Salad-In-A-Boat
Submitted by countrymouse
Egg vegetable salad served in a puffed Swiss cheese choux pastry shell. Cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, and hard-cooked eggs in a cumin-Dijon dressing inside an edible bowl.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
45 minREADY
75 minThis is part showstopper, part practical genius. A savory choux pastry shell made with Swiss cheese puffs up in the oven into a golden, crispy bowl, then gets filled with a loaded egg salad packed with vegetables. You eat the bowl. That’s the whole point.
The “boat” is classic pâte à choux: water, butter, and flour cooked into a paste, then beaten with eggs until glossy and smooth. Swiss cheese goes in at the end, adding flavor and helping the crust brown. It bakes until dramatically puffed, then gets pricked and dried in the oven so it stays crisp and doesn’t collapse.
The filling is a hearty egg-vegetable salad dressed with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and a surprising pinch of cumin. Raw cauliflower, sliced mushrooms, thawed peas, celery, and scallions give you crunch and color in every bite. Spinach leaves line the cooled boat before the salad goes in, creating a barrier that keeps the crust from getting soggy.
Chef Tips
- Beat the eggs into the choux one at a time. Each egg needs to be fully incorporated before the next goes in, or the pastry won’t puff properly.
- Prick the shell after baking and leave it in the turned-off oven. This step dries the interior so it stays crispy under the wet salad.
- Cool the boat completely before filling. Warm pastry plus cold salad equals condensation and a soggy bottom.
- Chop the hard-cooked eggs coarsely and fold them in gently so they don’t turn to mush.
Variations
- Use cheddar or Gruyère instead of Swiss in the choux for a different flavor profile.
- Add diced avocado or roasted red peppers to the salad for extra richness and color.
- Make individual boats using a muffin tin for single-serving presentations at a brunch.
Ingredients
Directions
In a 2-quart pan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil.
When butter melts, remove pan from heat and add flour all at once.
Beat until well blended.
Return pan to medium heat and stir rapidly for 1 minute or until a ball forms in middle of pan and a film forms on bottom of pan.
Remove pan from heat and beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth and glossy.
Add cheese and beat until well mixed.
Spoon into a greased 9-inch round pan with removable bottom or spring-release sides.
Spread evenly over bottom and up sides of pan.
Bake crust in a 400℉ (200℃) oven for 40 minutes or until puffed and brown; turn off oven.
With a wooden pick, prick crust in 10 to 12 places; leave in closed oven for about 10 minutes to dry.
Remove pan from oven and cool completely.
Remove crust from pan.
Prepare egg-vegetable salad.
In a bowl, stir all ingredients except eggs together as listed.
Coarsely chop the 6 hard-cooked eggs; gently fold into vegetable mixture.
Line bottom and sides of boat with spinach leaves.
Cut each tomato in half.
Pile egg salad over spinach and garnish with cherry tomatoes.
Cut boat in thick wedges.
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