Description
Bistro salad delivers a symphony of French countryside flavors, blending crisp greens with delicate ingredients. Delightful textures and refreshing notes create a perfect harmony you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Components:
- 5 ounces (142 grams) mixed greens (like frisee, arugula, baby lettuces)
- 4 large eggs
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought croutons
- ½ small shallot, thinly sliced
- Fresh chives or tarragon (optional, for garnish)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil
Seasoning:
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Carefully submerge eggs into rapidly bubbling water, maintaining a gentle boil for 6-7 minutes to achieve perfectly soft-centered yolks.
- Immediately transfer eggs into an ice bath to halt cooking process, allowing them to cool completely before gently peeling and slicing in half.
- Craft a vibrant vinaigrette by whisking lemon juice with Dijon mustard, incorporating honey for subtle sweetness, then gradually blend olive oil until the mixture transforms into a smooth, glossy emulsion.
- Season the dressing with delicate pinches of salt and freshly cracked pepper, tasting and adjusting flavors as needed.
- Select a spacious mixing bowl and delicately coat crisp salad greens with a few tablespoons of the prepared vinaigrette, ensuring each leaf receives a light, even coating.
- Sprinkle finely chopped shallots, golden-brown croutons, and a generous portion of crispy bacon pieces across the dressed greens, gently folding to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Artfully arrange the dressed salad onto serving plates, strategically positioning the halved eggs on top of the greens.
- Garnish with remaining bacon fragments, scatter fresh herb leaves, and finish with an additional drizzle of vinaigrette and a final whisper of black pepper.
Notes
- Customize egg doneness by adjusting boiling time, ensuring perfectly soft or hard-boiled eggs based on personal preference.
- Create vegetarian version by replacing bacon with crispy roasted nuts or smoked tofu for added protein and crunch.
- Prep components ahead of time to transform this into a quick weeknight meal, storing dressing and cooked ingredients separately.
- Experiment with different greens like arugula or baby spinach to add peppery or earthy undertones to the classic bistro salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg