Eating our Low FODMAP Frisée Salad with Poached Egg, Bacon & Sourdough Croutons will transport you to a Parisian bistro, even if it’s just in your dreams! Our version is just like the classic French salad, but re-imagined to be low FODMAP.
Frisée Contains No FODMAPs
Frisée, also known as curly endive, contains no FODMAPs! And we think it is an under-appreciated leafy green. Time to get it into your low FODMAP meal rotation and this salad with a tangy vinaigrette, salty bacon and crisp sourdough croutons is our very favorite way to enjoy it.
Be sure to read our article on No FODMAP Foods to see what else you might be overlooking. Like strawberries, grapes and papaya. Cucumbers, radishes, rice and potatoes (and many more foods)!
Bacon Is Low FODMAP
Bacon, of course, is pork and as a protein is low FODMAP, as long as it has not been processed with high FODMAP ingredients. Our article Is Bacon Low FODMAP? explains it all.
Monash University recommends bacon cured with nitrates and not celery powder or juice, but again, the article will explain more. Make sure you buy meaty bacon for this Frisée Salad recipe.
Is Sourdough Low FODMAP?
We get asked this question all the time and we understand why, especially if one is new to the diet. There are so many related questions. Is the low FODMAP diet gluten-free? The answer is no.
Is the low FODMAP diet wheat free? Again, the answer is no.
And for the record, it isn’t dairy-free either. But the diet does eliminate and/or restrict fructans, which are found in wheat, and also lactose, which is found in dairy. So, choosing bread can be very confusing.
And then there is sourdough. Classic wheat flour based sourdough does contain gluten, but the process of fermentation lowers the fructan content, resulting in a low FODMAP bread. Our article How To Choose Low FODMAP Bread will help you choose the right sourdough breads.
Ingredients
The ingredients should be fairly easy to find although our market doesn’t have frisée every day, so you might call ahead to check. When it comes to the bacon, choose meaty slices.
How To Make Low FODMAP Frisée Salad
Sauté the bite-sized pieces of sourdough bread in extra-virgin olive oil until crispy. Season them with salt and pepper as you toss them around in the hot oil, then set them aside. Do not clean out your skillet; allow any olive oil to remain.
Next, in the same skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to crisp, then add scallion greens and continue sautéing until the scallions soften. Add the vinegar, scrape up any crispy bits and simmer for about 15 seconds. Set aside keeping warm. Have your frisée washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces in a big mixing bowl.
Poaching Eggs
Really the only part of this recipe that might confound people is poaching the eggs. Poached eggs seem to be one of those basics that scares people. How do you do it? How do you know when they are done? How do you keep them from being over-cooked?
If you have a favorite way to poach eggs, by all means, follow your own techniques.
We are going to show you how we do it step by step.
Place a fine-meshed strainer over a bowl and crack one egg into strainer (fresh eggs are best). Some liquidy egg white might drip into the bowl.
Below is our to-be-discarded, drained liquidy egg white. This liquidy egg white makes raggedy-looking poached eggs, which is why we are getting rid of it.
Place the strained egg in a clean bowl. Repeat with other eggs; all the strained eggs can go in the same clean bowl.
Bring a wide skillet of salted water to a high boil.
Then, turn heat to lowest setting. Take the bowl with the eggs and begin to tip it so that the lip of the bowl holding the eggs dips into the water – slip one egg out into water. (Repeat with remaining eggs).
Turn water off and let them sit for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss your frisée with the warm bacon vinaigrette mixture. Divide this mixture on 4 plates.
Remove eggs from water with a wide slotted spoon.
Dab on a paper towel briefly to sop up any extra water.
Gently place an egg on each salad. Scatter sourdough croutons about. When you cut open the egg it will run into the crispy greens and hot bacon vinaigrette…OH MY!
You Can Poach Eggs Ahead
To make poached eggs ahead, don’t poach them quite as long. Then place poached eggs in ice water as soon as they come out of the skillet. They can be refrigerated in an airtight container filled with cold water for up to 2 days. Heat a pot of water to a boil, remove from heat and submerge eggs for about 30 to 60 seconds, then use.
Low FODMAP Frisée Salad with Poached Egg, Bacon & Sourdough Croutons
Eating our Low FODMAP Frisée Salad with Poached Egg, Bacon & Sourdough Croutons will take you to a Parisian bistro, even if it’s just in your dreams! Our version is just like the classic French salad but re-imagined to be low FODMAP.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; extra if needed
- 3- ounces (85 g) crusty sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices meaty bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch (12 mm) pieces
- ¼ cup (16 g) chopped scallions, green parts only
- ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 large head frisée; cored, washed, dried and torn to yield about 8 cups of bite-sized pieces
- 4 large eggs
Preparation:
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Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet until shimmering and add torn bread. Season with salt and pepper and toss around until sourdough is light golden brown. Remove and set aside. No need to clean out skillet. Cook bacon in same skillet until beginning to crisp, moving the pieces around often to cook evenly. Add scallion greens and keep sautéing bacon and scallions until bacon is crisp and scallions are softened. You want about 2 tablespoons of fat left in the pan. Discard any excess, or add additional olive oil if needed. Add vinegar to pan and simmer briefly, maybe 15 to 30 seconds, tossing bacon and a scallion greens around with the vinegar, scraping up any crusty bits. Set aside; keep warm.
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Meanwhile place frisée in mixing bowl.
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Also meanwhile poach your eggs. Place a fine-meshed strainer over a bowl and crack one egg into strainer. Some liquidy egg white might drip into the bowl (this is a discard bowl); the liquidy egg white is the part you want to get rid of as it makes raggedy-edged poached eggs. Take the egg in the strainer and carefully transfer it to another clean bowl. Repeat with additional eggs allowing any liquidy egg white drip into that discard bowl. Place all the drained eggs into clean bowl with the first egg.
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Bring a wide skillet of salted water to a high boil (wide enough to accommodate 4 eggs separate from one another), then turn heat to lowest setting. Take the bowl with the eggs and begin to tip it so that the lip of the bowl holding the eggs dips into the water – slip one egg out into water. Moving quickly, lift bowl up, move to another area of the saucepan and release second egg into the boiling water away from the first; repeat with remaining eggs. Turn water off and let then sit for 3 minutes.
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While eggs are sitting, reheat bacon vinaigrette if necessary and pour over frisée and toss well. Divide salad on plates. Scatter croutons on top. Remove eggs from water with a wide slotted spoon, dab on a paper towel briefly to sop up any extra water and gently place an egg on each salad. Serve immediately. Offer kosher salt and a peppermill at the table.
Notes:
Tips
If you are still having issues making perfect poached eggs, there are a few things to consider.
• Fresh eggs are best for poaching; their whites will hold together better.
• If you are still having problems, try adding 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to the water.
• Try doing only one or two eggs at a time. Might be easier to handle and keep track of.
You can also poach eggs ahead of time:
• To make poached eggs ahead, don't poach them quite as long. Then place poached eggs in ice water as soon as they come out of the skillet. They can be refrigerated in an airtight container filled with cold water for up to 2 days. Heat a pot of water to a boil, remove from heat and submerge eggs for about 30 to 60 seconds, then use.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
- Scallions: The green parts of scallions are low FODMAP as determined by Monash University lab testing and can be used to add onion flavor to your low FODMAP cooking.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
For more salad inspiration, check out this salad round-up.
This is my favorite all time salad. When I lived in Washington DC, I ate it any chance I could. Finally, after 9 years here on the west coast of Florida, Publix decided to carry frisee. I buy it all the time now. This was my dinner last night when my husband was out. Fodmap safe and gluten free. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Thank you Alene! So glad you have access to frisbee now! It is such as easy salad, yet feels a bit fancy.