By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 8
260 cal · 35 min
Salad Aveyronnaise
Recipe GLPR2d45927f49705e
A classic French salad from the Aveyron region, featuring roasted cherry tomatoes and toasted walnuts tossed with fresh spinach and basil, topped with warm bacon lardons and creamy Roquefort cheese. A warm vinaigrette brings everything together in this elegant, satisfying dish.
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Ingredients
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for roasting)
5 tbsp walnuts
3 large handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
200g bacon lardons
100g Roquefort cheese, cut into chunks
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 tbsp mild olive oil (for dressing)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 190°C (fan 170°C). Place the halved cherry tomatoes in a small roasting dish and crush the garlic clove directly over them. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Roast for approximately 15 minutes until the tomatoes are slightly shriveled and caramelized at the edges. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts on a separate baking tray and toast them for about 10 minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Roughly chop the toasted walnuts and set both the tomatoes and walnuts aside to cool. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to assemble.
About 10 minutes before serving, reduce the oven temperature to 110°C (fan 90°C). Place the roasting dish containing the tomatoes and a dish with the walnuts in the oven to keep them warm. In a large mixing bowl, combine the baby spinach and fresh basil leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon lardons and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and have rendered some fat but remain tender. Transfer the warm lardons to a piece of foil and keep them hot in the warm oven.
In the same skillet (now off the heat and only lukewarm), whisk together the sherry vinegar and 4 tablespoons of mild olive oil to create the dressing. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil—step back as the vinegar fumes will be quite strong. Remove from heat immediately. Pour the warm vinaigrette over the spinach and basil mixture and toss gently to lightly wilt the leaves. Add the warm roasted tomatoes, walnuts, and warm bacon lardons, reserving some of the best Roquefort chunks and walnut pieces for garnish. Toss everything together carefully. Divide among serving plates and top each portion with the reserved Roquefort crumbles and walnuts before serving immediately.
Comments
Salad Aveyronnaise checks most boxes for a Charlotte weeknight: bacon, cherry tomatoes, and spinach are staples at every major chain, and Roquefort is available at Harris Teeter and Kroger without a special trip. The real issue is cost per serving—at roughly $3.50 to $4.50 per person when you factor in quality bacon and imported Roquefort, plus two olive oils, this lands as a side salad or light dinner, not a family meal's main. The 35-minute stated time glosses over the walnut toasting and sherry vinegar sourcing (some ALDI locations carry it, others don't, so plan 5 extra minutes of searching). It reheats poorly, the greens wilt, so this is a same-night dish best made fresh just before serving.
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