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!

Salade lyonnaise on a plate of frisée lettuce

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. 🙂

Plates of salad lyonnaise with bacon and frisee in bowls

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

Salade lyonnaise 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.

How to make salad lyonnaise
  1. Wash and drain the frisée and tear into bite-sized pieces. One head yields roughly 8 cups.
  2. Cut the bacon width-wise into strips. Using frozen bacon makes this process even easier!
  3. Cook the bacon and place on a paper towel lined plate; reserve the bacon fat for the dressing.
  4. 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.
  5. Toss the frisée and bacon with the dressing until well coated, then plate the salads.
  6. Poach the eggs, season with salt and pepper and top each salad with an egg.
salade lyonnaise with fork breaking yolk

FAQs

Where did Lyonnaise salad originate?

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.

What is Salad Lyonnaise made of?

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!

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.
Lyonnaise salad on a plate with broken egg yolk

More salad recipes you’ll love

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Salade lyonnaise on a plate of frisée lettuce

Salade Lyonnaise

Salade Lyonnaise is a classic French salad with poached egg and bacon, crisp frisée and a warm, tangy dressing. It's an elegant salad that's guaranteed to impress!
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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 necessary
    1 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

Serving: 1salad, Calories: 271kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 209mg, Sodium: 586mg, Potassium: 396mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 3515IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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