Many of you have asked for a good vegan substitute for fish sauce. Here’s a simple recipe for Vegan Fish Sauce – that you can easily make at home. Make a batch and refrigerate – it will keep for months in your fridge.
After sampling sips of straight fish sauce (now you know how much love you!) this is what I came up with.
It’s basically a broth infused with soy sauce -shoyu, tamari or gluten-free Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, mushrooms (use either dried or fresh), seaweed and a few garlic cloves. The broth is simmered and reduced, and flavors become very concentrated. What remains is a very intense salty briny liquid that with deep umami flavor that comes pretty close. The seaweed really hints of the sea and gives it the “fishiness” without the fish.
Smoked Shoyu adds even more complexity if you can track it down. Grilled onions, black garlic or roasted garlic add even more depth. You can get pretty crafty when you start thinking about creating depth and umami, so please, feel free to experiment and play around.
Here is the simple recipe and of course feel free to embellish, leaving notes for other readers in the comments.
I prefer dried shiitake mushrooms in this recipe- but realize they may be hard to track down for some. I tried it with cremeni mushrooms and they were a great substitute.
This would be great in 15 minute pad thai, any of the curries on the site or Asian style soups like my Thai Broccoli Soup .
Hope this helps. xo
Vegan Fish sauce
A simple recipe for vegan fish sauce using mushrooms, seaweed, garlic
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup soy sauce- shoyu, tamari, or Braggs liquid amino acids
- ¼ ounce dried mushrooms like shiitakes or 8 ounces fresh mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, portobello)
- 1 4 x 8 inch sheet of dried kombu ( seaweed) or wakame seaweed
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 ½ tablespoons salt
- optional additions- 1 fat shallot sliced, grilled (charred) onion, roasted garlic, black garlic, small splash rice wine, sherry, or rice vinegar. Smoked Shoyu if you can find it, is a great option for the soy sauce.
Instructions
Bring all to a simmer in a medium pot, uncovered, over medium heat. Simmer until reduced by half. You should have about 2 cups of liquid.
If you have time, let this steep over night, or up to 24 hours, covered on the counter. Then strain and pour into jar. If liquid is less that 2 cups, add water to make it 2 cups. This will ensure the right amount of saltiness.
Store in the fridge and use as you would fish sauce, one to one.
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Thank you and can’t wait to try this out!
Made this to go on vermicelli bowls and egg rolls. Amazing!! Added 2-3 Thai chilies and a couple of tablespoons of sugar and used fresh crimini and shiitake mushrooms. Was a wonderful substitute for the Vietnamese style fish sauce my mother in law taught me to make.
Awesome Amy, Glad it worked out for you!
Thanks so is it a 1/4 cup each of soy tamari amino acids and shoyu – or just one of them?
Mardi, no, just pick one, was just giving options! 🙂
Looks great! How long does it keep?
6 months-1 year in the fridge
What would you use in replacement of the mushrooms for a mushroom allergy?
Maybe just leave them out, I can’t think of a replacement!
I didn’t think it was possible. Thanks I’ve recently taken up a plant based vegan diet and was wondering if if have to give up Thai dishes
★★★★★
Hahaha.. no! I understand your concern though!