Simple Is Best Egg Salad

I think we can all agree that the world is a better place with creamy salads. Imagine a universe without egg salad sandwiches. How dreary. Egg salad may have its detractors (smelly! mushy!), but fans know the unique comfort of that first bite—smooth dressing, slightly bouncy egg whites, velvety yolks, and maybe a little crunch from diced onion or celery. Stuck between soft white bread or piled onto toasted sourdough, it is a Platonic ideal of taste and texture.

A great egg salad begins with great hard-boiled eggs. Soft or jammy egg yolks are good for many things, but they can leave an egg salad feeling runny and loose. For egg salad with textural integrity, firmly set (but not chalky) yolks are key. The best hard-boiled eggs are—surprise!—actually steamed. This technique doesn’t require a steamer or any special setup. Instead, you bring just a couple inches of water to a boil in a saucepan on the stovetop, lower the eggs in, cover the pan with a lid to trap the steam, and cook the eggs for about 10 minutes, much like traditional boiled eggs. Some people swear by the Instant Pot for easy-to-peel eggs but steamed eggs perform just as well and are substantially faster.

Any classic egg salad recipe demands mayonnaise. Sour cream and Greek yogurt simply don’t make the cut. Instead of peeling a whole white or red onion only to use a small portion of it in the egg salad, this recipe uses scallions, conveniently pre-portioned by nature and a breeze to slice. A dash of hot sauce, a healthy dose of Dijon mustard, and some salt and pepper are all that’s required to complete this simple egg salad. If you’re looking to throw in a little razzle-dazzle, choose one or two of the following ingredients and add in up to 1 Tbsp. each in your egg salad: fresh herbs like finely chopped chives, dill, or parsley; capers; or minced dill pickles.