Watercress Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

By
Lindsey Goodwin
Lindsey Goodwin
Lindsey Goodwin is a food writer and tea consultant with more than 12 years of experience exploring tea production and culture.
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Updated on 12/22/22
Watercress Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 8 to 16 servings
Yield: 16 sandwiches
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
108 Calories
7g Fat
8g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 175mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 32mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 44mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

There's something about the phrase "tea sandwich" that sounds fancy, and that's understandable; it conjures up images of high tea in London. And yes, this watercress sandwich recipe is a traditional English tea sandwich akin to the watercress egg salad served with afternoon tea at Harrods in London. The fresh watercress gives it a light peppery flavor, as it's a vegetable in the mustard family.

This recipe calls for herbed butter, which is easy to make if you have some fresh herbs. Chives, parsley, or tarragon all work well with the flavors of egg salad and in this sandwich in particular. Let the butter come to room temperature, chop the herbs finely, and beat them together using a wooden spoon or using a hand mixer. (This is also known as flavored butter or compound butter.) Regular unsalted butter will work, too.

You can make the egg salad a day or so ahead of time. Just don't assemble the tea sandwiches too far ahead, or they will get soggy. They're best when they're made just before they're served.

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs

  • 4 tablespoons herbed butter, or unsalted butter, softened

  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, or mayonnaise alternative

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Paprika, to taste

  • 8 slices bread, divided

  • 1/2 cup fresh watercress, chopped

  • Parsley, chopped, to taste, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Watercress Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. Hard-boil the eggs, rinsing them in cold water when they are done.

    Eggs in a bowl with water

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. While still warm, peel and mash eggs with butter, using a potato masher or a fork.

    Egg and butter mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. Stir mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and paprika into egg mixture.

    Mayonnaise added to the egg mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  5. Spread egg salad onto 4 slices of the bread.

    Egg salad mixture spread on slices of bread on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  6. Add watercress and parsley, if using.

    Watercress and parsley on top of the egg salad sandwiches on a wooden cutting board

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  7. Top watercress with remaining 4 slices of bread.

    Watercress egg salad tea sandwiches on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  8. Remove crusts and slice sandwiches twice, diagonally, to make 4 tea sandwiches from each large sandwich.

    Watercress egg salad tea sandwiches cut into quarters

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Variations

  • If you don't like or can't find watercress, baby arugula would work well in this recipe, too, or even baby spinach if you'd like something with a little less of a peppery bite.
  • White bread is classic for tea sandwiches and especially for this watercress egg salad sandwich, but a soft, sweet wheat bread would work, too.

How to Store Watercress Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

The egg salad can be made a day in advance. The sandwiches should be assembled right before eating. You can store any leftover sandwiches in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about a day, but as with any sandwich, the bread will get a bit soggy.

How do you store watercress in the fridge?

Watercress will stay fresh when stored in a deep bowl in the refrigerator, with the stems submerged in water and the top loosely covered in plastic wrap or an inverted plastic bag.

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