The salade lyonnaise is a composed salad of frisée or dandelion leaves, fried lardons, croutons and a poached egg, dressed with a wine-vinegar vinaigrette.

French Wikipedia calls the salade lyonnaise a traditional composed salad of Lyon and a variant of the dandelion salad. It lists frisée or dandelion leaves, fried smoked lardons, croutons browned in butter, a poached egg and a vinaigrette of walnut oil and wine vinegar, with parsley; the article on Lyon cuisine describes the croutons as rubbed with garlic. No page gives a date for its creation. It is one of the dishes the Lyon cuisine article names for the bouchon table, and Le Mercière lists a Lyonnaise salad on its 33 euro menu.

Where to eat Salade lyonnaise in Lyon

1 editor pick for Salade lyonnaise in Lyon, ranked by editorial score. All Lyon signature dishes · Salade lyonnaise across every city.

  • Le Merciere

    Order The quenelle de brochet (pike quenelle) or the andouillette, both named on its site.

    Le Mercière is a Lyonnais bouchon at 56 Rue Mercière in Lyon, voted best Lyonnais bouchon in 2022, with Chef Sébastien Plessis in the kitchen.

    DetailsReserveDirections

Book food experiences in Lyon

See all 662 food experiences in Lyon

More places near Le Merciere

Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.

Make it at home

Serves 220 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1 head of frisee (curly endive), outer leaves discarded
  • 150g lardons or thick-cut streaky bacon, cut into cubes
  • 2 slices sourdough bread, cubed for croutons
  • 2 very fresh eggs
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (plus 1 tbsp for the poaching water)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Dry the frisee in a salad spinner and divide between two plates.
  2. Fry the lardons in a dry pan over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges colour, about 6 minutes. Add the bread cubes and fry in the bacon fat until golden, 2 minutes more.
  3. Whisk the mustard and 2 tbsp vinegar in a bowl; whisk in the oil to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring a pan of water with 1 tbsp vinegar to a gentle simmer. Crack each egg into a cup and slide into the water; poach 3 minutes until the white sets but the yolk is still liquid.
  5. Pour the dressing over the frisee and toss. Top immediately with the hot lardons and croutons from the pan (with the residual fat), then crown with the poached egg. Serve at once.

Editor tip. The dressing goes on at the last second, not ahead; the frisee should wilt only slightly from the heat of the bacon fat, not steam.

Common allergens: Eggs, Gluten.