La Salade Lyonnaise
A Lyonnaise salad, or should I say, La Salade Lyonnaise is a very simple dish from the city of Lyon, and consists of fresh salad leaves, traditionally frisée lettuce, and pieces of lardons or bacon with a lightly poached egg resting on the top.
Of course, the French cook may add some fried bread croutons with it as well to not waste any bread and this is just one way to use up any stale bread in the kitchen.
It is dressed with an oil, vinegar, and mustard dressing which is very easy to make yourself, so no need to go out and buy expensive bottles of French dressings.
The salad is often served as a starter or hors d'oeuvre and is perfect for a light lunch.
Get the how-to's and handy tips for making salad with The Complete Salad Guide.
📖 Recipe
Lyonnaise Salad
Ingredients
- 4 fresh free-range eggs
- 4 slices of bread with crusts removed and cut into cubes
- Olive oil for frying bread
- Half a clove of garlic
- 60 ml olive oil
- 4 bacon rashers cut into strips or a small pack of lardons
- 80 ml red wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
- 225 g/8 oz frisée lettuce/endive dandelion leaves and lambs lettuce
Instructions
- Chop the garlic and fry in a little oil in a frying pan until it flavors the oil.
- Remove from the pan. Or you can simply rub a cut garlic clove around the pan before you fry the bread.
- Fry the bread cubes until crisp and golden.
- Remove and keep warm.
- Place the bacon in the pan and cook for about two minutes.
- Add the vinegar and mustard and boil until it has reduced to about a third.
- Pour this over the salad leaves and toss a little.
- Boil some water in a pan (just enough to cover the eggs) to which you have added about a tablespoon of vinegar (don't overdo this, or the eggs will taste strongly of vinegar).
- Allow to simmer.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl before sliding into the simmering water.
- Poach for about 3 minutes until just set – the yolk should be still slightly runny.
- To serve, arrange the salad leaves with the bacon and mustard dressing on plates and place a poached egg on top of each.
- Sprinkle with the golden croutons and serve your Lyonnaise salad immediately.
If you tried this recipe please let us know.