Make Your Egg Salad 10X Better With This Turkish Method

In the United States, eggs are usually synonymous with a morning meal, either served on their own by scrambling or folding into an omelette, or served in more flavorful ways, such as poaching in a skillet of spicy tomatoes like shakshuka. Humans have been eating eggs for thousands of years, and they've long been considered the ultimate breakfast staple. But with their historically low cost, ease of preparation, and stellar nutrition, it seems shortsighted to only consume eggs in the morning hours. One of the easiest ways to eat eggs outside of traditional breakfast formats is to make an egg salad. 

Heartwarmingly named after its resemblance to the daffodil flower, the Turkish egg salad known as nergizleme (also spelled nergisleme) is a far cry from the sad, mayo-laden egg salad from a corner store deli. The white, yellow, and green colors of the egg salad inspire the daffodil comparison, and this egg dish is much more light and refreshing than other styles of egg salad you may have tried. In nergizleme, hard boiled eggs are chopped and tossed with finely chopped parsley, dill, and green onions, as well as salt, olive oil, sumac, and either a minced fresh hot pepper or dried red pepper flakes, like Aleppo pepper. 

Other than from the herbs and spicy peppers, the salad gets additional brightness from sumac, a vibrant Middle Eastern spice that deserves a spot in your spice collection. Sumac is made from dried, crushed berries and has a distinctly zingy flavor, often compared to that of a lemon. It helps bring bright notes to the egg salad, and pairs well with the fresh herbs. While you could use extra lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest instead, there really isn't a true substitute for the unique flavor of sumac, making it integral to this Turkish dish. If you don't happen to have Aleppo pepper, some recipes for nergizleme suggest a combination of sweet paprika and cayenne pepper instead. In addition to sumac and hot pepper, the eggs and herbs are tossed or drizzled with a combination of olive oil and fresh lemon juice, as well as salt.

Nergizleme is sometimes served on a bed of greens like arugula, making for an even lighter and more peppery meal. The Turkish egg dish can also be topped with nuts, like toasted walnuts or pine nuts, for more heartiness and a contrast in texture. The herbaceous egg salad is normally eaten on its own or with warm flatbread, but you can experiment by serving it how you like, as there are many creative ways to eat egg salad without bread.