egg salad with chive and parsley pesto.
fresh, springy pesto is added to creamy egg salad for an herby update to a classic sandwich.
Serves: 2-3 Cook time: 15 minutes
I've been on a sandwich kick recently, largely brought on by my remembering that I own a panini press. Yes, it's true, sandwiches taste better when they are panini'd.
Egg salad is a fun one to have on hand, though it's kind of tedious to make, at least in comparison to tuna salad. Needing to hard-boil the eggs first kind of bums me out and I usually only make it every so often as a result. So? Better make it fancy, and delicious.
This sammy incorporates pesto, which you can make from scratch with my recipe below or simply use store-bought. Of course, store bought pestos are going to be basil and pine nuts, so the taste will be a little different! The pesto recipe below is chive and parsley- two herbs you'd normally use in an egg salad, served up a different way.
I'll list a few more notes about each ingredient below, but this is pretty simple, and uses so many fresh, delicious ingredients. I highly recommend toasting up some italian or sourdough bread to really complete the fancy-sandwich experience, but honestly- plain white bread will do!
egg salad with chive and parsley pesto ingredients
eggs: I've used a range of eggs for egg salad and can't say any kind of egg is better or worse: it's totally your preference. Fancier, organic eggs tend to have darker, more orange yolks, so your egg salad may take on a darker hue. Whatever egg you use, hard-boil them ahead of time, and use them within three days of boiling. My method for boiling is to put the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat off (and remove from your heat source, if you have an electric stove) and cover. Let the eggs steam for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the hot water and carefully drop into an ice bath. Once cool to touch (should be about 5 minutes) You can peel. I find refrigerating my eggs for a day or so makes them easier to peel!
mayonnaise: If you like a less-creamy egg salad- or maybe you hate mayo- I'd recommend stirring in one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. A little mayo goes a long way in salads, so start small!
dijon mustard: For this recipe, I only added a dollop of dijon so that the egg salad served as a base to the pesto- usually I'd add a tiny bit more. Again- a little bit goes a long way, so if you're thinking of adding more, do so slowly.
chives: Chives can be found in the little herb boxes in the produce section of the grocery store. They are long, thin green grass-like herbs and are in the onion family, so they taste similarly to scallions. Of course, they are much smaller, so their onion-y taste is muted. I'd highly recommend chopping the chives roughly before processing- mine got wrapped around my blades.
parsley: Parsley is a perfect herb for this pesto because its fresh flavor offsets the bitter onion flavor of the chives. If you don't have or don't like parsley, you can also use arugula or spinach- neutral leafy greens. I'd recommend removing the long stems from the parsley before adding it in, or you'll have a bunch of long, crunchy pieces in your pesto.
lemon juice: I found that an entire half-lemon was too much, and made the pesto too sour. You only need a little bit of lemon to brighten the pesto, about a teaspoon.
garlic: Always add garlic! I love garlic, so I added two medium-sized cloves. You can adjust as needed, based on your garlic preferences.
olive oil: I actually made this pesto for the first time using canola oil - I know - and it turned out okay but was missing something. Olive oil has a much deeper flavor than canola or vegetable oil and will add a much better flavor to your pestos. You can use regular olive oil if you don't have extra-virgin.
parmesan: I'd really recommend buying a chunk of good-quality parmesan and keeping it handy for recipes like this (and carbonara!) With a microplane, you can get a really quick, really fresh grated parmesan that will combine into your sauces and dressings much better than store-bought. Parmesan usually lasts a few weeks in the fridge and is worth having if you make a lot of dishes with grated or shredded parm!
salt and pepper: I actually added closer to 1/4 teaspoon of salt in this pesto based on the brightness of the lemon. I add the salt in last based on how sour the lemon made the pesto- or if it simply tastes a little dull.
endives: Endives have kind of a bitter, sharp flavor, with I liked in contrast with the eggs (and alongside the chives). They're not for everyone, especially raw. You can substitute your favorite leafy green- I'd recommend arugula or simple fresh romaine.
egg salad with chive and parsley pesto pairing options
I always eat this for lunch, but there's no reason you can't eat this as a light dinner, too! Here are some pairing options either way:
tomato bisque soup
caesar salad
baked chips (I love baked cheetos)
crispy potato wedges
pinot grigio, sparkling water, or a lager