Last week I sat down to think about what I'd like to create for 2016 recipes. This usually occurs when I'm hungry, so really it turns into me writing things down I'd love to eat...right then.

Topping that list was egg salad.

Now, I can't tell you the last time I made egg salad, let alone the last time I ate it. All I know is that I got a hankering for it. Egg salad, in its classic form, is really quite simple to make: hardboiled eggs, mayo, Dijon, and celery.

All that sounds great, except I don't really jump for joy over mayonnaise. I blame it on the fact that I worked at Panera in high school and was tasked with refilling the mayo container on the sandwich line from the MASSIVE tub we had in the back refrigerator. Blah. (As an aside, I love homemade/fresh aoli, which is the much more sophisticated version of mayo)

Given my adversion to mayonnaise, I knew I didn't want that in my salad. A much tastier and healthier 'creamy fat' is avocado! I swapped the mayonnaise for mashed avocado in this salad and I think you'll agree, it's an awesome substitute. I also omit half of the yolks from my hard boiled eggs to make this a slightly healthier option for overall fats. The rest of my flavor profile is rounded out with zesty lemon juice, crunchy celery, green onions and just a dash of Dijion.

Simple yet flavorful, this is a great topping for a leafy green salad or filling for a sandwich. My personal favorite is a scoop served over a bed of arugula - the peppery greens give the eggs a nice kick!

No matter your preference on how to eat this, you're sure to enjoy my healthy twist on this delicious classic.

Egg Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:

8 hardboiled eggs (yolks removed from half) - TheKitchn gives a great tutorial on hard boiling eggs
1/4 cup avocado, mashed (2 oz)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijion mustard
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp scallions, whites and partial greens finely chopped (2 small scallions)
Salt + Pepper to taste

Directions:

Separate the egg whites from the yolks of 4 eggs. Roughly chop the hardboiled eggs and egg whites; transfer to mixing bowl. Add avocado, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, celery, scallions, salt and pepper. Mix until all is evenly mixed and creamy. Serve atop a bed of lettuce or on toasted bread as a sandwich!

Nutritional Information (1/2 cup serving):

117 calories - 10 g Protein, 3.3 g Carbohydrates (1.3 g Fiber), 7.3 g Fat