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Egg salad is easy to put together when the eggs are already cooked, but this bowl has a little more going on than the familiar mayonnaise version. Chopped eggs and a small amount of homemade mayonnaise make the base; drained sauerkraut, finely diced sweet onion, and optional celery add a crisp, tangy contrast. It is creamy enough to spoon into lettuce leaves and chunky enough to eat straight from a bowl.

Use the linked Full GAPS Immersion-Blender Mayonnaise as the measured component. That is its own recipe, with its own ingredients and raw-yolk method. Make it separately, then spoon four tablespoons into the egg salad. The sauerkraut comes from a separate batch too; drain it well so its brine does not thin the dressing.

A Lunch That Uses What Is Already Cooked

As a working, homeschooling mom of six, I like having a few lunches that can use food already in the refrigerator. When cooked eggs or leftover chicken are ready, this bowl takes only a few minutes to assemble. The onion and sauerkraut keep it from tasting like the same plain egg salad every time, while the optional celery adds a crisp bite.

This is the kind of meal that fits a busy afternoon: chop, fold, taste, and put lunch on the table. The important part is to drain the sauerkraut and add the mayonnaise gradually. You want the chopped egg lightly coated, not swimming in dressing, and the kraut still visible as its own ingredient.

Ingredients And Helpful Notes

Cooked eggs or leftover poultry: Use six hard-boiled eggs. If you have cooked chicken or turkey to use up, combine it with chopped eggs until you have two cups of protein. Use fully cooked, chilled meat if you include it. Cut the protein into small pieces that can be picked up on a fork alongside the onion and sauerkraut.

Homemade mayonnaise: Make the linked Full GAPS mayonnaise separately, then measure four tablespoons for this salad. Its ingredient list and method stay on that page. If the salad needs a little more dressing after mixing, add it a teaspoon at a time so the egg pieces stay distinct.

Sauerkraut: Measure one-half cup and drain it well; the brine is not part of this salad. The cabbage should taste pleasantly sour and feel crisp or tender-crisp, depending on the ferment, without leaving a puddle in the bowl. See Chopped Sauerkraut With Himalayan Salt for a separate sauerkraut recipe.

Sweet onion: Finely dice one-half of a sweet onion. Small pieces spread the onion’s fresh bite through the bowl without leaving one oversized sharp chunk in a forkful. If the pieces look larger than the egg, chop them again.

Measure the sauerkraut after draining. Ferments vary in how finely they are cut and how much brine clings to them, so the half-cup measure should be cabbage, not cabbage plus a pool of liquid. When the salad is mixed, the onion should give a little crunch and the sauerkraut a clean sour note without either one taking over the chopped egg. If the first forkful tastes too sharp, add a little more egg or poultry from the two-cup base rather than pouring in extra mayonnaise.

Optional additions: If you like, fold in chopped pecans, sliced black olives, or thinly sliced celery. If you use pecans, soak and dry them before chopping. Choose olives without non-GAPS additions. Celery should be cut thinly enough to mix evenly. These are optional additions, so the egg, mayonnaise, onion, and sauerkraut base remains complete without them.

How To Make Sauerkraut Egg Salad

Prepare the eggs or leftover poultry. Peel and chop six chilled hard-boiled eggs, or chop a combination of eggs and fully cooked leftover chicken or turkey until you have two cups. Keep the pieces bite-sized and similar in size; large pieces are difficult to fold evenly with the dressing.
Drain and cut the vegetables. Put one-half cup sauerkraut in a fine strainer and let the brine run off. Press gently with the back of a spoon; do not mash it dry. Finely dice one-half sweet onion. If using celery, slice it thinly. The sauerkraut is ready when it looks moist but does not drip when lifted.
Measure the mayonnaise. Spoon four tablespoons of the completed homemade mayonnaise into a small bowl. Keep the mayonnaise separate from its own recipe; you are measuring the finished condiment for this salad.
Combine the main ingredients. Add the chopped eggs or poultry, drained sauerkraut, diced onion, and mayonnaise to a mixing bowl. Fold with a broad spoon until the egg pieces have a light, even coating. Turn the mixture from the bottom of the bowl rather than beating it, so the chopped ingredients keep their shape.
Check the texture. The salad should hold together on a spoon, with visible pieces of egg, onion, and sauerkraut. If it looks dry, add more mayonnaise one teaspoon at a time. If liquid gathers at the bottom, drain the sauerkraut more thoroughly next time and fold the salad once before serving.
Add optional ingredients and serve. Fold in soaked-and-dried chopped pecans, sliced black olives, or thinly sliced celery if you are using them. Taste a forkful after everything is mixed. Serve in lettuce leaves or in a bowl with a fork.

Where This Recipe Fits On Full GAPS

This egg salad is for Full GAPS. It combines whole cooked eggs or cooked poultry with homemade mayonnaise, fermented sauerkraut, and onion. It is not an Introduction Diet recipe. The sauerkraut is measured drained cabbage; the ferment’s brine is not added to this salad.

Make the linked Full GAPS mayonnaise separately and measure four tablespoons for this bowl. If you add pecans, soak and dry them before chopping.

This recipe is distinct from Classic Full GAPS Egg Salad With Homemade Mayonnaise, which uses parsley and red onion instead of sauerkraut. It is also different from Egg Salad With Avocado, where avocado replaces mayonnaise as the creamy ingredient. Each salad has its own ingredients, texture, and post.

Storage And Serving

Serve the egg salad right away or cover and refrigerate it. Keep it cold, and use leftovers within three to four days when made with freshly prepared ingredients. The FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart gives that same range for egg and chicken salads. If you have cooked eggs or poultry that have already been stored, use the earlier preparation date when deciding how long the mixed salad keeps.

For a quick lunch, spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves or portion it into a bowl. You can chop the onion and drain the sauerkraut ahead, but keep them refrigerated and combine them with the eggs and mayonnaise close to serving. Stir gently before packing a portion so the dressing is distributed again.

For lettuce wraps, wash and dry the leaves before filling them. A dry leaf gives the salad a firm place to sit and keeps the bottom from getting wet. If you are using leftover chicken or turkey, cut it to a similar size as the egg; long shreds can pull out of the salad when you lift a forkful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use leftover chicken or turkey instead of all eggs?
Yes. Combine chopped hard-boiled eggs with fully cooked leftover chicken or turkey until you have two cups total protein. Use fully cooked poultry and cut it into small pieces before mixing.

Do I add the sauerkraut juice?
No. Drain the sauerkraut and leave the brine out of this recipe. The cabbage should be moist, not dripping, before it goes into the bowl.

Can I use store-bought mayonnaise?
This recipe is written with the linked homemade Full GAPS mayonnaise. Make that recipe separately, then measure four tablespoons for the salad.

Can I make it ahead?
You can cook and chill the eggs or poultry and drain the sauerkraut ahead. Keep those ingredients covered in the refrigerator, then dice the onion and fold the salad together closer to lunch. The pieces stay more distinct when the salad is not handled repeatedly.

How do I keep the salad from getting watery?
Drain the sauerkraut well and cut the onion shortly before mixing. Fold rather than mash the ingredients, and add any extra mayonnaise a teaspoon at a time.

Can I leave out the pecans, olives, or celery?
Yes. They are optional. The egg or poultry, mayonnaise, sauerkraut, and sweet onion make the complete base.

What is the difference between this and classic egg salad?
This version includes drained sauerkraut and may include leftover chicken or turkey. The classic mayonnaise egg salad uses parsley and red onion; the avocado egg salad gets its creaminess from avocado instead of mayonnaise.

Recommended Equipment

Use a medium mixing bowl, a cutting board and knife, measuring cups and spoons, and a broad spoon or spatula for folding. A small strainer helps drain the sauerkraut without pressing it into a paste. If you need to cook eggs for the batch, use a saucepan and a bowl of cold water to cool them before peeling. No blender or food processor is needed for the salad itself.

More Full GAPS Lunch Ideas

If you are assembling lunches for the week, the planned Weekly Kitchen Rhythm Planner is being developed to help fit everyday cooking into a busy family schedule. It will be listed in the WFLI Shop when it is ready. For another egg-salad texture, choose the avocado version or the classic parsley-and-mayonnaise version linked above; each stays in its own post.