Sauce vierge (literally, virgin sauce) was created in 1976 by Michel Guérard, one of the forces behind the lighter, fresher nouvelle cuisine that sprang up in reaction to cuisine classique, dripping with all its hefty mother sauces. There have emerged only a few non-negotiables: fresh tomato, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs—but from there it's up to you. In this way, sauce vierge is a true foundational mother sauce, one from which we can build many. Adapted very loosely from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cuisine-gourmande-Michel-Gu%C3%A9rard/dp/2221002024?tag=food52-20"><strong>La Cuisine Gourmande</strong></a> by Michel Guérard (1977).

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