can choose to substitute up to 50% of the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt.
[1] A common critique of bound salads is that they are not “true salads,” by virtue of not containing green vegetables. Strictly speaking, the modern definition of salad is a dish consisting of mixed ingredients, and does not have to contain vegetables. We note, however, that the word salad is derived from the Latin “herba salata,” or “salted herbs,” in reference to early dishes consisting of vegetables seasoned with briny dressings.
[2] For more on cooking hard-boiled eggs, refer to Kenji Lopez-Alt’s excellent deep dive here.
Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 20 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: pot
Servings: 8
Ingredients
8 eggs
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water, then lid the pot and reduce to a gentle simmer.
2. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes, or until they are just fully cooked through. Remove the eggs from the pot and immediately place them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Peel the eggs under cool running water, then chop them to your desired size.
4. In a large bowl, combine the chopped eggs with the finely chopped dill and chives, mustard, and mayonnaise. Toss gently until the salad is well mixed.
5. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
