french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (2024)

Home » Recipes » Meal Type » Salad » French Bistro Brunch Salad with a Poached Egg and Broiled Cherry Tomatoes

french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (1) by Katie Webster
May 20, 2016 (updated 7/12/22)
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5 from 4 reviews

This easy salad recipe is a twist on the classic French Bistro salad and it’s perfect for brunch. Because who says you can’t have a salad for brunch? When there’s a poached egg, bacon and broiled cherry tomatoes involved it’ll be hard to resist.

french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (2)

Table of contents

  • Why We Love This Recipe For French Bistro Salad For Brunch
  • Key Ingredients to Make This Recipe
    • Eggs
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Fingerling potatoes
    • Bacon
    • Additional Ingredients
  • Step by Step Instructions to Make This Brunch Salad
    • Step 3: Cook eggs
    • Step 4: Assemble brunch salad
  • FAQs and Expert Tips
  • Additional Easy Salad Recipes to Try
  • Additional Healthy Brunch Recipes to Try

Why We Love This Recipe For French Bistro Salad For Brunch

If you’ve never opted for a loaded salad for brunch, I’m telling you you’re missing out. Because not only is it healthy, but you can also make it so delicious by piling on some of your other favorite brunch foods. Which is basically exactly what I did for this recipe.

Poached eggs, bacon, cherry tomatoes and potatoes make this brunch salad a dream. And honestly, I could eat this for brunch, lunch and dinner most days. Plus, don’t you just love how colorful the plate is with all the different foods?

A classic French bistro salad is known for its use of lots of crisp greens, bacon, poached egg and a light vinaigrette. Add on potatoes and extra seasonal veggies (broiled cherry tomatoes) and you’ve got yourself the perfect brunch salad. Plus, not only is the dressing full of herbs, (it’s a riff on my tarragon vinaigrette recipe) but the cherry tomatoes are also cooked with Herbs de Provence.

Serve this on a lazy weekend, or present it to guests for a totally inspired healthy and satisfying brunch entree!

french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (3)

Key Ingredients to Make This Recipe

Eggs

I love poaching eggs for salads. For the best and freshest flavor, I like using brown organic eggs. You’ll find the highest quality eggs at local farmers’ markets, but any eggs at the store will do. See the steps below for detailed instructions on how to poach the perfect egg!

Cherry tomatoes

Look for firm and plump cherry tomatoes that are bright in color. I used all red for this recipe but you can always use heirloom cherry tomatoes instead.

Fingerling potatoes

Fingerling potatoes are long, stubby, small fingerlike potatoes. For this French bistro salad I used purple fingerling potatoes, but you can use any fingerling potatoes you can find. Look for ones that are even in color with no green, and no extra growths or sproutings.

Bacon

When choosing bacon at the store, go for an uncured option. This means that it hasn’t had any extra sodium nitrates added to it. Some bacon also has more fat and some sweetener added, so look for bacon with less fat, and one that isn’t sweetened.

Additional Ingredients

  • ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ teaspoons Herbs de Provence
  • ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon pepper to taste
  • 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar, plus a splash for poaching liquid
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoons chopped tarragon
  • 4 cups spinach or green lettuce
  • 2 to 4 cup frisee and/or cress

Step by Step Instructions to Make This Brunch Salad

Step 1: Prep & broil tomatoes

Preheat the broiler with an oven rack placed in the upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Toss the tomatoes with 2 teaspoons oil, herbs de Provence, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and broil until the tomatoes are soft and starting to blister, 4 to 8 minutes.

Step 2: Steam potatoes & make dressing

Meanwhile, steam the potatoes in a steamer basket in a medium saucepan until fork tender, 10 to 15 minutes. In a sealable jar, combine the remaining ¼ cup tablespoons oil, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey and tarragon. Shake to combine.

Step 3: Cook eggs

Bring several inches of water plus a splash of vinegar to a boil over high heat in a wide sauté pan or deep skillet. Crack eggs one at a time into a small ramekin and then slide into the water. Keep an eye on the boil/simmer of the water. The temperature of the water should drop from the cold eggs. When it comes back up to a simmer, reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. If the water is boiling, reduce heat. Cook eggs 4 minutes for runny yolks. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a clean towel.

Step 4: Assemble brunch salad

Divide the spinach among four large plates. Top with a quarter of the friesee each. Arrange the tomatoes, potatoes and bacon over the greens. Drizzle on the dressing. Top with the poached egg and serve immediately.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can this salad be made ahead?

Although I’d recommend assembling the salad right before serving, you can prep a few of the parts ahead. Cook the bacon and potatoes a few hours before (or even night before) and store in sealable containers in the fridge until ready to use. I would cook the tomatoes and eggs right before serving.

What to use if I don’t have white wine vinegar?

If you don’t have white wine vinegar use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar for the dressing instead.

How else could I cook the eggs?

If you don’t feel like tackling the project that is poaching an egg, make yammy hard-boiled eggs instead. Do this by bringing a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add in the eggs and cook for 8 minutes exactly. As soon as the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Allow the eggs to cool completely, then peel and cut in half.

Additional Easy Salad Recipes to Try

  • This Spinach Salad with Bacon and Eggs is delicious.
  • The roasted garlic in this Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad make the dish unique and so tasty.
  • Although it has Winter in the name, this Chopped Winter Salad is good any time of the year.
  • I love this Kale Salad with Blueberries, Manchego and Pumpkin Seed Clusters!
  • This Southwest Cobb Kale Salad with bacon, corn, and grated carrots is so easy to make.
  • Our new Healthy Classic Cobb Salad is another hearty entree salad featuring bacon and eggs.
  • And I would be remiss if I didn’t mentio this Southern-inspired Grilled Peach and Corb Cobb Salad.

Additional Healthy Brunch Recipes to Try

  • If you love crepes as much as I do you have to try my Whole Wheat Crepes!
  • This Rhubarb Compote is absolutely delicious on the crepes linked above.
  • My Easy Veggie Quiche is such a great breakfast and brunch recipe.
  • I can’t wait for you to try this Healthy French Toast Casserole!
  • This Swiss Chard Tart with Chèvre and Leeks is the perfect savory tart.
  • My Morning Glory Muffins are healthy and can be eaten any time of the day!
  • This Apple Cinnamon Bread is simply amazing.

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (4)

French Bistro Brunch Salad with a Poached Egg and Broiled Cherry Tomatoes

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This French Bistro Brunch Salad features a poached egg, bacon, potatoes, and cherry tomatoes. It’s a healthy and hearty salad that’s super easy to make!

Ingredients

UnitsScale

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper to taste
  • 12 fingerling potatoes, cut in half
  • 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar, plus a splash for poaching liquid
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoons chopped tarragon
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 cups spinach or green lettuce
  • 2 to 4 cup frisee and/or cress
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

  1. Arrange oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
  2. Toss tomatoes with 2 teaspoons oil, herbs de Provence, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and broil until the tomatoes are soft and starting to blister, 4 to 8 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, steam potatoes in a steamer basket in a medium saucepan until fork tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Combine the remaining ¼ cup tablespoons oil, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey and tarragon in a jar. Shake to combine.
  5. Bring several inches of water plus a splash of vinegar to a boil over high heat in a wide sauté pan or deep skillet. Crack eggs one at a time into a small ramekin and then slide into the water. Keep an eye on the boil/simmer of the water. The temperature of the water should drop from the cold eggs. When it comes back up to a simmer, reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. If the water is boiling, reduce heat. Cook eggs 4 minutes for runny yolks. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a clean towel.
  6. To assemble salads: divide spinach among four large plates. Top with a quarter of the friesee each. Arrange the tomatoes, potatoes and bacon over the greens. Drizzle on the dressing. Top with the poached egg and serve immediately.

Notes

Make-ahead:

Although I’d recommend assembling the salad right before serving, you can prep a few of the parts ahead. Cook the bacon and potatoes a few hours before (or even night before) and store in sealable containers in the fridge until ready to use. I would cook the tomatoes and eggs right before serving.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: French

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 salad
  • Calories: 439
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Fat: 28 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 17 g

{DISCOLSURE: I am a brand ambassador for Healthy Living Market, and as such, I receive a discount when I shop there. I was not asked to write this post and all opinions expressed here are my own.}

french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (5)

About the Author

Katie Webster

Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.

More About Katie »

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16 comments on “French Bistro Brunch Salad with a Poached Egg and Broiled Cherry Tomatoes”

  1. Michelle November 10, 2022 @ 7:56 am Reply

    LOVE! I’m always looking for new breakfast recipes that aren’t too heavy and aren’t sweet! (not a big fan of waffles and pancakes!) This brunch salad is filling but not too heavy, and perfect for breakfast! Just what I was looking for!

  2. Tayler November 7, 2022 @ 1:49 pm Reply

    I made this salad for lunch yesterday and it was incredible! Definitely putting it in my regular rotation!

  3. Heather November 7, 2022 @ 1:44 pm Reply

    Now this is my kind of salad! I love a good poached egg on top. And thanks for the make ahead tips!

  4. Elizabeth November 7, 2022 @ 1:37 pm Reply

    This salad looks like art. Can’t wait to try it. The flavors look like they will all blend so well. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Lisa June 17, 2016 @ 10:22 am Reply

    I couldn’t help by smile as I read this post! Olives and composting as the litmus test—love it! I had never heard of a living machine before, and man, I don’t know if I could have been able to cope with that in my kitchen! Good for Jase for composting it in the end, though!

    I LOVE everything about this salad, Katie. I’m definitely poaching an egg the next time I make one!

  6. Margaret Ann @ MAK and Her Cheese May 25, 2016 @ 9:39 am Reply

    Lovely! Herbs de Provence is my absolute favorite seasoning and would be delicious in this salad! Plus that runny egg is perfection 🙂

  7. Vincent Jefferson May 22, 2016 @ 7:51 am Reply

    I love the brunch salad. It seems so delicious. I plan to try it. Thanks.

    • Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes May 22, 2016 @ 8:30 pm Reply

      Super glad you like it and happy you stopped by. Have a good one.

  8. Coley | Coley Cooks May 21, 2016 @ 3:14 pm Reply

    I’m all about the brunch salad! You are so not alone. Put a runny egg on anything and I’m into it!

    • Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes May 22, 2016 @ 8:29 pm Reply

      Hey Coley, Thank you so much. Glad you’re into it too! Yay! Have a great day!

  9. Caroline May 20, 2016 @ 11:07 am Reply

    I love this so much…such a great story and it just sounds like YOU! And why I love you! 🙂 But, wow…makes me feel pathetic…my criteria was just that the guy would make me laugh!

    I’m so into this salad for brunch. I mean, I’d eat it any time really. That poached egg is calling me…and I especially love tomatoes with my eggs…so good together.

    I’m super intrigued by those greens! I LOVE that they’re grown in such a sustainable way.

    • Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes May 22, 2016 @ 8:28 pm Reply

      I heart that you wanted to find a guy to make you laugh because when I think of you I think about laughing and laughing together. Ha! Miss you my friend.

  10. Taylor Kiser May 20, 2016 @ 9:33 am Reply

    I am all in favor of a brunch salad! This looks so delicious!

    • Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes May 20, 2016 @ 9:44 am Reply

      Glad to know I’m not the only one who would love this every weekend!

  11. Nutmeg Nanny May 20, 2016 @ 8:00 am Reply

    OMG I would die if I had the swamp thing in my dining room. Thank goodness he finally agreed to throw it out 🙂 This salad looks great to me and it has all my favorite brunch items so I’m down with it! P.S. I don’t like olives. But I keep trying them in hopes one day I’m wrong…haha.

    • Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes May 20, 2016 @ 9:19 am Reply

      The swamp thing was pretty gross I have to say. Glad you keep trying the olives.

french bistro brunch salad - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (2024)

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