I saw a YouTube video of a Japanese-style sandwich shop in LA people have fallen in love with. One of their offerings was a Japanese egg salad sandwich, similar to what you might find in a convenience store in Japan, but with a whole soft-boiled egg embedded in the centre. It is naturally a great choice for a keto conversion, so I decided to try my hand at it.
Imitation Konbi Keto Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich - Keto, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free
- 6 soft-boiled eggs (*Make sure they're soft, but not runny. To get them just right, I use the Instant Pot set to steam on high for 3 minutes then let it sit for 1 minute after the cycle is complete before removing them, and immediately cooling them in a water bath so I can peel them right away.)
- 1 small green onion stalk, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise, plus more for spreading on bread (*You can sub regular mayonnaise, but it'll taste more authentic if you get the Japanese stuff.)
- 2 teaspoons sour cream
- 3/4 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, plus more for spreading on bread
- Flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Fleur de sel and freshly ground freshly ground black pepper (*To taste. I don't think black pepper is usually included a typical Japanese egg salad, but I feel that it’s better with it.)
- 4 small slices or two large slices of keto bread (*Note: Make sure the bread is sliced thick enough to handle the weight of the sandwich. Mine was a little on the thin side.)
Directions:
Add the green onions, mayo, sour cream, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to a medium mixing bowl and stir together until well-combined.
Using an egg slicer, slice all but two of the eggs vertically, then again horizontally to get the boiled egg strips, quintessential to the Konbi style. Put the remaining two eggs in the fridge until ready to use. Add them to the mixing bowl with the sauce and gently work it through with a silicon spatula or your hands until well-combined. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to combine.
Cut either 8 small slices of keto bread or 4 large slices. Lay out the sliced bread into 4 small sandwiches or 2 larger ones. Dress the insides of the bread slices with additional mayo on one side and Dijon mustard on the other. Cut the reserved eggs in half vertically with a sharp knife and place one half egg yolk side up down on the center of mayo side of bread. If using larger slices, place two halves, on the bread, one above the other, evenly spaced. Do the same for the other sandwiches. Scoop out an even amount of the egg salad mix on top of each boiled egg and evenly spread over the bread. Top with the other slice of bread. If using small slices, cut the sandwich in half right down the centre of the egg horizontally. If using larger slices, make two cuts to divide the sandwich into three, cutting through the centre of the egg halves horizontally. Plate the sandwiches so the egg halves are facing up so the diner can appreciate how lovely it is.
I know it's a bit more involved that a typical egg salad sandwich, but it sure puts an interesting twist on an old favourite. Plus, they are super-filling when made with keto bread, so if you're doing OMAD (one meal a day), you can get a significant chunk of your day's calories in a single sandwich.
Did you go all out and give this keto Japanese egg salad sandwich recipe a try? Who were you trying to impress? ;) Please Let me know know how it went. Or if you post pics on Instagram, tag me so I can see your creation. :)
