Classic Full GAPS Egg Salad With Homemade Mayonnaise

This egg salad with homemade mayonnaise is lightly dressed, with plenty of parsley and a little red onion. The eggs stay in soft, distinct pieces, and the optional fermented pickle adds a crisp, tangy bite.

The recipe serves two to four. It starts with hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise already prepared, so it is useful when you have those ready in the refrigerator. Serve it in a bowl, spoon it into lettuce leaves, or add it to a lunch plate with vegetables you already tolerate.

Getting the ingredients ready

Use fully cooked, cooled eggs. If you use a Ninja Foodi, follow the separate hard-boiled egg recipe to prepare them. Peel away all the shell, then chop the whites and yolks into small pieces. They do not need to be identical; leave enough texture that you can still recognize the egg after mixing.

The homemade mayonnaise is prepared separately. Measure the amount listed in the card from the finished jar. This salad uses just two tablespoons for six eggs, giving them a light coating rather than a thick layer of dressing.

Finely chop the flat-leaf parsley and dice the red onion small enough that a bite of salad does not contain a large piece of raw onion. If you include the fermented pickle, let the clinging liquid drain away before chopping it. Extra pickle liquid would loosen the dressing. Fresh dill is optional too; use the amount listed in the card.

Keep the egg pieces soft and distinct

A spoon or fork is all you need for mixing. Use it to lift the eggs from the bottom of the bowl and turn them through the mayonnaise. Some yolk will soften into the dressing as you fold. Stop while the whites and some yolk pieces are still visible.

Add the parsley and onion, then the optional pickle and dill. Taste a small forkful before adding salt and pepper, since the mayonnaise and pickle bring their own seasoning. The recipe card below has the complete amounts and directions.

If the salad seems too firm, check whether the mayonnaise itself is firm from refrigeration. Stir the portion of mayonnaise before folding it through the eggs. Draining the pickle and mixing gently help you keep the intended texture without adding water or extra dressing.

When this fits Full GAPS

This is a Full GAPS recipe after you have introduced and tolerated its ingredients, including the raw onion and herbs. Wait until diarrhea has cleared before serving raw vegetables. This is not an early Intro salad. Choose homemade mayonnaise made with allowed ingredients and a fermented pickle without added sugar or other non-allowed ingredients.

You can leave out the optional pickle, the dill, or both. Keep the eggs, parsley, onion and mayonnaise as listed for this version. If you want an egg salad made without mayonnaise, try the separate egg salad with avocado, which gets its creamy texture from avocado.

Useful equipment

A cutting board, a sharp kitchen knife, measuring spoons and a mixing bowl are enough. Choose a bowl with room to turn the eggs gently, and use a spoon or fork for folding. No blender or special appliance is needed to assemble the salad.

Serving and making ahead

For a simple meal, serve the salad in a bowl with other foods already part of your Full GAPS meals. Lettuce leaves work as holders once you tolerate raw greens. The two-to-four-serving range lets you choose a larger lunch portion or smaller portions alongside other dishes.

You can prepare the eggs and mayonnaise ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to mix the salad. Use a clean spoon to take mayonnaise from its jar. Label the containers with the dates you made them so you can tell batches apart. Mixing the salad doesn’t restart the storage time for the eggs or mayonnaise.

Cover the finished salad and refrigerate it promptly at 40°F (4°C) or below. Keep it cold until serving. For summer lunches or a meal away from home, pack the chilled portion in an insulated bag with two cold sources, such as two frozen gel packs. The GAPS packed-lunch guide has more packing ideas. For a freshly mixed lunch, make the amount you plan to serve and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to eat.

Questions about this egg salad

Can I leave out the pickle or dill?

Yes. Both are optional. The parsley and red onion remain part of the salad either way.

Why is there only a little mayonnaise?

The two tablespoons lightly coat the six eggs. Gentle folding lets a little yolk blend into that coating while leaving pieces of egg in the bowl. Adding more mayonnaise makes a different, more heavily dressed salad.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes. Double the measured ingredients together, including the parsley, onion and any optional additions you choose. A doubled recipe serves four to eight. Add the unmeasured salt and pepper to taste after mixing.

Can I make this dairy-free?

The linked mayonnaise has no dairy ingredients. Leave out the optional pickle, or choose a fermented pickle made without dairy ingredients.

Do I need to cook the eggs in a particular appliance?

No. Start with hard-boiled eggs that are fully cooked, cooled and peeled. The salad itself is assembled in a bowl; it does not require a particular egg cooker.

More lunches to plan around

The Lunch Cookbook is a planned collection of lunches, soups, salads, leftovers and packed meals. Browse the WFLI shop for available WFLI resources.