7 Ways to Make a Classic Frisée Salad

Bitter, crunchy and tangy, the frisée salad is greater than the sum of its simple parts. All you need are some good, curly leaves, an easy vinaigrette and a few other ingredients (poached egg and lardons being the classic accessories) to make a gorgeous, flavor-packed salad worthy of an elegant dinner party or a luxe lunch for one. Here, our best recipes for this time-tested bistro stalwart.

Arugula and Frisée Salad with Peas, Pistachios, and Pecorino

The bright spring flavors of peas and mint convey an Aries kind of energy. Adding salty roasted pistachios and shavings of Pecorino Romano cheese to the salad provides a great nuttiness.

Frisée Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

This delicious, understated salad is nothing more than frisée, bacon, and sautéed shallot tossed in a basic dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and warm bacon fat.

Morel and Asparagus Salad with Frisée and Butter Lettuce

This light, simple salad highlights poached morels and asparagus with a combination of frisée and butter lettuces. Pair it with a German Riesling, which works well with both the earthy mushrooms and the green flavors of the asparagus.

Frisée Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese, and Hazelnuts

Bartlett pears, crumbled blue cheese, and roasted, salted hazelnuts offer a lovely variety of textures and flavors to counterbalance the combination of frisée, endive, and radicchio, all accented with a vinaigrette made of hazelnut oil and red wine vinegar.

Salad of Mixed Greens with Grilled Peaches and Cabrales Cheese

2004 F&W Best New Chef Bradford Thompson combines Spanish blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and sweet, drippy peaches with frisée for a delicious salad.

Warm Mushroom and Bacon Salad

Chef Marc Murphy tosses earthy sautéed oyster and cremini mushrooms into a classic frisée salad studded with bits of crispy bacon, then dresses it in an elegant vinaigrette of pureed shallot, sherry vinegar, and Dijon mustard.

Papaya, Cashew, and Frisée Salad

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten was inspired to create this dish after a nine-city tour through Asia. The papaya, cashews, and dressing of julienned ginger and chiles are pure Thai. Tossing them with French frisée is pure Vongerichten.