Ham and Gruyere cheese add rich flavor to this hearty salad that evokes tastes of France. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and tastes great!
Did you catch the Fish Packets recipe that I shared earlier this week on Life as MOM? They were the main course for a meal that we shared with Monsieur Renaud, an octogenarian WW2 survivor that we met in France last fall. We spent the day with this kind gentleman and shared lunch with him.
My teen boys felt like it was a perfect day — from the company to the cuisine. They’ve been begging me to recreate those meals. The fish and shrimp packets were the main dish, but this salad was the starter. And it’s a winner!
Like I said, my teen sons requested this dish many times before I finally got to making it. It’s the perfect recipe to prepare right about now when ham will be on sale for the Easter holiday. And since this salad is awesome with hard cooked eggs, it’s really begging you to make it now and then again after Easter.
Even if you don’t want to buy a large cut of meat, we found smaller hunks of sliced ham at Ralphs for a really good price. Chop it up and toss it in the freezer in small bags. Then you always have it to add to a salad or sandwich or omelet.
I make this salad with Gruyere which is a super rich and flavorful swiss-style cheese. Emmental will work or American-made “swiss” cheese, but the Gruyere packs a great punch. It’s worth seeking it out. Buy it at Costco or Trader Joe’s for the best price.
I think this salad might be called a Salade Parisienne in French, but I’ve not been able to verify that.
As I was saying, this was served as the starter to our lunch, but you can easily make it a meal salad — just supersize it. All the components, including the vinaigrette, can be made in advance, making this a great meal to prep and take for lunch or just have all ready to go when you get home. But, it can also take less than 30 minutes on the fly.
Either way it’s a quick fix. And ultra delicious.
- 4 egg
- 1 head leaf lettuce washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 8 oz diced ham
- 2 oz Gruyere cheese cubed
- 2 roma tomato chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- pinch herbes de Provence
- salt
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover them with two inches of water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Once it bubbles, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let sit for ten minutes. Remove the eggs to a bowl of ice and water and allow to chill.
- Meanwhile, divide the lettuce, ham, cheese, tomatoes, and basil among four salad plates.
- In a small bowl, place the spoonful of mustard. Add the vinegar and stir until well blended. Add the herbes as well as salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. The mixture will be quite thick and emulsified.
- Once the eggs are cooled, peel and quarter them and divide them among the salad plates.
- Serve the salads with the dressing on the side.
If making ahead: store dressing and salad separately until ready to serve.
Maureen says
Salads are just amazing. And this salad of yours looks lovely. The ham and cheese makes it even more perfect!