This fancy French recipe gives egg salad a glow up – it makes a wonderful light lunch or side dish

Plate of egg salad with cutlery and bowl of dressing on the side.

For this French-style egg salad try to track down a head of escarole – a leafy green from the chicory family, rather than a bag of leaves as it has a slightly bitter taste that works perfectly. This egg salad is the perfect elevated accompaniment to grilled meats for your Labor Day menu.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 6 quail eggs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 7 oz (about 1½ cups) smoked bacon lardons (or diced thick-cut bacon)
• 5 oz sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 large head escarole, leaves separated, washed, and dried
• 1 bunch spring onions (scallions), white parts sliced and green tops shredded
• For the dressing:
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp walnut oil (or additional olive oil)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of sugar
• ½ garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp whole-grain mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gregson)

• Cook the eggs: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Gently lower in the quail eggs and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Peel carefully and set aside.
• Cook the lardons and croutons: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the lardons (or diced bacon) and cook until the fat has rendered and they’re just golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the sourdough cubes to the pan and cook until crisp and golden. Remove and keep warm.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, walnut oil, olive oil, sugar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in 1 tbsp of water to emulsify (try these mini whisks from Walmart).
• Assemble the salad: Toss the escarole leaves with half the dressing. Divide the dressed leaves among 4 plates. Top with lardons, croutons, and sliced spring onion whites.
• Finish and serve: Halve the quail eggs and divide evenly among plates. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and scatter the green onion tops on top. Serve immediately.

If you are looking for more light accompaniments, like this egg salad, to serve with your main dishes, do take a look at our summer salad recipes which include a whole range of elegant and more substantial dishes for all occasions from pot lucks to game days.