France is famous throughout the world for its elegance in everything, and culinary traditions are no exception. We have collected the best French salads for you for the holidays, every day, and just to suit your mood. Choose, try and be inspired to create your own masterpieces!
Niçoise with canned tuna
The first, main and most popular salad of French cuisine. We’ll tell you how to cook it at home!
You will need: 6 cherry tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 2 cucumbers, 1 can of tuna, 2 chicken eggs, 2 sprigs of basil, 2 green onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 50 ml of olive oil, 80 g of olives, spices.
Preparation: Cut the tomatoes into slices, add salt, mix and leave for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and repeat the procedure again to drain the juice. After this, pour olive oil over them, season and stir.
Boil the eggs hard and cut into slices. Chop the remaining vegetables, all the herbs and garlic. Add olives and tuna pieces. Mix all ingredients.
Salad with chicken and grapes
It is best to take several varieties of grapes of different shades in the same quantity.
You will need: 1 chicken fillet, 160 g grapes, 2 stalks of celery, 80 g pecans or walnuts, 60 g mayonnaise, 60 g yogurt, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 3 tbsp. capers.
Preparation: Boil the chicken fillet until tender and chop finely. There, randomly chop grapes and celery, add chopped fried nuts and capers. Season the salad with a mixture of yogurt, mayonnaise and mustard.
Niçoise with chicken
Of course, it has nothing in common with the classical variation. But in fact, each region has its own characteristics!
You will need: 2 chicken fillets, 150 g green beans, 60 g arugula, 50 g olives, 6 quail eggs, 150 g cherry tomatoes, 100 ml olive oil, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 cloves of garlic.
Preparation: Mix olive oil, crushed garlic, mustard and lemon juice for dressing. Boil the chicken fillet until tender and slice thinly. Boil quail eggs for 4 minutes after boiling, peel and cut in half. Cook green beans for 5 minutes until soft. Cut the cherry tomatoes into slices, add arugula and olives, and mix everything. Dress the salad.
Blue cheese and shallot salad
You definitely need shallots because they work best in this salad.
You will need: 200 g shallots, 70 g blue cheese, 40 g walnuts, 1 bunch of salad greens, spices, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp. wine vinegar.
Preparation: Cut the shallots into large rings and fry or bake in the oven until soft. Mix olive oil, mustard, vinegar and spices and season the shallots with this. Add randomly chopped lettuce leaves, chopped nuts and crumble blue cheese on top.
French salad with smoked chicken and parmesan
If desired, place the salad on a bed of arugula or other greens.
You will need: 200 g cherry tomatoes, 2 chicken eggs, 200 g smoked chicken, 100 g parmesan, balsamic.
Preparation: Boil the eggs until tender and cut into slices. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, chop the chicken and sprinkle everything with grated Parmesan. Drizzle balsamic over salad.
French cabbage salad
Even an ordinary cabbage salad can be prepared in a very unusual way. We’ll tell you how!
You will need: 400 g Brussels sprouts, 400 g regular white cabbage, 1 apple, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 6 tbsp. sour cream, spices.
Preparation: Cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters, simmer for 10 minutes in boiling water and let cool. Dice the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice. Chop the white cabbage, mix everything together, season and top with sour cream.
Salad with champignons and celery
For this recipe, not only Parmesan is suitable, but also any other cheese with a pronounced taste and aroma.
You will need: 500 g fresh champignons, 6 stalks of celery, 200 g shallots, 180 g parmesan, 200 g lettuce leaves, spices, 4 tbsp. lemon juice, olive oil.
Preparation: Wash and peel the mushrooms thoroughly, cut into thin slices. Chop the shallots and celery, mix everything with lettuce leaves and season with olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Sprinkle thin slices of Parmesan cheese on top of the salad.
Salad with green peas and dates
We are sure you have never had the opportunity to try such an unusual salad. And in vain!
You will need: 400 g green peas, 50 g mint leaves, 5 dates, 1 bunch of lettuce leaves, 1 lemon, 3 tbsp. pumpkin seeds, balsamic.
Preparation: Cook the green peas for a couple of minutes after boiling. Grind mint, dates, lemon zest and juice of half a lemon in a blender. Add balsamic to taste and dilute with water to the consistency of sour cream. Mix peas with lettuce leaves and sprinkle with this dressing.
Salad with fresh pear and blue cheese
If desired, the pear can be baked or caramelized in a pan, but with fresh pear the salad remains even more flavorful and crunchy.
You will need: 120 g arugula, 2 pears, 120 g blue cheese, 2 handfuls of walnuts, spices, balsamic, lemon juice.
Preparation: Cut the pear into thin slices and place on the arugula. Sprinkle everything with chopped nuts and blue cheese. Season the salad and drizzle with lemon juice and balsamic.
Salad with chicken and gherkins
In France, small and crispy, spicy gherkins are very popular, so we suggest you feel free to use them in salads.
You will need: 1 chicken fillet, 2 tbsp. capers, 200 g green beans, 150 g pickled gherkins, spices, mayonnaise, mustard.
Preparation: Boil the chicken until cooked and cut into pieces. Cook green beans until soft 5 minutes after boiling. Add chopped gherkins and capers. Season the salad with mayonnaise, mustard and spices to taste.
French salad with liver and grapes
It is best to take chicken liver. And first soak any other one in milk for an hour so that it is more tender and does not taste bitter.
You will need: 300 g of liver, 300 g of grapes, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 bunch of iceberg lettuce, 6 tbsp. olive oil, spices.
Preparation: Mix olive oil with spices and crushed garlic to let the dressing infuse. Finely chop the liver and fry in a frying pan until cooked. Place grape halves and warm liver on iceberg leaves. Pour dressing over salad.
Provencal salad with artichokes
You’ll need canned artichokes, which are usually sold in the same cans as peas and corn.
You will need: 0.5 bunch of lettuce, 1 clove of garlic, 4 tbsp. wine vinegar, 100 g canned artichokes, 4 tomatoes, 6 tbsp. olive oil, 20 olives, 3 tbsp. capers, 4 eggs.
Preparation: Separate the yolks from 2 chicken eggs and grind them with garlic, olive oil, vinegar and spices – this is a dressing. Boil the remaining 2 eggs and cut into slices. Chop the rest of the ingredients as desired, add the olive halves and capers, and dress the salad.
Green salad with ham and croutons
This salad is ready in a matter of minutes, so it will be a real lifesaver if you don’t have any time.
You will need: 180 g salad mix, 150 g ham, 120 g blue cheese, 2 handfuls of nuts, 2 handfuls of grapes, balsamic, olive oil.
Preparation: Roughly chop the ham, crumble the blue cheese and chop the nuts and grapes. Mix everything with salad greens, season with olive oil and balsamic.
French fish salad
We recommend using cod fillets or other fish from this family.
You will need: 200 g crab meat, 600 g cod, 2 tomatoes, 4 potatoes, 4 chicken eggs, 1 onion, 4 green onions, herbs, olive oil, spices.
Preparation: Boil eggs, potatoes and fish separately from each other until cooked. The fish is cooked for about 15 minutes. When everything has cooled, cut into small cubes. Chop the rest of the ingredients there and add chopped herbs. Season the salad and drizzle with olive oil. If desired, season it with mayonnaise.
Salad with chicken liver and croutons
Homemade French baguette croutons work best here.
You will need: 300 g chicken liver, 200 g salad mix, 200 g baguette, 2 cloves garlic, 8 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp. balsamic, spices.
Preparation: Wash and chop the lettuce leaves as desired. Fry the chicken liver until cooked, season and place on top. Rub the baguette pieces with garlic, cut into cubes and fry in a spoon of olive oil. Mix the remaining oil with mustard and balsamic, and pour over the salad. Sprinkle crackers on top.
Light salad with corn and Parmesan
A dietary salad that goes well with a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.
You will need: 160 g salad mix, 200 g canned corn, 100 g parmesan.
Preparation: Roughly chop salad greens and mix with canned corn. Add thin slices of Parmesan cheese. In addition, you can sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds or flax seeds.
Niçoise with potatoes and anchovies
A very satisfying version of the classic salad. Easily replaces the main course for lunch or dinner.
You will need: 200 g canned beans, 400 g canned tuna, 4 tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 3 potatoes, 3 eggs, 8 anchovies, 25 ml wine vinegar, 100 ml olive oil, 15 g Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, 3 handfuls olives, herbs, spices.
Preparation: Boil the potatoes and eggs separately, rinse the canned beans. Cut everything into arbitrary large pieces and mix. Add olives and tuna pieces with anchovies, and season to taste. Dress the salad with a mixture of olive oil, wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic and chopped herbs.
Salad with asparagus and Dor Blue cheese
An exquisite and at the same time quite simple recipe is the perfect embodiment of the traditions of French cuisine.
You will need: 200 g lettuce, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 300 g asparagus, 80 g Dor Blue cheese, 4 tomatoes, 4 quail eggs, 0.5 bunch of parsley, 100 ml 30% cream.
Preparation: Grind Dor Blue, cream, spices and soy sauce in a blender to the consistency of liquid sour cream. Cook asparagus for 5-7 minutes in boiling water until soft. Cut the tomatoes into slices and place everything on lettuce leaves. Boil and place quail eggs there and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pour the creamy sauce over the salad.
Salad with Vinaigrette dressing
We tell you the easiest and fastest way to prepare a traditional dressing for French salads.
You will need: 300 g salad mix, 400 g cherry tomatoes, 50 g pine nuts, 100 ml olive oil, 2 tbsp. wine vinegar, 2 tsp. mustard, salt and ground black pepper.
Preparation: Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, fry the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and place everything on lettuce leaves. For dressing, mix olive oil with vinegar, mustard and spices.
French salad with vegetables and cheese
The main thing here is several types of cheese, preferably at least three. For example, mozzarella, gorgonzola and brie.
You will need: 200 g of different types of cheese, 130 g of crackers, 400 g of tomatoes, 400 g of cucumbers, 50 g of sun-dried tomatoes, 2 handfuls of lettuce leaves, 1 bunch of basil, 4 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. wine vinegar, spices.
Preparation: Roughly chop the cucumbers and tomatoes. Tear lettuce and basil into it, and add sun-dried tomatoes. Crumble or chop all the cheese and toss the salad. Season it with olive oil, wine vinegar and spices.