If you have a can of sardines sitting in your pantry, turn it into this easy high protein sardine salad. Made with cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, crunchy pickles, red onion and fresh herbs, it's creamy, savory and packed with protein.
Growing up in Poland, canned fish was something we ate all the time. Sardines, mackerel, herring and other tinned fish were often turned into simple salads and spreads with eggs, onion, pickles and some kind of creamy ingredient.
This recipe is inspired by those Polish-style fish salads, but I make mine with cottage cheese (just like this tuna salad), which gives it a creamy texture while also adding extra protein. Serve it on a slice of good rye bread or toast for a quick breakfast or lunch.
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Recipe at a Glance
🐟 What it is: A creamy sardine salad made with canned sardines, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, dill pickles and fresh herbs.
⏱️ Time: About 10 minutes to prepare, plus time to cook the eggs.
💪 Protein: Sardines, eggs and cottage cheese make this a naturally high-protein meal.
🇵🇱 Inspiration: Inspired by the simple canned fish salads and spreads commonly eaten in Poland.
🥪 How to serve it: Delicious on rye or sourdough bread, toast, crispbread or crackers, or served with fresh vegetables for a lighter meal.
Ingredient notes
- Canned sardines: You'll need one 4.4-ounce can of sardines packed in olive oil. I use Wild Planet, but any good-quality sardines will work.
- Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese makes the salad creamy without needing a lot of mayonnaise and adds extra protein. You can also use farmer's cheese or whipped cream cheese.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Two eggs add richness, texture and even more protein.
- Red onion: Chop it very finely so you get a little bite without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Dill pickles: Use crunchy dill pickles rather than sweet pickles. Chop them into small pieces.
- Mustard: Dijon works especially well, but your favorite mustard is fine.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley or dill both work. Dill will give the salad an especially Polish flavor.
- Mayonnaise: This is optional. I like adding a tablespoon for a little extra creaminess.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice brightens everything up and balances the richness of the sardines.
- Salt and pepper: Add to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make high protein sardine salad?
- Step 1: Chop or mash the eggs in a medium bowl, then add drained sardines and break down with a fork.
- Step 2: Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.
What to Serve with Sardine Salad
My favorite way to eat this salad is the Polish way: on a slice of good bread. Toasting the bread first makes it even better.
You can also serve it with:
- Sourdough toast
- Crispbread
- Crackers
- Cucumber slices
- Bell pepper slices
- Lettuce cups
- On a bed of mixed greens
It also makes a great sandwich or wrap filling. For a simple high-protein lunch, add a scoop of sardine salad to a plate with fresh vegetables and a slice of hearty bread.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use farmer's cheese. If you can find Polish twaróg or another farmer's cheese, use it in place of cottage cheese. This gives the salad a firmer texture and makes it even more reminiscent of a Polish fish spread.
- Use cream cheese. Whipped cream cheese makes the salad smoother and richer. You may want to add a little extra lemon juice to balance the richness.
- Add more herbs. If you love dill, use it generously here. Chives are also delicious.
- Make it spicy. Add some cayenne, chili flakes or hot sauce.
Storage tips
- Store leftover sardine salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Recipe FAQ
I prefer good-quality sardines packed in olive oil. They're flavorful and have a richer texture than sardines packed in water.
You don't need to remove the bones from canned sardines. They are very soft and edible and usually aren't noticeable once the salad is mixed together.
Yes, but you don't have to get rid of every drop of oil. I drain off most of the oil before adding the sardines to the bowl. Leaving a little behind adds flavor and helps keep the salad moist.
Absolutely! You can use canned tuna, salmon, trout, herring, mackrel. Whatever you like!
More protein salads
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Sardine Salad
Ingredients
- 4.4 oz canned sardines in olive oil 1 can drained, I used Wild Planet
- ½ cup cottage cheese or farmers cheese or whipped cream cheese
- 3 tablespoon red onion chopped small
- ¼ cup dill pickles chopped small
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1 teaspoon mustard dijon or your favorite mustard
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves or fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon mayo optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ lemon juiced
Instructions
- Chop or mash hard boiled eggs and place in a medium bowl.
- Add canned sardines and smush everything together with a fork.
- Add cottage cheese, dill pickles, red onion, parsley, mustard, mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
- Mix everything together.
- Serve on toast, topped with pickles, in lettuce cups or with crackers,
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
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