This avocado egg salad is what happens when classic egg salad gets a serious upgrade. Creamy avocado, cottage cheese, two kinds of mustard, fresh dill, chives, and a hit of lemon. It’s rich, bright, and genuinely satisfying in a way that the mayo-heavy original never quite managed.
The cottage cheese is the secret weapon here. It blends into the avocado base almost invisibly, adding protein and creaminess without any discernible cottage cheese flavor. You end up with a salad that’s thick, scoopable, and packed with 26g of protein per serving.
I’ve been making this on rotation for meal prep lunches. It holds up well in the fridge for two days, works on toast, in a wrap, over greens, or straight out of the bowl with crackers.
15 minutes of prep, four servings, one bowl. Let’s get into it.
Why You’ll Love This Avocado Egg Salad
- 26g of protein per serving: Eggs and cottage cheese do the work here. No protein powder required, just whole food ingredients that add up fast.
- No mayo: The avocado and blended cottage cheese replace mayo entirely and honestly taste better. Creamier, brighter, and way more interesting.
- Genuinely meal prep-friendly: Make a full batch on Sunday, and you’ve got lunch handled for two days.
- Incredibly versatile: Toast, wraps, greens, crackers, a spoon. All valid delivery methods. This one doesn’t need a lot of help.
- Actually flavorful: Two mustards, lemon zest, fresh dill, fresh chives, optional jalapeño, this egg avocado egg salad is something you’ll actually look forward to eating.
Into high-protein salads? Try this High-Protein Tuna Pasta Salad or this High-Protein Buffalo Chicken Salad next.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs: Medium boiled is the move. It has a fully set white and yolk that’s cooked through but still has a little richness to it.
- Avocado: Two large ripe avocados form the base of the dressing. Fat from avocado is monounsaturated, which supports satiety hormones and helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from the eggs.
- Cottage cheese: Combined into the avocado, it adds creaminess, protein, and body without any discernible cottage cheese flavor.
- Dijon
+7 grainy mustard: Two mustards for a reason. Dijon is smooth and sharp. Grainy mustard adds texture and a slightly more complex, earthy flavor. Together they give the salad the kind of depth that one mustard alone doesn’t quite deliver. - Lemon juice and zest: The juice brightens and prevents the avocado from browning too quickly. The zest is where the real lemon flavor lives so don’t skip it.
- Fresh dill and chives: Both finely chopped, both non-negotiable. Dill brings a slightly grassy, herby brightness that pairs naturally with egg. Chives add a mild allium note without the sharpness of raw onion.
- Jalapeño (optional): Finely diced, seeds removed if you want the flavor without the full heat. It cuts through the richness of the avocado and egg in a way that makes every bite more interesting.
How to Make Avocado Egg Salad
Medium boil the eggs
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in the eggs and cook for 10 minutes for a set white with a slightly jammy yolk. Transfer immediately to an ice bath and let cool for 5 minutes. Peel and roughly chop.
Combine the ingredients
Scoop the avocado flesh into a large bowl. Add the chopped eggs, cottage cheese, both mustards, lemon juice, lemon zest, herbs, jalapeño if using, and salt. Mash and stir until mostly smooth with some texture remaining.
Serve or store
Serve immediately on toast, in a wrap, over greens, or with crackers. To store, transfer to an airtight container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent browning. Keeps well for up to 2 days.
Looking for more high-protein lunch ideas? This High-Protein Spanakopita Wrap is ready in under 20 minutes and built for meal prep.
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Tips for the Best Avocado Egg Salad
Ingredient Substitutions
Need to swap something? Here’s what works:
- Cottage cheese → Greek yogurt: Plain full-fat Greek yogurt works as a 1:1 swap. The texture will be slightly thinner but the tang actually pairs well with the mustard and lemon. Still high protein.
- Dijon → all grainy mustard: If you only have one mustard, grainy works on its own. The texture is more interesting than straight Dijon, though you lose a little of the sharp heat.
- Fresh dill → fresh tarragon: Tarragon has a similar anise-adjacent brightness and works beautifully with egg.
- Fresh chives → green onions: Green onions have essentially the same mild onion flavor and work as a straight swap. Use the same amount.
- Jalapeño → pickled jalapeño: A tablespoon of finely chopped pickled jalapeño adds heat and a little brine, which actually plays well with the lemon. Good option if you don’t have a fresh one.
Ways to Serve Avocado Egg Salad
There are so many fun ways to enjoy it:
- On toasted sourdough: The classic. Toast adds crunch that contrasts nicely with the creamy salad.
- In a high-protein wrap: Pile it into a tortilla with some arugula and thinly sliced cucumber.
- Over a simple green salad: Serve a generous scoop over arugula or mixed greens.
- With crackers: Great for snacking or a lighter lunch. Seed crackers and rice crackers both work well with the richness of the avocado base.
- On its own: This recipe is delicious enough to eat on its own. No vehicle required.
Are you a fan of egg salads? Then you have to give my Egg Salad with Tarragon & Sun-Dried Tomatoes a try.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the salad for up to 2 days.
Some browning is normal. Just give it a stir and a fresh squeeze of lemon before serving. Do not freeze.
FAQ
Up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface. The plastic wrap minimizes air contact, which is the main cause of browning. It won’t look as vibrant on day two, but a stir and a squeeze of fresh lemon brings it back.
Hard-boiled eggs are cooked for 12 to 14 minutes and have a fully set, slightly chalky yolk. Medium-boiled eggs are cooked for 10 minutes and have a fully set white with a yolk that’s cooked through but still has a little richness and color to it. For egg salad, medium-boiled gives you better flavor and a creamier overall texture when it breaks down in the salad.
Yes. Greek yogurt is the easiest swap. Use the same amount, and the result is nearly identical in texture. You can also skip it entirely and just use avocado as the base, though the protein count will drop and the texture will be slightly less creamy. Either way it works.
More Meal Prep Recipes
High-Protein Avocado Egg Salad
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in 12 large eggs and cook for exactly 10 minutes for a set but slightly jammy yolk. Transfer immediately to an ice bath and let cool for 5 minutes, then peel and roughly chop.
- Halve and pit 2 large ripe avocados. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl along with the chopped eggs, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp grainy mustard, juice and zest of a large lemon, ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill, ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives, 1 small finely diced jalapeño (optional)and ½ tsp sea salt. Mash and stir until mostly smooth with some texture remaining.
- Serve immediately on toast, in a wrap, over greens, or with crackers.Store leftovers in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent browning, for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Notes
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Every time I make egg salad, I’m reminded of how much I like it. This version will become a staple for sure.