Leek and bacon salad with hard-boiled eggs Recipe
A rustic French-style salad where gently cooked leeks meet crispy bacon and hard-boiled eggs. Dishes like this often appear in small country inns as a simple starter before the main course. The flavor is a bit like a cross between a vegetable-and-egg salad and a warm skillet dish.
This salad showcases a classic French bistro combination: tender leeks, rich bacon, and creamy eggs, all tied together with a tangy mustard vinaigrette. It’s simple, comforting, and feels both rustic and elegant at the same time.
Chef's tips
Drain the leeks very well so the dressing doesn’t get watered down. If you have time, let the leeks sit in a colander for a few minutes and gently pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Taste the dressing before pouring it over the salad and adjust the acidity with a bit more vinegar or oil to suit your preference.
How to serve
Serve on a large platter for sharing, with warm baguette or country bread to soak up the dressing. It works well as part of a light lunch spread with a simple green salad and a cheese board.
Ingredients
- leek only the white and light green part, cut into pieces about 4–5 cm long - 3 piece
- smoked bacon cut into strips or cubes - 100 g
- egg hard-boiled - 3 piece
- wine vinegar - 1.5 tablespoons
- Dijon mustard - 1 teaspoon
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- chives finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
- salt for cooking the leeks and seasoning the dressing
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Preparation
- Cook the eggs until hard-boiled: place them in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 8–9 minutes, then rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.
- Wash the leeks thoroughly, cutting them lengthwise almost to the end to rinse out any sand between the layers. Cut into pieces about 4–5 cm long.
- Bring a large pot of water with a teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the leek pieces and cook for 8–10 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and briefly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, then drain very well.
- In a dry frying pan, fry the bacon over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until golden and crispy. Remove from the heat, leaving the fat in the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper. You can add 1–2 tablespoons of the warm bacon fat to give the dressing more flavor. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them into quarters or thick slices.
- Arrange the leek pieces on a plate or serving platter. Drizzle with the dressing, gently tilting the plate so the dressing runs between the layers.
- Scatter the crispy bacon on top, add the egg pieces, and sprinkle everything with chopped chives. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I love serving this salad when I want something that feels like it came straight from a cozy French countryside inn. It’s unfussy, but the combination of warm leeks, smoky bacon, and mustardy dressing always feels special.
