Inspired by salade Lyonnaise, this French potato salad has little red potatoes, crisp bacon, hard boiled eggs, frisee lettuce and a warm bacon vinaigrette. I hope your potato salad is ready for an upgrade! Jump to the recipe >
French Potato Salad with Bacon, Egg, and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette.
I love potato salad in all of its forms. The German potato salad made with bacon fat, the American potato salad with mayonnaise, and the Jewish deli potato salad with sour cream— these all have a place at my table. But the potato salad I grew up with and the one I love the most is French potato salad. It is made with skin-on little red potatoes and a bright and garlicky vinaigrette.
The salad I love the most- like in the whole world- is the salade Lyonnaise. It features frisée lettuce, bacon, soft cooked eggs, and a simple vinaigrette. This potato salad is like a mashup of my grandmother’s French potato salad and the salade lyonaisse. It has little red potatoes, crisp bacon, hard boiled eggs, and a warm bacon vinaigrette. It is, in a word, transcendent.
If you’re serving this one cold, you can prepare all your ingredients the day before and dress the salad with the warm bacon vinaigrette just as you’re about to serve it. No one needs to know your new potato salad masterpiece is inspired by a famous salad from Lyon, France. All they need to know is whether there’s enough for seconds.
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- 3 lbs small red potatoes
- ¾ lb thick cut bacon
- 1 head frisee lettuce, well washed and torn into bite sides pieces
- 1 head frisee lettuce, well washed and torn into bite sides pieces
- 4 large boiled eggs, peeled and quatered
- 4 large boiled eggs, peeled and quatered
- ¼ cup bacon fat
- ¼ cup bacon fat
- 1.5 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Cut potatoes into 1.5 inch wedges. Set a steamer basket in a large pot- filled with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Steam for 20-25 minutes on high then check for doneness. If they are still a bit hard, steam until they are fork tender, but not mushy.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over low heat- pouring off and reserving a bit of rendered fat each time you turn the bacon. When bacon is ready, cut into small pieces and set aside.
- Make Dressing: Just before assembling, warm bacon fat until it is completely liquid. Whisk in vinegar and garlic. Since some bacon is quite seasoned, I recommend holding off on adding salt and pepper until you’ve tasted your vinaigrette.
- Assemble the Salad: Toss potatoes and bacon with vinaigrette, letttuce, and chopped parsley. Top with quartered boiled eggs and a dusting of coarse ground black pepper.
Cindy Gordon says
This looks delicious! Perfect for our Sunday supper! Can’t wait to make this!
Colleen says
This sounds delicious! Loving the combo of potatoes, greens, bacon and the decadent eggs! Plus you have garlic in the viniagarette, Holy yum! It’s my trinity+ of favorite foods!
Matt Flores says
I love lyonnaise potatoes. This salad looks delicious…plus bacon?!!?! I mean, come on! How could that get any better?! You have an awesome recipe, and the photography is beautiful. great job Sabrina 🙂
Sabrina Modelle says
I actually thought of you when I made this because the first time we met, you’d made that amazing warm bacon vinaigrette! Thanks, Matt! 🙂
mimi says
Fantastic! The first time I went to Lyon I ordered a Salade Lyonnaise, of course! Such wonderful elements. I absolutely love this potato salad!
maria says
I would love to try this salad. This is looks healthy and delicious!
Anita Schecter says
That vinaigrette!!!! Pinned.
Melissa @ Insider The Kitchen says
I do truly love this recipe. This is my kind of potato salad. I can’t do the gloppy, deli-counter variety, but this kind is perfection. Thanks for sharing and for being an inspiration!
Kate Berkey says
I was looking for a salad recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this
Sabrina Modelle says
Hi Kate! So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me konw- it makes me so happy to hear.