Vegan Green Sauce with Potatoes and Plant-Based Egg

The time has finally come: „Grie Soß“ (as it is called in the German state Hesse), probably the dish I associate most with my home region, is appearing on Zucker&Jagdwurst today. Every spring, the magical seven herbs are wrapped in white paper and sold all over Hesse, whether at the weekly market, the greengrocer around the corner or virtually any supermarket. Traditionally, the green sauce season starts on Maundy Thursday and lasts all summer until the first frost in the fall. Although this dish initially comes from Hesse and therefore makes the hearts of all Hessians beat faster, I am sure that we can also win over all other regions of the world with this vegan version. In principle, it is simply an upgrade to another German classic: potato and quark. But it’s also a wonderfully fresh and light spring or summer dish. Before we start with the recipe, here is some information about the green sauce.

Which herbs belong in the green sauce?
Let's clarify the most important question: the seven magic herbs classically include leaves, leaf stalks, and shoot tips of the following herbs: parsley, chervil, burnet, cress, chives, borage and sorrel. None of these should make up more than 30% of the total amount. Just a few weeks ago, however, I learned that in the north of Hesse, especially in Kassel, dill and sometimes even lemon balm can be found in the herb mix instead of chervil and cress (unfortunately unimaginable for me).

Where does green sauce come from?
The exact origin of the sauce is undocumented and, therefore, highly controversial. It is possible that the sauce came from France and was brought to Germany by the Huguenots in the mid-16th century. Another assumption is that spice traders from Lombardy brought Mediterranean herbs and recipes to the Main at the end of the 17th century. Source The third theory is that the Romans adopted the recipe from the Orient around 2000 years ago and brought it to Frankfurt. Source So you can see that there is no clear history behind this recipe. The exact origin of the composition, i.e., why exactly seven herbs belong in the green sauce, is also unknown.

How is green sauce traditionally prepared?
Opinions are divided on this question. The good news first: there is no right or wrong answer to any of the following questions. Do you chop the herbs or blend them? The next question doesn't play a role for us vegans but is still a big issue: Do you add egg to the sauce or serve the halved hard-boiled eggs? Is it just yogurt, or is sour cream or sour cream also added to the mixture? Every family will have their own answers to all these questions. My family used to blend the herbs in a blender, so we now do the same in our recipe. However, if you want to chop them, you can do that too.
„Grie Soß“ can now traditionally be served with hard-boiled eggs and potatoes or with fish or meat dishes. So today, we have prepared vegan eggs and boiled potatoes to get as close as possible to the usual version.

Random facts about green sauce:

1. Green sauce is said to have been Goethe's favorite food.
2. Since 2007, the artist Olga Schulz has created a Green Sauce Monument in Frankfurt Oberrad. The monument shows seven greenhouses in different shades of green, each named after a different herb. Source
3. Frankfurter „Grüne Soße“ is a protected geographical indication (PGI) and may only consist of the seven abovementioned herbs. In addition, the herbs harvested for it may ONLY come from Frankfurt am Main and the surrounding area. Source

Finally, a small appeal to all Berliners: If you have any tips on where to buy fresh green sauce herbs in Berlin, let us know in the comments. We would be delighted!