Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
on Aug 07, 2025, Updated Sep 16, 2025
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You know that old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Yeah, that doesn’t always hold up in the kitchen. I’m all about preserving classic recipes, but if something can be taken from amazing to mind-blowing, why not!? That’s exactly how I feel about this Cottage Cheese Egg Salad 🥚🥗. Regular egg salad? Phenomenal. But adding cottage cheese to up the creaminess factor and protein content? As Gen Z would say, fireeeeee 🔥. This high protein egg salad recipe clocks in at under 400 calories with nearly 30 grams of protein in one serving. Now that’s what I call the perfect 👏 upgrade 👏.
Why You’ll Love Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
She’s creamy, she’s tangy, she’s slightly spicy and she’s packed with protein 💪. This Cottage Cheese Egg Salad is the ultimate anytime meal. Ready in just 10 minutes, this high protein egg salad doesn’t just satisfy your cravings, it let’s you release a little stress while you chop everything up like culinary ninja 🔪 🥷. It’s chunky, yet spreadable, subtly sweet from the honey dijon, fresh and herbaceous from the dill and has a little kick from the pickled jalapeños 🌶️. It’s the perfect high protein twist on a classic, and with endless ways to enjoy it, you may just end up obsessively eating it for every meal.
Ingredients
Eggs: Nature’s perfect protein, and my favorite breakfast base. You can hard boil your eggs the old school way with my Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs recipe, or make Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs.
Cottage Cheese: The ideal binding agent that transforms this egg salad into a high protein version. Use any cottage cheese you like, or make your own using my Homemade Cottage Cheese recipe.
Scallion: Onion’s younger cousin, and the perfect way to add a subtle bite without overpowering. You can also use red onion or chives for a similar effect.
Pickled Jalapeños: Tang and spice, all in one. Personally, I prefer using pickled jalapeños because the vinegar mellows out the spice. However, feel free to chop up raw jalapeños if you prefer a bolder flavor, or skip the jalapeños all together if you’re not into spice.
Honey Dijon Mustard: This sweet-meets-savory condiment is the perfect balance to the jalapeño heat. If you don’t have honey dijon mustard at home, regular dijon mustard + honey will do the trick.
Mayonnaise: A classic egg salad ingredient, this recipe only requires 1 teaspoon of mayo to keep things creamy without making it heavy.
Fresh Dill: A staple in Bulgarian cuisine, and my go-to fresh herb to cook with. If you’re not a fan of dill, feel free to skip it, or replace it with another herb like parsley or cilantro.
Salt: Ties this whole dish together, and brings balance and brightness. Make sure you taste as you go, and add as much or little as you’d like.
Cubanelle Pepper: Mild, sweet and crisp, these peppers are the perfect vessel for this cottage cheese egg salad recipe. Feel free to also use regular sweet peppers, cucumber boats, lettuce cups, or spread the egg salad on toast, bagels or rice cakes.
Nonna’s Tip 🥚🥗
Let the egg salad chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before serving. This gives the flavors time to meld and makes the texture even creamier. It also makes it easier to scoop or spread without falling apart.
Egg Salad Variations and Substitutions
- If you want to lighten things up even further, try using 2 boiled eggs 🥚 and 1 boiled or scrambled egg white.
- Instead of cottage cheese, feel free to use plain greek yogurt or ricotta cheese 🧀.
- Sub some, or all of the mayo with mashed avocado for a healthier twist.
- Replace the scallions with red onion or chives for a similar flavor profile.
- Not a fan of heat 🌶️? Skip the pickled jalapeños and add chopped dill pickles instead. Want more heat? Add some hot sauce or chili flakes.
- If you don’t have fresh dill on hand, feel free to use dried dill. If you’re not a fan of dill altogether, use parsley, basil or cilantro instead.
- Regular dijon mustard + honey 🍯 can be used if you don’t have honey dijon mustard available.
- Swap the Cubanelle pepper for regular sweet peppers, cucumber boats, lettuce cups, or spread the cottage cheese egg salad on toast, bagels or rice cakes.
Flavor Twists To Try
- Mediterranean: chopped kalamata olives + cucumber + oregano
- Tex-Mex: black beans + corn + cilantro + lime juice
- Smoky BBQ: bbq sauce + smoked paprika + crispy onions + bacon bits
- Asian-Inspired: sesame oil + soy sauce + scallions + grated ginger
- Dill Pickle Lovers: chopped pickles + pickle brine + extra dill
- Spicy Sriracha: sriracha + chili flakes + chopped jalapeños
- Lemon-Herb: lemon zest + lemon juice + parsley + thyme
This Egg Salad Is Best Served With
- Scoop this high protein egg salad up with cucumber boats, sweet pepper boats or lettuce cups for a low-carb option.
- Spread this egg salad on toast, bagels or rice cakes.
- Use it on top of a mixed greens salad or my Cobb Salad as a salad topper.
Similar Recipes
Egg Salad Cucumber Boats
20 mins
Cottage Cheese Eggs
25 mins
Homemade Cottage Cheese
1 hr 15 mins
Baked Feta Eggs
25 mins
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- ⅓ cup cottage cheese
- 1 scallion
- 3 pickled jalapeño slices
- ½ tablespoon honey dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon mayo
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 1 long sweet pepper, also known as Cubanelle
Instructions
- Boil the eggs and peel them.
- Place the eggs on a cutting board with the rest of the ingredients on top.
- Chop with a knife until it reaches the fine, even texture of egg salad.
- Enjoy in a cucumber boat, pepper boat, in a wrap, or on top of toasted sourdough.
Notes
- Use 2 whole eggs + 1 egg white to lighten it up
- Swap cottage cheese with Greek yogurt or ricotta
- Sub mayo with mashed avocado for a creamy, healthy twist
- Replace scallion with red onion or chives for a new flavor
- No heat? Use dill pickles instead of jalapeños
- Craving spice? Add hot sauce or chili flakes
- Let it chill 10–15 mins before serving for best flavor & texture
- No fresh dill? Use dried dill or swap for parsley, basil, or cilantro
- No honey Dijon? Mix regular Dijon + honey
- Swap Cubanelle pepper for sweet bell pepper, cucumber boats, lettuce cups, toast, bagels, or rice cakes
- Mediterranean: chopped kalamata olives + cucumber + oregano
- Tex-Mex: black beans + corn + cilantro + lime juice
- Smoky BBQ: bbq sauce + smoked paprika + crispy onions + bacon bits
- Asian-Inspired: sesame oil + soy sauce + scallions + grated ginger
- Dill Pickle Lovers: chopped pickles + pickle brine + extra dill
- Spicy Sriracha: sriracha + chili flakes + chopped jalapeños
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Common Questions
Certainly! It actually tastes even better after chilling for a bit. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just give it a quick stir before serving.
Small-curd cottage cheese works best for texture. Go for 2% or full-fat for the creamiest result. If it’s watery, strain it a bit before mixing.
Totally. Skip them if you’re not into spice, or replace with dill pickles for tang without heat.
Instead of dill, try parsley, basil, or chives for a fresh twist. Each one adds a unique flavor.
Yep! The egg salad itself is low in carbs. Just choose a low-carb wrap or veggie base like cucumber or lettuce if you’re keeping it keto.
Add an extra egg white, a scoop of plain protein powder (yes, really!), or mix in some shredded chicken or canned tuna.
Serving this in a sweet pepper is GENIUS! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. We LOVED it. 😊