Asparagus season: The best vegan Hollandaise sauce

I dig up this rich Hollandaise sauce recipe every spring. It has a lovely zesty flavour and because it's vegan it skips the raw eggs and is really quick and easy to make.

Asparagus season is an incredibly big deal here in Berlin and in Germany in general. During the Covid19 crisis one of the big concerns was how to sort picking the asparagus crops – like that was a real priority.

Germans traditionally prefer thick stalks of delicate white asparagus that is grown under a layer of dirt so the sun doesn't turn it green. The stems have to be carefully peeled before they are boiled and served with potatoes – and often some sliced ham or salmon – and browned butter or Hollandaise sauce.

In our household the much less fussy green asparagus is preferred but I do agree with one tradition: the Hollandaise sauce! I make it every year from this easy asparagus recipe by Berlin chef and vegan cook book author Björn Moschinski that I found some years ago on the proveg.com/de website.

My fear is that one spring it might not be up on the website anymore, so I’ve translated it and post it here to always keep it at hand.

Vegan Hollandaise sauce a la Björn Moschinski

Serves 2-3
50 g margarine or oil
15 g flour
150 ml vegetable broth or water
150 ml soy or oat cream
15 ml white wine or vegetable broth
1 tsp mustard
0,5 tbsp lemon juice
1 small pinch of curcuma powder
1 small pinch cayenne pepper or white pepper

Melt margarine in small pot – don't let it get too hot. Add flour and stir for a minute or so using a whisk – avoid letting the butter brown. Combine the broth and cream before slowly whisking them to the pot. Add white wine, mustard, lemon juice and spices. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes until it's thick and creamy. Add a splash of water if it's too thick. Taste and finish off with a pinch of salt.

Serve with asparagus, a vegan schnitzel, potatoes or with brunch dishes.