Give Egg Salad Better Flavor With This Simple Herb

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Egg salad is a go-to lunch staple thanks to its simplicity and delicious flavor. Once the eggs are boiled it can be whipped up in just a few minutes and enjoyed right out of the bowl or spread on your favorite bread (it doesn't always have to be white bread). When you're making your next batch of egg salad, you can make hard-boiled eggs easier to peel by adding a little olive oil to the water. And you can up your egg salad game by choosing the best ranked mayonnaise at the grocery store. But with one added ingredient, you can take your regular egg salad recipe to a whole new level. Try a little tarragon in your next egg salad for a nice herbal addition that has a little more depth of flavor than more commonly used herbs, like basil or oregano.

Tarragon has a bit of a pungent bite to it, sort of like anise with some sweet vanilla notes and a kick of pepper. It will bring out the savory richness of the egg yolk and complement the sweetness of the egg white and mayonnaise. And while something that smells slightly of licorice may seem like a strange choice, it's flavor is mild overall and won't overpower your other ingredients. Tarragon will give your egg salad the perfect fresh, floral undertones that can turn a plain ol' egg salad into something downright luxurious.

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While you can use dried tarragon, going with the fresh stuff is always best. You can make an easy egg salad recipe and simply add some finely chopped tarragon. But if you want more crunch and just a tad more anise flavor, fresh chopped fennel goes perfectly with it. Other solid additions include chopped bell peppers and green onions. A tarragon egg salad is perfectly delicious on white or sourdough, but the extra herbal oomph lends itself well to a dark rye or pumpernickel.

If you want a steady supply of tarragon, it's fairly easy to grow it at home. It's a perennial, so it can keep producing its tasty little leaves for many years, although plants are likely to last much longer in the garden, than in a pot on a windowsill. They like sunny, partially shaded spots, with well-drained soil. If you're growing tarragon in a pot, you'll want something at least 12 inches wide, to give the roots room to spread.

Beyond egg salad, a little tarragon (fresh or dried) is great on eggs in any preparation, just a little sprinkle on fried or scrambled eggs will give them more savory depth. Tarragon is yummy on roasted potatoes and roasted veggies, particularly when added to recipes that already use rosemary — the two herbs complement each other wonderfully. Tarragon also makes an easy flavor-booster for soups and sauces and is the secret ingredient that takes fries to the next level. And, while tarragon works with just about any protein, it's particularly good on chicken and fish, where you can really taste its flavor shine.