A classic Lyonnaise salad may be little more than greens, bacon, vinaigrette and egg but when combined, they become something truly special. It's popular in bistros across France for good reason, and so easy to make at home as an appetizer or light lunch.
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I know I sometimes mention when I share salads that I'm not the hugest fan of plain salads. But with the right additions, even a simple handful of greens can be taken up a notch. And that's definitely true for this classic French salad.
You'll find this served as an appetizer across the country and it does indeed make a great start to many a meal. It's also great when you aren't quite sure what to make as it doesn't require that many ingredients.
Origins of Lyonnaise salad
This salad is from Lyon in central France ("Lyonnaise" means "from Lyon"), but other than that, the origins are unclear. However, it is considered a staple in the "bouchons" that are a key part of the city's culinary heritage, so may well have originated in one of them.
A bouchon is a small bistro/eatery that typically serves dishes from Lyonnaise cuisine like sausages, duck pate and this salad. Bouchons are all about using local produce and ingredients. Meals tend to be simple, catering to the city's many tradespeople.
Their menu can change daily as a result, if they indeed have a list of dishes to choose from at all. Many have a set menu, a "menu du jour", for lunch with little, if anything, a la carte.
Lyon's culinary heritage
Lyon prides itself as a centre of cuisine and many chefs see it as the true gastronomic center of the country. Classic dishes include coq au vin, saucisson de Lyon (a kind of sausage) and marrons glaces (candied chestnuts).
Lyonnaise cuisine apparently started in the 16th century when Catherine of Medici brought her chefs with her to France and ordered them to cook with produce sourced around the country. It was an important step in the evolution of cooking, as these trained chefs learned to incorporate different ingredients.
In the 18th century, Lyon 'mothers' emerged and are often credited with creating the current culinary reputation. These were ladies who had previously served richer families who set up on their own.
They combined humble ingredients with simple but elegant preparation, the type of food now prized by people from all backgrounds in the city's unique bouchon.
The Lyonnaise style of cuisine
Many traditional Lyonnaise dishes are relatively humble, and some evolved to ensure nothing went to waste, such as using lesser cuts and leftovers. But the city is also highly regarded by leading chefs and has given the world people like Daniel Boulud.
You may have, like me, seen Daniel Boulud on Parts Unknown introduce Anthony Bourdain to aspects of the city's food culture. In my case it brought back memories of my own visit there in high school (like steak in the school cafeteria!)
Lyon has always been at a crossroads of trades and ingredients from far and wide. This has also influenced the cuisine, which incorporates a broader range of ingredients than some other areas in France.
Ingredients in salade Lyonnaise
The salad is a perfect example of Lyonnaise cuisine as it uses a relatively short list of simple ingredients, but combines them into something with a wonderful balance of flavors and textures.
The main components are:
- A base of bitter greens, typically frisée.
- Strips of smoky bacon ('lardons') and often toasted croutons.
- A simple vinaigrette made with shallot, mustard, vinegar and the warm bacon fat rendered in cooking it.
- A poached egg on top.
Not all versions include croutons, so you can skip them if you prefer, though personally I love the nice extra crunch they add. Some, as an alternative, add sliced cooked potato - if you do this, I'd recommend smaller new potatoes or salad potatoes.
What is frisée and substitutes
Frisée is a slightly bitter green, also sometimes called curly endive. It's a member of the chicory family, along with endive and radicchio. You can use it much like lettuce and other salad greens but it also works to cook with.
If you can't find frisée, you can substitute other slightly bitter greens such as escarole. The salad is also sometimes made with dandelion greens which have that similar slight bitterness and work well.
If you can't find these, or are not as keen on it being quite as bitter, then I'd suggest for example some arugula (rocket) and/or radicchio mixed in with other crisp greens.
Tips for poaching eggs
Poaching eggs can seem daunting, but it's actually easier than you might think. Tips for successful poaching:
- Use fresh eggs for best results.
- Use a wide pot and bring the water to a simmer rather than a roaring boil (boiling too much is more likely to break up the eggs).
- Crack the eggs into a bowl first, rather than directly into the water. This makes it easier to keep the egg together.
- You can optionally add a little vinegar to the water - it can help the egg white hold together, but can also leave a slight vinegar flavor so up to you if you want to use.
- Create a small whirlpool and pour the egg in the middle.
Preparing ahead and serving
As with most salads, you don't want to add the dressing until right before serving, but you can make parts of this salad ahead. You can cook the bacon, croutons and shallot ahead and cool each before storing. You can mix up the vinaigrette ahead of time as well.
Store croutons at room temperature for a day or two in a sealed container. The bacon and vinaigrette should be stored in the fridge, each in separate sealed containers. You'll need to whisk the vinaigrette before using as it will likely separate. The bacon is best warm, so you may want to gently warm it if you made it ahead.
While the bacon (and it's fat in the dressing) and egg give a richness, this is still a relatively light salad. It's perfect as either an appetizer course or as a a light lunch with, for example, a bowl of soup or some bread and cheese.
Whenever you choose to have it, a Lyonnaise salad is easy to make and packed with flavor and texture. The egg oozes into the dressing, giving a luscious feel, despite the relatively humble ingredients. You'll soon see it's a classic for good reason.
Try these other classic French recipes:
- French lemon yogurt cake
- Beef bourguignon
- Quiche Lorraine
- Plus get more French recipes in the archives.
Salade Lyonnaise (Lyonnaise salad)
Ingredients
- 4 oz frisée (4 oz is approx 4 cups loosely packed) sometimes called curly endive
- 1 shallot
- 1 slice bread country style, slightly stale if possible (optional)
- 2 oz smoked bacon slab bacon if possibly or relatively thick cut, good quality smoked bacon. Pancetta is also good
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar (optional)
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Break the frisée into roughly bite-sized pieces and finely dice/mince the shallot. Remove the crusts from the bread, if using, and cut into small dice. Set a pan of water to boil to poach the eggs and put each egg in a small bowl.
- Cut the bacon into slices and fry over a medium-high heat until gently crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet, and set it aside to drain any excess fat.
- Add the shallot to the pan and cook over medium heat for a couple minutes until softened. Remove the shallot to a small bowl, along with around 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving a little fat in the skillet. If you don't have enough fat (if the bacon was leaner), add a little olive oil.
- Toast the bread in the remaining fat/oil until gently crisp on at least a couple sides.
- Meanwhile, add the red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard to the warm bacon fat and shallots and stir gently to emulsify. You can either toss the frisée with the dressing then divide between plates, or drizzle the dressing over the finished salad.
- Also meanwhile, poach the eggs by optionally adding the white vinegar to the boiling water (you can skip the vinegar but it can help the egg white to stay together). The water should be a simmer rather than roaring boil. You can poach the eggs as you prefer, but it can often help to start by cracking each egg into a separate small bowl rather than cracking directly into the pot. Then swirl the water to form a small whirlpool and add an egg to the middle of the swirl. Once it starts to set, add the other egg. Poach them to around 2-3 minutes until the whites are white but the yolks are still soft.
- Divide the frisée between two plates, top with the bacon pieces and add the croutons (if using) and egg on top. Drizzle over the dressing if not already mixed with the frisée, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I first shared the recipe for salade Lyonnaise (warm bacon and egg salad) on Curious Cuisiniere where I am a contributor. This post was first shared here in May 2020 and has been updated, primarily with new photos, a video as well as additional tips.
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