Herbelade (Herb Pottage) — Harleian MS 4016 & Forme of Curye

Herbelade (Herb Pottage) — Harleian MS 4016 (c. 1450) & Forme of Curye (1390)

Detail from the Banquet du Paon (Chroniques de Hainaut, c. 1447–48) — the kind of noble feast where Herbelade might open the first course.

John Russell’s Boke of Nurture lists a “pottage of herbs, spice, and wine” in the first course of his Dynere of Flesche. See the full reconstructed menu here: A Dynere of Flesche — John Russell’s 15th-Century Menu. . Among surviving 15th-century recipes, the Herbelade from Harleian MS 4016 (c. 1450) matches that description exactly — a delicate, green, wine-scented broth thickened with bread and perfumed with gentle spice.

What “pottage” means here: a smooth herb-based soup or light stew served early in the meal — modestly thickened with bread or almond milk, spiced with ginger and saffron, and occasionally enriched with wine.

Original Text — Harleian MS 4016 (EETS 1888 p. 89)

Herbelade. Take persel, sawge, ysope, saveray, and tansey, and other gode herbys that ye may gete, and do hem in a potte; sethe hem; take brede y-grated, and temper it with broth, and do thereto, and sethe it, and serue it forth.

Modern English Rendering

Take parsley, sage, hyssop, savory, tansy, and any other good herbs you can find, and put them in a pot; boil them. Mix grated bread with broth (or wine), add it to the herbs, and simmer; then serve it forth.

Modern Recipe (Tested Redaction)

Yield: 6–8 servings • Time: ~20 min

• 3 cups mixed herbs – parsley, sage, savory, hyssop (or thyme), tansy (optional)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth – replace up to 1 cup with white wine
• ½ cup breadcrumbs (or 2 Tbsp ground almonds for richer version)
• Pinch ginger, few threads saffron, and a little sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste

1. Blanch herbs 30 sec, chop fine.
2. Heat broth + wine; add herbs.
3. Stir in breadcrumbs (or almond flour) to thicken.
4. Season with ginger, saffron, pinch sugar, and salt.
5. Simmer 5–10 min until lightly thickened. Serve hot.

Flavor profile: fresh herbal green, gently spiced, and light on the palate — ideal first-course fare.

About Tansy: Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) was a common medieval herb with a strong, aromatic, slightly bitter flavor. Though best known for Lenten or Easter “tansy” dishes, it also appeared in savory contexts like Herbelade, valued for its warming, cleansing properties. Medieval herbalists classed it as “hot and dry,” balancing the “cold and moist” nature of green herbs, and believed it aided digestion after rich meats.

• Flavor: Bitter–spiced, similar to a cross of rosemary and sage; use sparingly in modern redactions.
• Availability: A hardy perennial, typically dried for winter use.
• Modern caution: Tansy contains thujone, a volatile compound that is both neurotoxic and abortifacient in high doses. Historically, tansy was used medicinally to induce menstruation or miscarriage — so it’s absolutely contraindicated during pregnancy. and should be omitted entirely, or used in the smallest of quantities; mild substitutes include thyme or a pinch of rosemary.

Earlier Version — Forme of Cury (c. 1390)

Herbelade. Take persel, sawge, ysope, and saueray, and other gode herbes that thou may gete, and do hem in a potte with gode broth, and sethe hem, and take brede and grat it, and temper it with the broth, and cast it thereto, and sethe it, and serve it forth.

Comparison of the Two Versions

• Forme of Cury (c. 1390): Earliest known version; uses herbs boiled directly in good broth; no mention of wine or sugar. A straightforward green pottage thickened with bread.
• Harleian MS 4016 (c. 1450): Adds saffron, spice, and the option of wine; smoother, richer, and more refined—reflecting later fifteenth-century tastes and the growing use of sweet-spiced balances.
• Continuity: Both rely on parsley, sage, hyssop, and savory as their herbal base—showing a direct lineage across half a century of English cookery.

From Fourteenth to Fifteenth Century: The Forme of Cury version of Herbelade was a simple green broth; by the time of Harleian 4016, cooks had added saffron, ginger, and sometimes wine—transforming it from humble garden fare into a perfumed first-course dish suitable for noble tables.

Dietary Notes 🥕

• Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth.
• Vegan: Vegetable broth + almond meal thickener (omit bread or use vegan loaf).
• Gluten-free: Use almond meal or GF breadcrumbs.
• Camping-friendly: Dried herbs + shelf-stable broth base.
• Allergens: Gluten (if using bread); Tree nuts (if using almonds).

Humoral framing: Green herbs are “cool and moist”; ginger and saffron lend gentle warmth. Served first, Herbelade balances the dry, salty meats to follow in a 15th-century menu.

Menu placement (Russell, first course): Listed as “Pottage of herbs, spice, and wine” in the Dynere of Flesche. Served before the roasted flesh dishes. For contrast, see also the wine-based Bruet of Almayne.

Sources & Cross-References

• Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books (EETS 1888) — Harleian MS 4016 p. 89 (Internet Archive)
• Forme of Cury (c. 1390) — “Herbelade,” ed. Pegge 1780 p. 56 (Internet Archive)
• A Dynere of Flesche — John Russell’s Menu (First Course Context)
Companion Dish: For the “pottage of spice and wine” served alongside Herbelade in John Russell’s Dynere of Flesche, see Bruet of Almayne (Spiced Wine Broth) — Harleian MS 279 (c. 1430).
Winter Herbs in a Medieval Kitchen: The herbs in Herbelade—parsley, sage, hyssop, savory, and tansy—reflect what a well-stocked manor garden could provide even in the colder months.
• Sage and winter savory were hardy evergreens, gathered fresh year-round.
• Parsley often overwintered beneath simple covers or in sheltered beds.
• Hyssop survived most English winters and could be cut fresh or used dried.
• Tansy died back in frost but was commonly dried for winter use.
Russell’s diners likely enjoyed Herbelade in the cold season with a mix of fresh and dried herbs—its warmth coming from “hot” spices like ginger and saffron that balanced the cool, moist nature of greens.