Martha's Favorite Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe (With Video)

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

15 mins

Servings:

6

Once you try Martha’s egg salad sandwich, you may not go back to your old recipe. Adding a whole avocado into the mix adds creaminess and good-for-you fat that helps keep you full for longer. Martha also cuts down on the number of egg yolks used, meaning this egg salad has less cholesterol than many others.

She adds Dijon mustard and lemon juice for brightness, plus a few tablespoons of light mayonnaise to bring the whole thing together. We love it sandwiched between toasted slices of white sandwich bread, but a heartier whole-grain bread or fluffy pita would be equally delicious.

Egg salad sandwich with lettuce and tomato slices on toasted bread served on a blue plate — Grant Webster

Key Ingredients for Martha's Egg Salad

Hard-boiled eggs: You'll need 10 hard-boiled egg whites for this recipe but just two yolks, which brings down the cholesterol and saturated fat.

Avocado: A ripe avocado replaces much of the mayonnaise. To prep it, mash half with a fork and roughly chop the other. Fold them in gently to avoid breaking up the chunks too much.

Light mayonnaise: For a classic taste with less fat, Martha opts for light mayonnaise, but you can use regular mayonnaise if you prefer.

Dijon mustard: We love the zip that creamy Dijon mustard lends this salad. If you don't have any on hand, swap in a grainy or stone-ground option instead.

Lemon juice: Martha finds fresh lemon juice essential in both egg and tuna salad recipes, and we agree. It balances out the richness and provides a welcome touch of brightness

Making Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

How you cook the eggs—and how long they're in the water—is key to a great-tasting egg salad. Boiling them for too long (or too aggressively) can result in rubbery whites and green-ringed yolks, while undercooking will leave you with loose, watery whites. Fortunately, Martha's no-fail technique is easy to remember and even easier to execute.

Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with one inch of water. (Be sure to use a pot that's large enough to hold them without crowding.)
Bring water to a boil over medium, then remove from the heat and cover; let sit 12 to 13 minutes.
Transfer to a colander and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process. This step is key to avoiding overcooked eggs, so don't skip it.
Peel by tapping the top and bottom of each egg on the counter, then gently rolling to break the shell.

Directions

Ingredients for an egg salad sandwich including bread lettuce hardboiled eggs avocado tomato and small bowls of condiments on a surface — Grant Webster

Mash eggs, add avocado:

Using a pastry blender or fork, mash together egg whites and yolks in a large bowl; carefully fold in avocado.

Grant Webster
Mix in mayo, mustard, and lemon juice:

Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Grant Webster
Make sandwiches:

Place 6 slices of bread on a work surface. Evenly divide egg salad among bread slices. Add lettuce greens or tomato, if desired. Top with remaining 6 slices bread. Serve.

Grant Webster

How to Store Egg Salad

Egg salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container. As with all egg and mayonnaise-based salads, it should not be left at room temperature for longer than two hours, or one hour if out in the sun.

What to Do With Those Leftover Egg Yolks

After making this recipe, you'll be left with eight extra egg yolks. We've got a few ways to use them up so they don't end up in the trash.

Mash the yolks with avocado and Greek yogurt, then spread onto toasted bread for a protein-rich take on avocado toast.
Swap four or five yolks for the whole hard-boiled eggs in this recipe for gribiche. Serve it over boiled potatoes or steamed asparagus.
Chop and stir yolks into potato salad or crumble them over a Cobb or warm spinach salad.