French Bistro Salad
This French bistro salad is simple, elegant, and utterly delicious. A mix of soft and crispy lettuces provides a gentle bite with just enough crunch. Fresh parsley and chives add layers of flavor. A (mostly) traditional french vinaigrette made with stone ground mustard and tarragon is subtle yet satisfying and coats every leaf. Instead of dicing the shallots and including them in the dressing as in a true traditional vinaigrette, we pickle the shallots separately for a pop of flavor and color. Toasted walnuts and homemade croutons add warmth and texture. Puy lentils make the salad more of a meal. And sweet grapes balance out the otherwise savory flavor profile.
The classic french bistro salad graces nearly every menu I found in France. It’s simple, but so satisfying, and I ate it for lunch nearly every day while I was there. Often, you’ll find it served with toasted goats’ cheese (then called “salad du chevre”), so if you enjoy dairy, then that makes a great modification to this salad. Here I toasted the bread into croutons and added lentils and pickled shallots for extra substance and flavor. The result is every bit as addicting as the ones I loved so much in France.
Just like in France, I cannot stop craving these salads. I’ve been eating a variation of it almost every day for lunch lately, and I love how simple and savory it is. If you make a big batch of pickled shallots (just double or triple the recipe below) and puy lentils in advance, you can throw this salad together in 5 minutes. You can also make the dressing in advance if you really want to speed things up.
This bistro salad is also really versatile as a side salad as it pairs well with quite a few heartier dishes. I like to serve it with french onion soup, ratatouille, lasagna, or even mashed potatoes and tempeh steaks. It’s just a great all-purpose salad that can stand on its own as a meal or supplement another main dish. And feel free to adapt the recipe to what is in season. I used grapes here, but you could just as easily use seasonal stone fruits like apricots or cherries when in season. Apples might also be good. Berries might be too bitter and acidic and not sweet enough, but feel free to experiment.
French Bistro Salad
Make the pickled shallots. Add 75 g finely sliced shallots, 1/3 cup wine vinegar, and 3/4 T sugar to a small bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Now cook the lentils (if using pre-cooked, skip this step). Add .25 cup dry lentils, 1 cup water, and 1/8 tsp salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. You want the lentils to be soft enough to eat but not mushy at all. Immediately strain the water off, and set the lentils aside to cool once cooked.
While the lentils cook, make the dressing. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk vigorously with a fork until emulsified.
While the lentils cook, make the crouton mixture. Pre-heat a skillet over medium heat. Add .25 tsp evoo and 2 T halved walnuts, and the cubed bread. Toast, stirring often, for 2-4 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
Once the lentils are cooled, add them to the bottom of the salad bowl and prepare the rest of the salad. Wash and spin (or shake the colander) to get rid of excess water on the lettuces. Wash and halve the grapes. Chop the herbs. Add lettuces, grapes, and herbs to the salad bowl. Add half the pickled shallots to the salad as well. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss to coat the leaves and lentils evenly.
Split the salad between two bowls. Top with the crouton mixture and enjoy! Add additional shallots as desired.
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Serving Size 1 Lunch-Size Salad
Servings 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 380
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 19g30%
- Cholesterol 0mg
- Potassium 437mg13%
- Total Carbohydrate 46g16%
- Dietary Fiber 7g29%
- Sugars 15g
- Protein 13g26%
- Vitamin C 5%
- Calcium 2%
- Iron 22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
Make the pickled shallots. Add 75 g finely sliced shallots, 1/3 cup wine vinegar, and 3/4 T sugar to a small bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Now cook the lentils (if using pre-cooked, skip this step). Add .25 cup dry lentils, 1 cup water, and 1/8 tsp salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. You want the lentils to be soft enough to eat but not mushy at all. Immediately strain the water off, and set the lentils aside to cool once cooked.
While the lentils cook, make the dressing. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk vigorously with a fork until emulsified.
While the lentils cook, make the crouton mixture. Pre-heat a skillet over medium heat. Add .25 tsp evoo and 2 T halved walnuts, and the cubed bread. Toast, stirring often, for 2-4 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
Once the lentils are cooled, add them to the bottom of the salad bowl and prepare the rest of the salad. Wash and spin (or shake the colander) to get rid of excess water on the lettuces. Wash and halve the grapes. Chop the herbs. Add lettuces, grapes, and herbs to the salad bowl. Add half the pickled shallots to the salad as well. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss to coat the leaves and lentils evenly.
Split the salad between two bowls. Top with the crouton mixture and enjoy! Add additional shallots as desired.
