All over the world, springtime foods are about renewal, about fresh eggs, and the new green things sprouting from warming soil. In Frankfurt, Germany, this is celebrated with Grüne Soße, or green sauce, made with seven herbs: chives, borage, chervil, cress, parsley, sorrel, and burnet. In Hesse, this creamy sauce is served with boiled eggs and potatoes, but I think chewy Umi Organic ramen noodles are a perfect stand-in for the potatoes and that the sauce blends beautifully with chicken broth for a lovely, bright green soup. I’ve added a few rashers of Landrauchschinken—German-style smoked pork loin—as a nod to the traditional Japanese accompaniment to a bowl of ramen, chashu.
Makes 3 servings
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups mixed fresh herbs: chives, borage, chervil, watercress, parsley, sorrel, and salad burnet*
1 tablespoon walnut or olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoons whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pack (12 ounces) Umi Organic ramen noodles
3 eggs, boiled to your preference (~6 minutes for a jammy yolk, or ~9 for hard-cooked)
Optional add-ins: fresh peas, blanched tender greens, sliced ham or smoked pork loin
*If you have trouble finding these herbs, flavor-wise, arugula is a good sub for cress; tarragon or dill work for chervil; iceberg lettuce or cucumber can stand in for salad burnet and borage. Use a little extra lemon juice or a slice of rhubarb to replace the sourness of sorrel.
Directions
Warm the chicken stock over medium heat, seasoning to taste to make a slightly salty broth. Bring another large pot of water to a rapid boil.
While waiting for the water to come to a boil, in a food processor (or with an immersion blender in a measuring cup), puree the herbs, oil, garlic, shallot, sour cream, yogurt, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper, then stir the Grüne Soße into the hot broth and reduce to a bare simmer.
Cook the Umi Organic noodles for one minute, then rinse well and add to the pot of green sauce broth. Cook for one more minute, then serve with boiled eggs, blanched vegetables, and sliced ham or pork (if using).
