This simple, everyday egg salad is excellent to keep in the fridge for quick lunches and substantial enough to make a spread of salads into a meal on Shabbat. Hard boil the eggs on the stovetop or using an Instant Pot - both methods included in the recipe below.
Egg salad, or deconstructed deviled eggs, as I like to think of them, are a bit on the retro side, but really shouldn't be. The ultimate solution to the quick and filling lunch conundrum, egg salad also turns up on cafe menus, where it tends to get topped with things like watercress. (Watercress is a peppery green that contrasts perfectly with egg salad; I'm partial to the divisive one-two punch of watercress and anchovy.) And it's super simple to prepare—both stovetop and Instant Pot methods for hard boiling the eggs included below.
The recipe is based on 10 eggs, which will yield 4-5 portions. It's easily halved or multiplied, and will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Hard-Boiling Eggs for Egg Salad
You can use the tried-and-true method of boiling the eggs for 5 minutes at a rolling boil, then turning off the heat and letting them cool in the water. Or, if you have one and don't mind schlepping it out, the Instant Pot makes quicker work of boiling the eggs and they end up especially easy to peel. You don't need a special rack for boiling eggs; you can use the regular rack included with the Instant Pot. Insert the rack, pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pot, and arrange the eggs on the rack. If you're making a double recipe, you can stack them pyramid-style. Then set the Instant Pot to high pressure cook for 8 minutes. After the 8 minutes, carefully release the pressure manually and remove the eggs using tongs. You can rinse them under cold water at this point, and peel as soon as they're cool enough to handle.
Mixing the Egg Salad
Once you've got the eggs peeled, it's just a matter of measuring out the remaining ingredients (mayo, Dijon mustard, sweet and smoked paprika, s&p) and mashing them together until creamy. My favorite tool for making egg salad is a pastry blender. It slices and mashes the eggs perfectly, plus this means the thing's not a unitasker. If you don't have a pastry blender, though, a regular fork (use a big one) works well also.
Need more retro salads in your life?
- Israeli Potato Salad
- Israeli Corn Salad
- Israeli Eggplants (Chatzilim)
- Turkish Salad - Cooked, Spiced Tomato and Peppers Relish
Everyday Egg Salad (parve)
Equipment
- Pastry blender, optional
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & black pepper
Instructions
Hard boil the eggs:
- Stovetop method: Place the raw eggs into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and leave to cool slightly in the hot water.
- Instant Pot method: Place the rack into the Instant Pot. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pot. Arrange the eggs on the rack in a pyramid. Close the lid and lock it into the sealed position. Set to manual high pressure cook for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, release the pressure manually and carefully remove the eggs using tongs. Run under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the eggs.
Prepare the salad:
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and place in a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika. (If using dill or curry, add them in now.) Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mash together until creamy, using a pastry blender or fork.
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