High Protein Egg Salad

High protein egg salad made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt is the perfect healthy lunch for meal prep and beyond. It’s creamy and satisfying with a lighter, fresher feel, and it’s absolutely irresistible!

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This high protein egg salad has become famous in my kitchen and it makes an appearance in my lunch rotation every single week. I started making it years ago when I wanted all the satisfaction of classic egg salad but with a better nutritional profile, and it completely changed the game for me.

Ingredients in High Protein Egg Salad

This smart combination of protein-rich ingredients builds a filling that is creamy, bold, and satisfying without relying on a cup of mayonnaise for flavor.

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How to Make High Protein Egg Salad

This recipe comes together quickly with a simple blend, chop, and mix method that produces a perfectly creamy, well-balanced salad in minutes.

1. Cook and peel the eggs

Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 10 to 12 minutes for a fully set yolk. Transfer immediately to an ice bath and let cool for at least 5 minutes before peeling. The ice bath is what makes the eggs easy to peel and prevents that grey ring from forming around the yolk.

2. Blend the cottage cheese

Add the cottage cheese to a blender or use an immersion blender and blitz until completely smooth and creamy — about 30 seconds. This step is what allows it to disappear seamlessly into the dressing rather than appearing in visible lumps. If you don’t mind the texture of cottage cheese, you can skip this step and stir it in directly.

3. Make the dressing

In a bowl, whisk together the blended cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Taste the dressing before adding the eggs — it should be bold, tangy, and well-seasoned, because the eggs will dilute the flavors slightly once they are folded in.

4. Chop and add the eggs

Roughly chop the peeled hard-boiled eggs into uneven pieces — a mix of small and larger chunks gives the best texture, with some pieces melting into the dressing and others providing satisfying bites. Add the celery, red onion, and fresh herbs and fold everything gently into the dressing until just combined.

5. Taste, adjust, and chill

Taste the finished salad and adjust with more salt, a dash of extra mustard, or a squeeze of lemon juice as needed. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving — the flavors meld and deepen significantly even in that short time.

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How to Serve High Protein Egg Salad

This egg salad is wonderful piled generously onto thick toasted sourdough with sliced tomatoes and crisp lettuce for a sandwich that is genuinely satisfying and filling. I love it on toasted everything bagels with extra fresh dill on top.

For a lighter option, serve it scooped into lettuce cups alongside sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes for a high-protein lunch that feels fresh and bright without any bread at all.

It also works beautifully as a dip with crackers and vegetable sticks for a quick, protein-packed snack that keeps you full for hours.

Recipe Tips

• Blend the cottage cheese completely smooth before adding — this is what makes it invisible in the dressing and keeps skeptics from noticing it.
• Move the eggs to an ice bath immediately after cooking to stop the cooking, prevent the grey yolk ring, and make peeling dramatically easier.
• Season the dressing boldly before adding the eggs — the chopped eggs dilute the seasoning once folded in.
• A 30-minute refrigerator rest makes a noticeable difference in how well the flavors come together — don’t skip it if you have time.
• Add ½ a diced avocado just before serving for extra creaminess and healthy fats.
• Swap the dill for chives, tarragon, or a mix of both depending on what you have available.
• The salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days — the flavors actually improve overnight.
• For a spicier version, add a teaspoon of sriracha or a pinch of cayenne to the dressing.