Today’s Lyonnaise salad recipe is more than just greens, bacon, and eggs combined; with the addition of a simple dressing, they’ve become something much more special. Before jumping to the recipe card, however, here are some words about the background of this fancy-looking and easy-to-make salad.
Lyonnaise is a traditional salad from Lyon, France, and is often considered a staple of Lyon culinary traditions. It is a simple combination of bitter frisée, smoky bacon, and mustard-vinegar dressing, with a topping of poached eggs.
In terms of flavor, this timeless side dish will tick almost every box you can imagine, making it a great go-to appetizer or light brunch.
Is Lyonnaise Salad Healthy?
Yes, our Lyonnaise salad is relatively healthy.
Nutritionally, each serving provides 209 calories, making it an ideal side to pair with a main dish and provide a fulfilling 750-calorie meal.
We also keep a strict eye on elements like sodium, saturated fat, and sugar. To be precise, we use only 2 tablespoons of olive oil for the salad dressing without any added sugar and salt.
If you are looking for another healthy potato salad, don’t hesitate to check out our burrata salad recipe and give it a try at the next cook-out.
Main Ingredients
Lyonnaise salad doesn’t require many ingredients:
- Frisée Lettuce: With a crunchy texture and slight bitterness, frisée lettuce pairs nicely with salty bacon and creamy poached eggs. If you can’t find this type of lettuce, you can also use Curly Endive or Escarole. They are a little milder in taste but still crispy and retain the shape even after pouring over the warm dressing.
- Bacon: Crunchy bacon brings a nice contrast to the runny poached eggs. Plus, the warm bacon fat rendered during cooking can be used to stir fry the mushrooms, reducing the amount of cooking oil needed.
- Croutons: Most Lyonnaise salad recipes call for freshly baked croutons but not all, so you can simply skip it altogether or use one of your favorite alternatives. In our experience, toasted French baguette slices or sandwich bread can be used interchangeably and will provide a nice extra crunch.
- Eggs: The poached eggs add a creamy softness that mixes and mingles beautifully with everything else on the plate.
Dressing
Our Lyonnaise salad is filled with simple, yet healthy and delicious ingredients: green lettuce, poached eggs, crispy bacon, crunchy croutons, and the mustard-olive oil dressing. Like most simple salad recipes, the secret between reasonably good and excellent is the preparation and flavor combination of the dressing.
Specifically, you need 5 elements for this Lyonnaise salad dressing: egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. With these ingredients, this creamy dressing provides a pleasing burst of extra flavor, in perfect harmony with all the other flavors on the plate.
How Long Does It Last?
Homemade green salads like Lyonnaise should be consumed fresh, immediately after making for the best quality and taste experience.
To store any leftovers, put the salad in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. This way it can last for up to 2 – 3 days.
What to Serve With
Lyonnaise salad contains all the main food groups from meat and carbohydrates to vegetables. It’s perfect for an appetizer or light lunch.
If you serve this salad as a side dish, it would be great alongside a bowl of warm soup, like pumpkin, or with a baguette and cheese. For a more fulfilling meal, we recommend having our Lyonnaise salad with grilled meat or a slice of quiche.
For more healthy salad to put into your collection, check out this article.
Lyonnaise Salad Recipe
In this Lyonnaise salad recipe, frisée lettuce is tossed with a creamy and tangy dressing and topped with crispy bacon, poached eggs, and crunchy croutons.
- cook TIME 17 mins
- prep TIME 8 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
- CUISINE French
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 209 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz frisée lettuce
- 1 oz white bread (cubed)
- 4 oz brown mushrooms (diced)
- 1 oz bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 4 medium egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the croutons: Bake the cubed 1 oz white bread in an air fryer at 300℉ for 13 minutes.
Poach the eggs: In a small pot, pour in 3 cups water and 2 tbsp white vinegar and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Crack 4 medium egg into a small shallow bowl. Using a slotted spoon, swirl the water and slide the eggs into it. Simmer for about 1 minute until the white is set and the yolk is filmed over. Using a slotted spoon, remove the poached eggs to a bowl of cool water.
Cook the bacon: In a small pan, add 1 oz bacon, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. When completely cooled, chop into small pieces.
Cook the mushrooms: In the same pan, add 4 oz brown mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Make the dressing: Combine 1 large egg yolk and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Then add 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp red wine vinegar and swirl to combine. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into the mixture.
Assemble the salad:
- Layer the frisée lettuce, stir-fried mushrooms, poached eggs, and croutons on a salad plate.
- Pour the dressing over the salad.
- Finish with 1/4 tsp ground pepper.
Serve.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorLizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- Annie BClassic and refreshing salad recipe.