The Simple Key To Lighter Egg Salad, According To An Expert

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Egg salad is rich and creamy thanks to two of its main ingredients, egg yolks and mayonnaise. But, if you're looking for a lighter taste, we've consulted an expert to provide ingredient swaps and tips. Lisa Steele, host of the "Welcome to My Farm" American Public Television series and author of the soon-to-debut cookbook "In Season," told Tasting Table that the simple key to a lighter egg salad lies with changes to the mayonnaise ratio.

"You don't need a lot of mayonnaise in egg salad, just enough to hold the ingredients together," Steele tells us. A light egg salad really only needs about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to bind together six whole eggs and six egg whites. That said, you can make egg salad without mayo entirely by swapping it with lighter, more nutritious ingredients. For example, Steele says, "Instead of mayonnaise, you can use smashed avocado, Greek yogurt, olive oil or avocado oil, or white miso paste for a lighter egg salad."

Not only do these ingredients bring creaminess to the mix, but they also contain numerous other macro and micro nutrients, from the protein in Greek yogurt and avocado to the healthy omega fatty acids in olive and avocado oil. White miso paste, a type of miso with a milder flavor, will give egg salad a funky, umami-rich punch and an abundance of vitamins and minerals. To continue with Japanese ingredient swaps, Steele tells us, "You can even riff on a Japanese egg salad sandwich and use mashed soft-boiled egg as a binder for the hard-boiled eggs."

Another way to lighten up your next egg salad recipe is by tweaking the number of eggs themselves. According to Steele, "While egg yolks contain most of the nutrients in an egg, using fewer yolks in your egg salad will bring down the calorie, fat, and cholesterol amounts in the egg salad. Or you could make an all-egg white salad." 

However, since egg yolks are the flavor powerhouse, you'll need to amp up the taste of an egg-white salad with flavorful add-ins, Steele advises. Still, adding too many extra ingredients is a common egg salad mistake that might sabotage the taste and texture. To avoid this, fresh herbs and spices are a great way to pack on the flavor without overwhelming the bouncy bite of boiled eggs in a creamy binder. Steele recommends fresh herbs like dill, basil, parsley, and tarragon. You can also add a smoky, spicy zip to egg salad with paprika, cayenne, and a dash of hot sauce.

Of course, you do want some crunch to an egg salad, and some flavor-packed ingredients that'll bring crunch include chopped pickles, capers, and red onions, per Steele. Another important tip for making egg salad is finishing with a squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of vinegar to brighten things up and cut through the richness and creaminess of the mayo or mayo substitutes.