Skip to content

Meat, South and mountains

Lyonnaise salad with bacon lardons and poached egg

Lyonnaise salad is a composed salad of frisée, bacon lardons, garlic croutons, and a poached egg, originally from Lyon. It serves 4 and takes 35 minutes to make, rated easy, for about €2.40 per person. The key to success is cooking the poached egg so the yolk stays runny, and seasoning the frisée at the last minute.

Tonight, a well loaded Lyonnaise salad, with crisp frisée, bacon lardons, garlic croutons, and a runny poached egg.

Lyonnaise salad with bacon lardons and poached egg
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Lyonnaise salad plays on contrasts, the frisée stays crisp with a slight bitterness, the bacon lardons bring saltiness and crunch, the garlic croutons add golden crunch, and the poached egg spills over everything the moment you cut into it. It's a salad that feels warm and cold at once, with the warm dressing softening the frisée just slightly without wilting it completely.

It's the perfect dish for a weeknight when you want something complete without dirtying three pans, the potatoes alone make this filling enough for dinner. It also works for a relaxed Sunday evening with guests, everyone serves themselves and breaks their own egg at the table. Kids usually love the bacon and croutons, you can offer them a soft boiled egg instead of poached if they prefer.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Frisée lettuce 1
  • Garlic 1 cloves
  • Potatoes 500 g

Butcher

  • Smoked bacon lardons 200 g

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Bakery

  • Country bread 4 slices

Pantry

  • Mustardoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Wine vinegaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel them, and cut them into rounds. 20 min

    Keep them warm so they soak up the dressing.

  2. Dry fry the bacon lardons until golden and crispy, then drain them. 8 min

    Save a little of the fat for the dressing.

  3. Cut the bread into cubes, rub them with garlic, and brown them in a pan with a drizzle of oil. 5 min

    The croutons are ready when they sound hollow.

  4. Make the dressing with the mustard, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, then toss it with the frisée and potatoes.

    Season at the last minute so the frisée stays crisp.

  5. Poach the eggs in gently simmering vinegared water, then place them on the salad with the bacon and croutons. 3 min

    A swirl in the water with a spoon helps the egg hold its shape.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a firm, dry head of frisée and spin it thoroughly, leftover water dilutes the dressing and softens the leaves.
  • Use very fresh eggs for poaching, the white holds together better around the yolk and keeps a rounder shape.
  • Serve the salad as soon as the egg is placed on top, the warmth from the egg and bacon should still slightly wilt the frisée.

The variations

  • Swap the smoked bacon lardons for turkey bacon if you want a milder, less smoky flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the bacon with sautéed button mushrooms and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
  • For a quicker version, swap the poached egg for a soft boiled egg cooked 6 minutes in boiling water, easier to get right and just as runny.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Extra slices of country bread
  • A light soup as a starter

Storage

Store the components separately in sealed containers in the fridge, up to 2 days for the cooked potatoes and bacon. The dressed frisée and poached egg don't keep well, prepare them just before serving. This salad doesn't freeze.

Questions about this dish

How do you poach an egg without it falling apart in the water?

Use a very fresh egg and add a splash of vinegar to simmering, not boiling, water. Stir the water gently with a spoon to create a light swirl before sliding in the egg, this helps the white gather around the yolk.

Can you prepare Lyonnaise salad ahead of time?

You can cook the potatoes, bacon, and croutons ahead and keep them in the fridge. Dress the frisée and poach the egg just before serving though, to keep the crunch and the runny yolk.

What can replace the smoked bacon lardons?

Turkey bacon or plain bacon lardons work well if you want less smokiness. For a meat free version, sautéed button mushrooms give a similarly savory bite.

What salad can I use if I don't have frisée?

Escarole is the closest match in texture and slight bitterness. Lamb's lettuce or baby spinach also work, but they make the salad softer and less crisp.

How long does it take to make a Lyonnaise salad with bacon lardons and a poached egg?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Lyonnaise salad with bacon lardons and a poached egg?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Lyonnaise salad with bacon lardons and a poached egg cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Cuisine from the South and the mountains

See all

Bacon bit recipes

See all