Simple Cottage Cheese Egg Salad with Dill

Here is my favorite cottage cheese egg salad with dill, made with hard-boiled eggs, creamy cottage cheese instead of mayo, fresh herbs, and a touch of Dijon mustard for extra flavor.

This egg salad is my go-to for easy lunches throughout the week. I love making a big batch on Sunday and eating it on crackers, in a sandwich, or straight from the bowl. It’s lighter than traditional egg salad but just as satisfying, and the fresh dill makes all the difference.

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What Kind of Cottage Cheese Should I Use?

For this egg salad, you’ll want to pick a cottage cheese that fits your texture preference. Small curd cottage cheese will blend in more smoothly and give you a creamier consistency, while large curd adds a bit more texture to each bite. Full-fat cottage cheese will make your egg salad richer and more satisfying, but low-fat or even fat-free versions work just fine if you’re watching calories. Whatever you choose, make sure to give it a good stir before measuring since the liquid can separate in the container.

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Options for Substitutions

This egg salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Cottage cheese: You can swap cottage cheese with Greek yogurt or sour cream for a similar creamy texture. If using Greek yogurt, start with about 1/2 cup and add more as needed since it’s thicker than cottage cheese.
• Fresh dill: No fresh dill? Use 1 tablespoon of dried dill instead. You can also try fresh parsley or basil for a different flavor profile.
• Chives: Green onions work great in place of chives – just use the green parts and chop them finely. You could also use a bit more red onion if that’s all you have.
• Mustard: Any mustard works here – yellow, Dijon, or whole grain. Each will give you a slightly different taste, but all work well in egg salad.
• Red onion: Yellow or white onion can replace red onion easily. If you find raw onion too strong, soak the chopped pieces in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding.
• Lemon juice: White vinegar or apple cider vinegar can replace lemon juice if needed – use about 1/2 teaspoon since vinegar is more concentrated.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with hard-boiled eggs is overcooking them, which creates that unappetizing gray-green ring around the yolk – stick to the 11-12 minute timing after turning off the heat, and don’t skip the ice bath since it stops the cooking process immediately.

If you skip blending the cottage cheese until completely smooth, you’ll end up with a lumpy, watery egg salad instead of a creamy one, so take an extra minute to blend it well.

Another common error is adding the eggs while they’re still warm, which can make the cottage cheese mixture watery and cause the herbs to wilt – make sure your eggs are completely cooled before mixing everything together.

For the best flavor, let the egg salad chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving, as this gives the dill, chives, and onion time to blend together and taste less raw.

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What to Serve With Cottage Cheese Egg Salad?

This egg salad is perfect piled high on toasted sourdough or whole wheat bread for a simple lunch sandwich. I love serving it with crackers and sliced vegetables like cucumbers, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes for an easy snack or light meal. You can also stuff it into a pita pocket with some lettuce and tomato, or scoop it onto butter lettuce leaves for a low-carb option. For a heartier meal, serve it alongside a cup of soup or a handful of kettle-cooked potato chips.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your cottage cheese egg salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The fresh herbs and cottage cheese make it best enjoyed within the first couple of days when everything tastes brightest and the texture is just right.

Serve: This egg salad is meant to be enjoyed cold, straight from the fridge. Give it a quick stir before serving since the cottage cheese might settle a bit. It’s perfect on toast, with crackers, or stuffed into a wrap for an easy lunch.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 570-640
• Protein: 45-52 g
• Fat: 32-36 g
• Carbohydrates: 18-23 g

Ingredients

For the egg base:

• 8 eggs (hard-boiled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)

For the dressing:

• 1 cup cottage cheese (I use Good Culture for a thicker texture)
• 2 tsp mustard (I prefer Grey Poupon Dijon for a sharp kick)
• 4 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp chives
• 2 tbsp red onion (finely minced, about 1/8-inch pieces)
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp celery salt

Step 1: Prepare the Hard-Boiled Eggs

• 8 eggs

Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 11-12 minutes—this gentle carryover cooking ensures perfectly creamy yolks without that gray-green ring.

Transfer the eggs immediately to an ice bath and let them chill for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.

Once cooled, peel the eggs under cool running water (the water helps separate the shell from the membrane) and dice them into 1/2-inch pieces.

Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Herb and Seasoning Base

• 2 tbsp red onion
• 4 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp chives
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp celery salt

While the eggs are cooling, finely mince the red onion into about 1/8-inch pieces (I find that mincing it finely helps the flavor distribute evenly throughout the salad without overpowering it).

Measure out the dill, chives, mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and celery salt.

Having everything prepped and ready will make the next step quick and ensure even mixing.

Step 3: Create the Creamy Cheese Base

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• herb and seasoning mixture from Step 2

Pour the cottage cheese into a bowl and blend or stir it until it reaches your desired smoothness—I prefer using a fork to break down the curds into a creamy consistency without making it completely smooth, as this keeps the salad from becoming too dense.

Add the mustard, lemon juice, and all the dry seasonings (garlic powder, salt, pepper, and celery salt), then fold in the fresh herbs (dill and chives) and minced red onion.

Gently combine until all the flavors are evenly distributed.

Step 4: Combine and Season to Taste

• diced eggs from Step 1
• cottage cheese base from Step 3

Add the diced eggs from Step 1 to the cheese mixture and gently fold them in until just combined—be careful not to overmix, as you want to maintain the distinct texture of the egg pieces.

Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if needed: add a bit more lemon juice for brightness, salt for depth, or dill for herbal notes.

The salad can be served immediately or chilled for up to 2 hours before serving.

Simple Cottage Cheese Egg Salad with Dill

Delicious Simple Cottage Cheese Egg Salad with Dill recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 605 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the egg base::

• 8 eggs (hard-boiled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)

For the dressing::

• 1 cup cottage cheese (I use Good Culture for a thicker texture)
• 2 tsp mustard (I prefer Grey Poupon Dijon for a sharp kick)
• 4 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp chives
• 2 tbsp red onion (finely minced, about 1/8-inch pieces)
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp celery salt

Instructions

 

• Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 11-12 minutes—this gentle carryover cooking ensures perfectly creamy yolks without that gray-green ring. Transfer the eggs immediately to an ice bath and let them chill for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, peel the eggs under cool running water (the water helps separate the shell from the membrane) and dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
• While the eggs are cooling, finely mince the red onion into about 1/8-inch pieces (I find that mincing it finely helps the flavor distribute evenly throughout the salad without overpowering it). Measure out the dill, chives, mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and celery salt. Having everything prepped and ready will make the next step quick and ensure even mixing.
• Pour the cottage cheese into a bowl and blend or stir it until it reaches your desired smoothness—I prefer using a fork to break down the curds into a creamy consistency without making it completely smooth, as this keeps the salad from becoming too dense. Add the mustard, lemon juice, and all the dry seasonings (garlic powder, salt, pepper, and celery salt), then fold in the fresh herbs (dill and chives) and minced red onion. Gently combine until all the flavors are evenly distributed.
• Add the diced eggs from Step 1 to the cheese mixture and gently fold them in until just combined—be careful not to overmix, as you want to maintain the distinct texture of the egg pieces. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if needed: add a bit more lemon juice for brightness, salt for depth, or dill for herbal notes. The salad can be served immediately or chilled for up to 2 hours before serving.