Salade Liégeoise
A warm salad of potatoes, green beans, bacon and onions, finished with a tangy vinegar dressing.
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Salade liégeoise turns a simple combination of potato, green beans and bacon into something warmer and more substantial than a typical salad, dressed while everything is still hot from the pan.
It's a Liège specialty that works as a light lunch on its own, built on good bacon fat rather than a separate dressing.
Part of our 20 best Belgian recipes list.
method
Boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, peel while still warm, and slice.
Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Drain and set aside.
Fry the bacon lardons in a dry pan over medium heat until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the sliced onion to the same pan, and cook in the bacon fat until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Whisk the vinegar and mustard into the warm pan, scraping up any browned bits, then whisk in the oil to make a warm dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss the warm potatoes and green beans with the warm dressing, bacon and onions.
Serve immediately while still warm, scattered with parsley.
chef's tips
- Dressing the potatoes while they're still warm lets them absorb the vinaigrette properly, the same trick used in most European warm potato salads.
- Using the rendered bacon fat as the base for the dressing is what gives this salad its depth; don't discard it.