Try this delicious egg salad recipe without mayonnaise. Enjoy a lighter, protein-rich meal that is full of flavor, ready in 25 minutes.
Egg salad usually means boiled eggs with loads of mayonnaise, topped on a toast or in a sandwich. While that makes it a rich filling – albeit a bit on the heavier side – it also boasts of a higher calorie count. This no mayo egg salad recipe changes all of that, making even the humble, boiled eggs genuinely exciting.
What is no mayo egg salad recipe?
This this egg salad recipe swaps mayonnaise from the traditional egg salad with dahi or hung curd, making it lighter and more protein rich. All the ingredients used here – eggs, cucumbers, capsicum, onions and fresh coriander – are diced small and evenly, ensuring each bite has everything in it.
The hung curd/ Greek yogurt dressing with lemon juice and desi flavors like roasted cumin powder, mustard paste (or kasundi) and black salt make is bright and flavor-packed. Poured over the chopped ingredients, this makes for a healthy high protein egg salad no mayo could ever!
What goes in my high protein egg salad and why
This egg salad recipe uses ingredients available very easily in most Indian kitchens. Additionally, prepping the components involves few simple steps. Portioning it is a breeze as well, given that all the chopped ingredients and the dressing are mixed into a uniform salad.
Here is what goes into this no mayo egg salad recipe:
Eggs – Nutrient-dense, high in protein content, loaded with vitamins like A, B12, D, E and minerals like potassium, selenium and calcium. Truly deserving of being called a “superfood,” eggs are also a rich source of choline, a nutrient that plays a crucial role in building cell membranes and brain function.
We use hard-boiled eggs in this recipe – not jammy or soft-boiled – as we desire an even dice and uniform consistency for the salad ingredients and the dressing. Use 2 eggs per serving, which gives us nearly 12grams of protein from the eggs.
Cucumbers – A hydrating vegetable, given that it’s 95% water. However, this very trait makes them a bad choice for salads, especially if you desire a thicker consistency, as the water content can dilute the dressing and pool at the bottom of the salad bowl.
To avoid this scenario and keep the cucumbers crisp, deseed them by running a spoon through their insides and scooping out the seeds. This also helps keep the dressing intact and the salad stays fresh longer.
Capsicum/ bell peppers – Adds a nice crunch to the salad and help balance the rich hung curd dressing. Use any color you prefer or have. Keep the dice size small and even, about 1 cm.
Onions – For the sharp flavors and the crunch. If you find onions too pungent for your taste, try soaking them in water for 10 minutes before use. Discard the water. Pickling onions in lemon juice and salt is a great way to reduce the pungent kick as well.
Fresh coriander or cilantro – Adds freshness and lifts the flavors. Use the leaves and tender upper stems, avoid the chewy stem at the bottom.
The hung curd dressing that makes this egg salad recipe special
Hung curd or Greek yogurt – forms the creamy base. Indian dahi is often tad bit watery, which can make the dressing runny. I used a hung curd strainer to filter the water out, leaving thick hung curd. You can use Greek yogurt as well.
Lemon juice – preferably fresh, as bottled lemon juice has a distinct preserved note that fails to add the fresh flavor we desire.
Chili oil – for the spice-kick and also a homemade or store-bought variant, anything works. This adds
Mustard paste – adds that sharp, slightly bitter note to cut through the creaminess of hung curd.
Black salt/ kala namak – for the mineral tang that brings the much-desired desipan to all Indian dishes with curd as the hero. Don’t skip this – it won’t be the same without it.
Roasted cumin powder – Smoky, distinctly Indian and instantly helps lift the flavors when added in. Store-bought or freshly dry-roasted and ground jeera at home – both work great.
Why the dice size matters in my egg salad recipe
This high protein egg salad is a play of textures, and a uniform dice of about 1 cm allows the contrast between the creaminess of the dressing and eggs and crunchy vegetables to truly shine. The fine chopping makes sure that the dressing coats all the ingredients evenly. Also this way each forkful has 2-3 veggies plus eggs and the gorgeous dressing – you don’t have to fish for any specific ingredient in the salad plate.
How to serve this egg salad recipe
This versatile salad can be served in so many interesting ways:
As standalone salad – With 22 gms of protein per serving with 2 eggs, this salad can stand its ground. Pair with a wholegrain toast to make a balanced meal and improve satiety.
On a toast/ as filling for sandwich or wrap – Pile on a toast or scoop on bread or flatbread with lettuce or arugula and tomato slices for crunch. Works great as a lunch option thanks to the thick consistency of the salad.
As a starter – Serve in small lettuce cups as entree to guests. Clean presentation and no drips.
No problem, use what you have available. I use kasundi or Indian mustard paste because it’s readily available in Indian kitchens.
Can I use regular dahi instead of hung curd for this no mayo egg salad?
Yes, but dressing will be thinner due to the water content in regular dahi. If possible, strain dahi through a fine strainer or muslin cloth for at least 15 minutes to reduce the inherent water content. Using storebought greek yogurt is an easier option too.
Can I make this salad in advance?
Of course! The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance. Hung curd and the spices in dressing keep for 2 days when refrigerated. Boiled eggs keep for 3 days under refrigeration. You can chop the veggies on the day since they release water as soon as they’re cut. This cuts down the prep time to 5 minutes of chopping and 2 minutes of assembly.
Can I pack this in my lunchbox?
Yes, if you pack the chopped ingredients and the dressing separately to prevent watering the salad down. Combine the dressing and diced veggies and eggs before eating to truly enjoy the flavors.
If you’ve tried this egg salad, I’d love to hear from you how you liked it— please leave a comment and rating down below! Your feedback matters a great deal to me!
The recipe
High Protein Egg Salad Recipe – No Mayo
Try this delicious egg salad recipe without mayonnaise. Enjoy a lighter, protein-rich meal that is full of flavor, ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Serves
Method
Hard boil the eggs: Heat water in a saucepan. When it comes to a boil, place eggs and let them cook for exactly 10 minutes or till the yolk fully sets. Transfer to an ice bath instantly. Peel immediately and set aside. If the eggs are already boiled and refrigerated, bring to room temperature before using.
Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons hung curd (chakka dahi) or Greek yogurt, lemon juice, chili oil, Dijon mustard (or kasundi), roasted cumin powder, kala namak (black salt), and regular salt if needed. The consistency of this dressing should be thick, creamy, yet pourable. Taste and adjust the flavors – it should be tangy and zesty from the lemon, slightly smoky from the addition of cumin. It should also have a slightly noticeable mineral note from the kala namak and mild spice kick from the chili oil. Refrigerate until use.
Chop everything uniformly: Dice the eggs, cucumber, capsicum, and onion to roughly 1cm dice size. Next, finely chop fresh coriander.
Assemble the salad: To a salad bowl, add the diced eggs and chopped vegetables cilantro. Pour the dressing over and toss gently so that it coats everything evenly. Scatter the chopped fresh coriander.
Plate and finish: Divide into plates. Drizzle the extra chili oil on top for the extra heat and color. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving. Avoid longer refrigeration as the vegetables may start releasing moisture.
Notes from my kitchen
Uniform dice size matters: All ingredients should be chopped to roughly the same size, ie around 1 cm. Not just for aesthetics, but also as even chopping means every forkful gives you egg, vegetables, and dressing together. No uneven bites this way.
Deseed the cucumbers before chopping: To prevent water pooling at the bottom of the salad bowl. You can run a spoon down the insides of the cucumber to remove the seed channel. This changes the texture of the salad immensely.
Hung curd or Greek yogurt? Hung curd made from full-fat dahi is slightly sour, creamy, and can be easily made in most Indian kitchens. Not to mention that it tastes great. If you don’t have the time to make hung curd, opt for Greek yogurt – Epigamia and Milky Mist are some of the easily available swaps.
To make the hung curd/ chakka:
If using the hung curd filter strainer, add curd/ dahi in strainer filter and replace the lid. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Scoop out the hung curd in a bowl before making the dressing.
Alternatively, if straining using a muslin cloth, pour the curd in the cloth and gently twist to lock the curd in and press gently to force the water out. Place a heavy object like mortar pestle over the cloth and set aside for 4-5 hours. Best if refrigerated if you don’t want sourness to develop in the curd.
Chili oil: To make at home with ease, pour hot neutral oil over chili flakes in a heat-proof bowl. Refrigerate the extra oil for next use. For storebought version, MasterChow and Ching’s Secret are some easily available varieties.
Nutrition, per serving
Calories
245 kcal
Protein
32 g
Carbs
16 g
Fat
9 g
Fibre
4 g
Figures are estimates, per serving, calculated from the ingredients listed. They will shift with your brands, your substitutions and how heavy-handed you are with the oil. This is general information from a home cook with a nutrition diploma — it is not medical or dietetic advice. If you are managing a health condition, please talk to a qualified professional. Full disclaimer.
I hold a diploma in nutrition and have spent years cooking, testing, and eating my way through modern takes on regional Indian and global food. Everything here is made and photographed in my own kitchen before it reaches you. I’m not a registered dietitian — I’m a home cook who reads the research, cites her sources, and keeps it honest.
Made one of my recipes? Tag @fit.foodie.diary on Instagram so I can see it!
I'm not a registered dietitian or a doctor. When I make a nutrition claim, I back it with research and tell you where it came from.
Comments
No comments yet. Made it? Tell me how it went.