Roughly chop your hard boiled eggs into bite-sized pieces. You want some texture here, not a mash.

Cut the red onion, carrot, and celery into a small, even dice. Finer pieces mean better texture and less moisture in the final salad.

In a medium bowl, add the chopped eggs, diced vegetables, cottage cheese, dijon mustard, lemon juice, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Mix everything together until fully combined. Be gentle — you want the eggs to stay a little chunky.

Give it a taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This step makes a real difference in flavor.