Forget Bland Egg Salad: This Crunchy Addition Brings Next Level Flavor - Tasting Table

Egg salad can be rich and creamy, but it can taste bland if only eggs and mayonnaise are used. Pickled red onions improve flavor by adding aromatic notes, while the brine’s salt and sugar balance seasoning and the acidity cuts through the egg salad’s richness. The onions also provide vibrant contrasting color against pale yellow egg salad and green lettuce. Their crunch adds texture that offsets the creaminess. Once prepared, pickled red onions can be used on top of egg salad sandwiches or mixed into the salad by dicing them. They are also easy to make with chopping, a simple brine, and a short waiting period.

"When made well, egg salad is a wonderful sandwich filling. The ingredients are inexpensive and its rich, creamy texture has a delightful decadence to it. The trouble with egg salad, though, is that if you aren't careful, it can come out pretty bland - eggs and mayonnaise aren't quite enough to make a delicious sandwich on their own. But if you do end up with a bowl of boring egg salad, all it takes to perk things up is a spoonful of pickled red onions."

"Those brilliant pink brined alliums are a perfect addition to egg salad for several reasons. The first reason, of course, is the flavor. A bland egg salad is instantly lifted by the aromatic onions, but the brine is an important aspect as well. Salt and sugar balance the seasoning, but it's the acidity that has the biggest impact, cutting through the richness of the egg salad and delivering a delightful zing. Beyond the flavor, pickled red onions also add a vibrant contrasting color. The pale yellow hue of egg salad is pleasant enough, but when set against the green of fresh lettuce with pops of pink, it really catches the eye. Then there is the crunch of the onions that will add a nice contrast to the creaminess of egg salad."

"Once you start adding pickled onions to your sandwiches - egg salad and otherwise - you'll understand just how good this combination is. Not quite so pungent as fresh red onion, you'll start finding all sorts of uses for pickled onions around the kitchen. You'll be happy to know that pickled onions are quite easy to make as well, requiring no more than a bit of chopping, a simple brine, and a few hours' wait."

"Once you have a jar of pickled red onions in the refrigerator, it's easy enough to toss a few on top of an egg salad sandwich, or you can try dicing them up and mixing them right into the salad itself."

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