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Salade Rachel from France

Salade Rachel

Parisian bistro starter of waxy potatoes, marinated herring, beetroot and cornichons, dressed with sharp shallot… · France

Also known as Salade Rachel, Rachel Salad, Rachel-style bistro salad

📍 Paris — 8th and 9th arrondissements, Sentier, Madeleine; brasserie tradition across France ★ 4.3
Last updated Aug 24, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Parisian bistro starter of waxy potatoes, marinated herring, beetroot and cornichons, dressed with sharp shallot vinaigrette and horseradish.

About Salade Rachel

Salade Rachel is a French bistro classic whose name points to a vanished house speciality: a cold plate of warm-tempered potatoes, sour pickles, and smoked or salt-cured herring, dressed with a sharp vinaigrette and finished with a scatter of raw shallot. Created by chef Émile Lecoze at the Pavillon d\u0027Armenonville in Paris and named for the actress Rachel Boyer, it was originally built around a veal stock reduction and a tomato concassée, but the recipe in French house kitchens has long since settled into the bistro version that the name brings to mind today: a salad of boiled fingerling potatoes, marinated herring, beetroot for colour and a peppery horseradish-mustard dressing. Modern brasseries along the boulevards around Opéra and the Sentier, and a small number of bistros in the 8th and 9th arrondissements, still list Salade Rachel on the daily menu, and you will also find it in Lyon bouchons and in Alsace on the starter side of the carte. Eat it as a first course, or pair it with a tranche of grilled mackerel and a glass of Muscadet. The dressing should be assertive — sharp shallot, white wine vinegar, a tight olive oil emulsion — and the herring cut thickly enough to feel like the centre of the plate.

🏛️ History & Culture

The salad's name is traditionally attributed to the celebrated 19th-century French actress Rachel Félix, though the exact circumstances of its creation are not firmly documented and are debated among food historians. It is a classic of the Parisian bistro repertoire, often served as a hearty cold plate that pairs preserved fish with simple pantry staples.

Regional variations may substitute smoked trout or mackerel for herring, and some cooks add apple or capers for extra brightness. Its cultural significance lies in its representation of honest, rustic French bistro cooking, showcasing how preserved fish and earthy ingredients can be elevated with a sharp vinaigrette.

🍳 How to make Salade Rachel

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Salade Rachel

A classic French bistro salad of warm waxy potatoes, marinated herring, beetroot and cornichons, dressed with a sharp horseradish-Dijon vinaigrette and finished with raw shallot and parsley.

Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy

Recipe ingredients

  • 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) waxy potatoes (fingerlings or Charlotte), scrubbed, left whole if small, halved if larger
  • 200 g (7 oz) marinated herring fillets (rollmops or herring in oil), drained, patted dry, cut on the bias into 2 cm pieces
  • 200 g (7 oz) cooked beetroot, vacuum-packed is fine; cut into 1 cm wedges or dice
  • 80 g (2¾ oz) cornichons, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced for the dressing
  • 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced into rings for finishing
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp prepared horseradish, the jarred, vinegar-set kind — not fresh grated for this dressing
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 15 g (½ cup loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • fine sea salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

  1. 1 Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil and simmer 15–20 minutes until a knife slides in easily but the potatoes still hold their shape. Drain, return to the warm pan, cover with a tea towel and let rest 5 minutes. Halve any larger ones.
  2. 2 While the potatoes cook, make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk the minced shallot, Dijon, horseradish and white wine vinegar with a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until you have a tight, glossy emulsion. Taste — it should be assertively sharp.
  3. 3 In a wide salad bowl, gently toss the warm potatoes with about two-thirds of the dressing so they absorb the flavour. Let them cool to just barely warm (lukewarm is traditional).
  4. 4 Add the sliced cornichons and most of the parsley to the potatoes and toss again. Check seasoning — the potatoes can take more salt than you expect.
  5. 5 Spread the dressed potatoes on a platter or divide among four plates. Tuck the herring pieces and beetroot wedges between them in separate clusters so the colours stay distinct (the beetroot will bleed if stirred through).
  6. 6 Drizzle the remaining dressing over the herring and beetroot, scatter with the raw shallot rings and the reserved parsley, finish with a grind of pepper, and serve at once.
  7. 7 Safety note: marinated herring sold in jars or vacuum packs in Europe is ready to eat as-is. If you are using only salt-cured (dry-salted) herring that has not been marinated or cooked, it must first be desalted in cold water for 12–24 hours and then briefly marinated or seared before serving.
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Ingredients
Steps

Salade Rachel — frequently asked questions

What is Salade Rachel?

Salade Rachel is a French bistro classic whose name points to a vanished house speciality: a cold plate of warm-tempered potatoes, sour pickles, and smoked or salt-cured herring, dressed with a sharp vinaigrette and finished with a scatter of raw shallot. Created by chef Émile Lecoze at the Pavillon…

What is Salade Rachel made of?

Salade Rachel is made with waxy potatoes, marinated herring fillets, beetroot, sour pickles (cornichons), shallot and Dijon mustard. Recipes vary by region and by cook, but those are the core ingredients.

Where does Salade Rachel come from?

Salade Rachel comes from France, and is especially associated with Paris — 8th and 9th arrondissements, Sentier, Madeleine; brasserie tradition across France. The salad's name is traditionally attributed to the celebrated 19th-century French actress Rachel Félix, though the exact circumstances of its creation are not firmly documented and are debated among food historians.

Where can I eat Salade Rachel?

Traditional Parisian bistros around the 8th and 9th arrondissements — Sentier, Madeleine, Opéra — still list Salade Rachel as a starter. Look for it in brasserie menus across Lyon and Alsace.

How do you make Salade Rachel?

Making Salade Rachel at home takes about 20 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 4 and is rated easy. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.

What else is Salade Rachel called?

Salade Rachel is also known as Salade Rachel, Rachel Salad, Rachel-style bistro salad.

→ More traditional dishes from France

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