Soy Free Béarnaise Sauce
Few sauces feel as luxurious as a properly made béarnaise — glossy, buttery, and fragrant with fresh tarragon in every spoonful. The process starts with a bright reduction of dry white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, and cracked black pepper, which gives the finished sauce its signature tangy backbone before a single drop of butter is added. From there, clarified butter is whisked into egg yolks over a gentle double boiler until the whole thing transforms into something impossibly silky and rich. Every ingredient here is naturally free of soy — real butter, fresh herbs, egg yolks, and a splash of wine — so there's no label-scanning or ingredient-swapping required. That matters more than it might seem, since many store-bought or restaurant versions of classic French sauces can sneak in soy-based emulsifiers or additives. The cayenne and optional chervil at the finish add just enough complexity to make this feel genuinely restaurant-worthy without any extra effort. Spoon it over a perfectly seared steak, grilled asparagus, or roasted salmon and prepare for everyone at the table to ask for the recipe.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the reduction
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 medium shallots, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped (for reduction)
- ¼ tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked
For the sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped (for finishing)
- 1 tsp fresh chervil, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the white wine, white wine vinegar, minced shallots, roughly chopped tarragon, and cracked black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp, 5–7 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid; discard the solids. Let the reduction cool for 2–3 minutes until no longer steaming.
- 2
Melt the butter in the small saucepan over medium-low heat, then increase the heat slightly and cook until the foam subsides and the milk solids settle to the bottom, about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam from the surface. Carefully pour the clear golden butter into a liquid measuring cup or small pitcher, leaving the white milk solids behind in the pan; discard the solids. Keep the clarified butter warm.
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