Deviled Egg Salad Recipe

It's not always easy to think of nourishing lunches that are quick to whip up and can even be made ahead of time. Hayley MacLean is a registered dietitian who shares delicious recipes on her food blog Happy Healthy Hayley. If you are looking for inspiration for nutritious meals, MacLean has plenty of suggestions such as this deviled egg salad recipe. Anyone who is a fan of deviled eggs or egg salad will love this twist. MacLean sure loves deviled eggs and describes, "You can usually find me perched next to the tray of them at any gathering." What's not to love? As she points out, not only are they tasty, but they are ideal for get-togethers. 

All the same, deviled eggs require a bit of assembly, which is less practical for a quick weekday meal. MacLean says, "It was a natural jump for me to want to recreate these awesome flavors in an egg salad that I can enjoy all year round." The result is delicious, and MacLean assures that it combines the best of both dishes.

Start off by getting all of your ingredients together for this deviled egg salad. You'll need six hard boiled eggs for the bulk of the dish. (Unless you want a runny salad, avoid using soft boiled eggs!) Next, mayonnaise is used to combine the ingredients together into a creamy spread. MacLean remarks, "I have not tried this with yogurt in place of mayo, but I am sure it would be delicious and provide a lighter, slightly healthier, version!" If you want to try the substitution, she recommends opting for Greek yogurt and notes, "It will provide a nice tang like the mayo." 

Since the eggs and mayo are so creamy, a handful of ingredients balance out the flavor. Incorporating some Dijon mustard adds a hint of sharpness and spice to the salad. For a crunchy texture and a sweet and tart blend, MacLean uses pickle relish. A splash of white balsamic vinegar rounds out the acidity. As for seasoning, MacLean sprinkles in some paprika, salt, and pepper. She notes that if you like spice, "Add a bit of cayenne pepper to the yolk mix [to give] it a nice underlying heat." Finally, every salad should have a hint of green — fresh chives infuse the perfect herbal touch to the dish.

If you haven't yet boiled your eggs, there are a few tricks during the cooking process that will simplify the task of peeling eggs. If you're already at the peeling stage, then go ahead and carefully remove the shell. Cut the eggs in half along the longer vertical side. Separate the yolks from the whites, and transfer them to a bowl. Then, chop up the egg whites into bite-sized pieces.

Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pickle relish, white balsamic vinegar, and paprika into the bowl with the egg yolks. Using a fork, mash the ingredients together to create a creamy mixture. MacLean assures, "Some lumps are good!" If you prefer having a thicker egg salad, she remarks, "You can add just enough of the yolk mixture needed to fully cover the egg whites." If you would rather adjust the amount of yolk blend as you go, set some of it aside before adding in the egg whites.

Now it's time to add the chopped egg whites into the yolk mixture. If you chose to set some of the yolks aside, you may want to slowly add them back in with the egg whites once you see the ratio. Mix everything together so that the egg whites are properly combined, and adjust the quantities, if desired. Then, sprinkle in some salt and pepper to season the salad to taste.

Finally, sprinkle in some finely chopped fresh chives, and mix them into the deviled egg salad before serving this tasty dish. MacLean enthusiastically notes that this egg salad "makes an awesome open-faced sandwich." She recommends serving it on a slice of bread, in a lettuce wrap, on a green salad, or straight up with a few crackers. If you are like MacLean and are always on the prowl for a quick filling weekday lunch option, she assures that with this, "you are good to go and well nourished until dinner."

The best part is that you can prepare this ahead of time and enjoy it more than once. Keep it in the fridge in an airtight container up to four days, and you will always have an easy option available. MacLean adds, "The flavors actually continue to develop while it chills!"