Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
Updated Aug 29, 2026
High-protein cottage cheese egg salad made with hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, lemon, and Dijon. No mayo, and it comes together in about 15 minutes.
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I know some people are pretty so-so about egg salad, and plenty more are so-so about cottage cheese, and to be fair, this cottage cheese egg salad recipe asks you to be into both. Now, I do think you need to like eggs for this, but even if cottage cheese isn’t usually your thing, its texture just works in an egg salad. It mashes right into the eggs and adds a ton of creaminess without the mayo, plus a lot more protein.
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RECIPE TESTING NOTES
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this cottage cheese egg salad recipe.
For the eggs, I start them cold in already-boiling water, go 12 minutes, then drop them straight into an ice bath. That’s what lets me peel them without tearing up the whites, and it keeps the yolks from getting that gray ring around them.
The one thing I’d flag is that cottage cheese is different from brand to brand, some are saltier or tangier than others. The first time I used a really mild one it came out kind of flat, so I just added more lemon and Dijon until it tasted right. I’d taste it before serving and adjust rather than following the amounts exactly.
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad Ingredients
- Eggs: I like to hard-boil my eggs on the stovetop for this recipe, but you can use whichever method you prefer (one of my other favorites is air fryer hard boiled eggs)! Make sure you’re using around six, large eggs, and once they’re cooked, cool them completely. Older eggs are actually easier to peel than very fresh ones, so this is a good use for the ones that have been in your fridge a week or two. See my tips on how to peel hard boiled eggs.
- Cottage cheese: This replaces the mayo, so it does a lot of the work in this egg salad. I use whole milk cottage cheese because it’s creamier and richer than low-fat, which can come out a little watery. Small curd blends in more smoothly than large curd, but either works if you whisk or mash it well. If you want to swap it out, ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt gives you a similar creamy result.
- Lemon, Dijon, and seasonings: Lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dill powder, salt, and pepper. Zest the lemon before you juice it, and take only the yellow part to avoid bitterness from the white pith. If you have fresh dill on hand, use about 1½ teaspoons of chopped dill in place of ½ teaspoon of dill powder.
- Celery: Chop it small so you get a little in every bite without big stringy pieces. If you want more crunch, a few tablespoons of diced red onion or a chopped pickle are both good additions.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make the Rosemary Chicken. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → High protein egg salad with cottage cheese recipe
1. Whisk the Dressing
Add the cottage cheese, lemon zest and juice, Dijon, dill, salt, and pepper to a bowl and whisk it all together first, before the eggs go anywhere near it. Getting the dressing smooth and seasoned at this stage means you’re not trying to mix it evenly later once the eggs are in the way.
2. Add the Eggs and Celery
Pile the hard-boiled eggs and chopped celery right on top of the dressing. There’s no need to chop the eggs first since you’ll be mashing them in the next step, so whole is totally fine here.
3. Mash the Eggs
Use a fork to break the eggs down into the dressing. Press and mash until the yolks and whites start working into the cottage cheese and everything begins to come together.
4. Mix Until Creamy
Keep mashing until the curds have smoothed out and it looks evenly combined and creamy. Stop earlier if you like it chunkier, or keep going for a smoother, more spreadable texture.
Full Egg Salad Cottage Cheese Recipe
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 3 celery stalks finely chopped
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dill powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place cold eggs into boiling hot water. Boil on medium for 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water. Place in an ice bath, then remove and peel the eggs.
- To make the dressing, combine the cottage cheese, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Add the hard boiled eggs and celery on top of the dressing and use a fork to mash until it’s well-combined and creamy.
- Serve on its own or with crackers, bread, or mixed greens, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Use a grater to make the salad. I like to use a microplane ribbon grater to grate my hard-boiled eggs (in addition to the celery and lemon!), which means there’s no need for a knife or a cutting board. Everything just goes straight into the bowl (check out this video for reference).
- Blend your dressing. If you’re worried about the texture of your cottage cheese in this recipe (or you have some picky eaters to feed), try blending the cottage cheese with the lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dill powder, salt and pepper to create a smooth dressing. Then you can toss that with the eggs and celery.
- Try a whisk or masher. Instead of using a fork to mash the eggs, use a balloon whisk or a potato masher! They’ll get the job done even faster.
Serving Ideas
- Make a sandwich. Cottage cheese egg salad sandwich? Yes, please! Here’s my go-to egg salad sandwich recipe, but you can also enjoy your egg salad in a wrap or on an open-face piece of toast.
- Add a veggie side. For something fresh and crunchy with my egg salad, I love making red cabbage slaw, a fresh garden salad, or broccoli salad.
- Serve with carbs. Alongside my egg salad sandwiches, I love adding air fryer potatoes, baked sweet potato chips, or oven baked French fries.
Comments
Can you please share a picture of the dill powder you use? TIA!
I use Simply Organic and it looks like this: https://amzn.to/418kSK9
Great recipe! Love the crunchy celery with the creaminess of the egg and cottage cheese. Lemon and Dijon add a nice tang! Super yummy 😋
Aww, so happy you liked it! Thank you, Marcy!!
This is genius! Love the idea of added protein, but not (at all) a fan of celery… can you suggest an alternative?
You can use any crunchy vegetable. I would probably use cucumber or carrot but bell pepper might be good as well!
Does using cottage cheese make in diabetic friendly?
Hi Amy, I’m not sure. I recommend you speak to your healthcare provider!
Looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it with my bread loaded with seeds and textures!
Yum, sounds like a great combo! Enjoy!!
This looks delicious! Are you recommending large or small curd cottage cheese?
I recommend small curd if you want it to blend together well and large curd if you like your egg salad to have lots of texture.
What is The measurement or ounces per serving size.
It should be approximately 1 cup (8 ounces) per serving.
Try this
Thanks for the support, Tammy!