Salade Lyonnaise
Transport yourself to a French bistro with this Salade Lyonnaise! This is a classic French recipe that includes crisp frisée lettuce, crunchy bacon, a warm, flavorful dressing, and it’s topped with a soft poached egg. It’s a dairy-free, gluten-free side dish or lunch that’s guaranteed to impress!
I ate a lot of great food that left a lasting impression on me when I visited Paris many years ago.
I didn’t cook a lot back then, but years later when I became an avid cook, I thought how much I would love to recreate some of my favorite French dishes like beef bourguignon and nicoise salad at home so I could enjoy them a lot more often.
I did just that, and after being classically trained in French cuisine in cooking school, I fell in love with French food even more.
We prepared this Salade Lyonnaise recipe in school, which thrilled me because it was one of my favorite things to enjoy in the French bistros.
It’s elegant and luxurious, and it was high time that I recreated this masterpiece at home, especially after mastering poached eggs!
This is a salad that’s guaranteed to impress. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This Lyonnaise salad recipe is a classic French salad with crisp frisée lettuce, savory bacon, a warm flavorful dressing and it’s topped with a soft poached egg.
- It’s elegant and indulgent and perfect for a special side dish, lunch or date night dinner.
- It’s dairy and gluten-free, and it comes together in just a few minutes.
- Components can be prepped in advance making salad assembly go even more quickly.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Frisée lettuce. Frisée, also known as curly endive, is a member of the chicory family. It has a bitter flavor and crisp texture that’s perfect for this salad, and the flavor pairs beautifully with the crisp bacon and luscious poached egg. See my collection of chicory recipes for more delicious ways to use chicory lettuce!
- Bacon. Thick cut bacon works best in this recipe. Four slices is all you need, and it renders the perfect amount of bacon fat which is incorporated into the lyonnaise dressing.
- Poached eggs. The poached eggs make this salad lyonnaise luxurious and special. See my poached eggs recipe to get all the tips to make them perfectly every time.
- Olive oil. About a tablespoon of olive oil is added to the dressing to add the right amount of fat.
- Shallot. A bit of finely chopped shallot is added to the dressing for a nice savory flavor. It does not need to be cooked as the flavor is mellow.
- Red wine vinegar. Adds flavor and acidity to the dressing.
- Lemon juice. I love adding fresh lemon juice to add an extra layer of flavor and brighten the flavor of the dressing. If you don’t have any on hand, simply use more red wine vinegar.
- Dijon mustard. This ingredient is a must as it is a natural emulsifier and it adds great depth of flavor.
How to make Lyonnaise salad
This salad has just a few components that are very easy to make.
Frisée lettuce can be quite gritty, so be sure to wash it well, then drain well before use.
See my poached eggs recipe for all of my easy tips to poach perfect eggs every time.
Pro tip: Prep the frisée up to a few days in advance to make salad prep go even more quickly. For best results, assemble the salad and cook the poached eggs last.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Wash and drain the frisée and tear into bite-sized pieces. One head yields roughly 8 cups.
- Cut the bacon width-wise into strips. Using frozen bacon makes this process even easier!
- Cook the bacon and place on a paper towel lined plate; reserve the bacon fat for the dressing.
- Combine the reserved bacon fat with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, salt and pepper, to taste, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
- Toss the frisée and bacon with the dressing until well coated, then plate the salads.
- Poach the eggs, season with salt and pepper and top each salad with an egg.
FAQs
Salade Lyonnaise originated in the French city of Lyon, and is a variation of a traditional French green salad with greens, bacon, croutons and egg.
This salad consists of frisée lettuce, bacon or lardons, poached eggs and a dressing that includes red wine vinegar and dijon dressing.
The classic version typically includes croutons, but this recipe does not.
Serving suggestions
You may be wondering what to serve with salad Lyonnaise? I have some delicious options for you below!
- This salad makes a delicious date night dinner alongside lemon dijon salmon or pan seared steak. It would also pair beautifully with butternut squash risotto.
- Make your weeknight special! Serve Lyonnaise salad with air fryer chicken breast or air fryer pork chops.
- Serve alongside a cozy bowl of winter minestrone soup or escarole and bean soup.
- Serve as a light main dish or lunch with focaccia bread or your favorite crusty bread.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prep the frisée up to a few days in advance to make salad prep go even more quickly. For best results, plate the salads, cook the poached eggs last and serve immediately.
- Frisée lettuce can be quite gritty, so be sure to wash it well, then drain well before use.
- Using frozen bacon makes cutting bacon even easier. Simply cut frozen bacon into strips as shown in Figure 2 in the recipe instructions in the post above. You’ll need equivalent to 4 slices.
- Salade Lyonnaise can be easily scaled to serve more or less people.
More salad recipes you’ll love
- Butter lettuce salad
- Caesar salad recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen
- Citrus salad
- Greek salad recipe
- Radicchio salad
- Roasted beet salad
- Tricolore salad
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Salade Lyonnaise
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon cut into thick strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice sub with red wine vinegar if you don't have any on hand
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil add up to 1 tablespoon more as needed
- 1 head frisée washed, drained and torn; about 8 cups
- 4 poached eggs
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the bacon grease (you should have 2-3 tablespoons).4 slices thick cut bacon
- Pour the bacon grease into a small bowl and add the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon, shallot and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the tablespoon of olive oil until emulsified. Taste, and whisk in up to 1 tablespoon more olive oil if the dressing is a bit too tangy for your taste. Adjust the seasoning as necessary1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Place the frisée and bacon in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing until well coated. Divide the salad among 4 plates.1 head frisée
- Poach the eggs and season each one with salt and pepper. Place one poached egg on top of each salad and serve immediately. Enjoy!4 poached eggs
Notes
- Pro tip: Prep the frisée up to a few days in advance to make salad prep go even more quickly. For best results, plate the salads, cook the poached eggs last and serve immediately.
- See my poached eggs recipe for all of my easy tips to poach perfect eggs every time.
- Frisée lettuce can be quite gritty, so be sure to wash it well, then drain well before use.
- Using frozen bacon makes cutting bacon even easier. Simply cut frozen bacon into strips as shown in Figure 2 in the recipe instructions in the post above. You’ll need equivalent to 4 slices.
- Recipe can be easily scaled to serve more or less people.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
