How to make Vegan Fish Sauce! – a great substitute for Asian fish sauce that adds depth and umami flavor to Asian dishes without the fish or shellfish! Gluten-free adaptable!
Many of you have asked for a good substitute for fish sauce. Here’s a simple recipe for Vegan Fish Sauce – that you can easily make at home. It is so easy! Make a batch and refrigerate – it will keep for months in your fridge – a meat-free, plant-based, non-fishy substitute for fish sauce that works well in all Asian style recipes that call for fish sauce!
After sampling sips of straight fish sauce (now you know how much love you!) this is the recipe that I came up with.
It’s basically a very condensed 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 to me, comes pretty close to fish sauce. The seaweed really hints of the sea and gives it the “fishiness” it needs 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 for Vegan Fish Sauce- but know they may be hard to track down for some. I also tried this with cremeni mushrooms and they were a great substitute.
Vegan Fish Sauce is delicious in Thai and Vietnamese Dishes! Try this in in 15 minute pad thai, any of the curries on the site or Asian style soups like my Thai Broccoli Soup .
Here area also my favorite soul warming, Thai Recipes that this vegan fish sauce would be really useful in!
Hope this helps. xo
Vegan Fish sauce
How to make Vegan Fish Sauce! – a great substitute for fish sauce that adds depth and umami flavor to Asian dishes. Gluten-free adaptable!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: sauces, condiments,
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian
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.
Keywords: vegan fish sauce, fish sauce substitute, asian fish sauce, how to make fish sauce, how to make vegan fish sauce, homemade fish sauce
This is great! My Vietnamese husband loves it and he uses fish sauce in EVERYTHING. I used fresh shiitakes from the Asian market and held it overnight as suggested. This will be a staple in our home. THANKS!
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Super happy I found this recipe it was a great substitution for actual fish sauce.
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Great to hear Jessica! Thanks!
Hi Sylvia! So excited to try this as I think your combination of ingredients packs the most umami punch I have been able to find in plant based fish sauce recipes so far. Quick question – I have some black garlic that I want to use in this. About how much do you think would be good to add?
I think you could add a lot! 6-8 cloves??
Awesome, thank you! I’ll try it out and report back.
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s the best vegan fish sauce recipe I’ve found. I highly recommend the addition of roasted garlic, but a tiny dash of liquid smoke works too. Thanks so much for sharing it! My tom kha soup finally tastes the way I want it to 🙂
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Great to hear!
Hello, would a nori sheet work as the dried seaweed? I’m not sure if they are the same thing.
They are not the same, but feel free to use it, it will disintegrate, but I think that’s ok. Just strain or blend.
Love it. Thank you!
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Thanks Miri- happy you liked it!
This sounds great, I’ve been trying to eat more vegan meals, but I don’t want to miss out on my favourite foods! Will definitely try this.
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I have powdered dulse. How much would I need as a sub for the sheet of sried seaweed please?
2-3 tablespoons? Make sure to strain.
Isn’t 2 1/2tbsp salt a little bit too much? Sounds like a lot to me since the kombu is already full of iodized salt or do you need that much salt for some reason? 🙂
I would be happy to get a response and I wanna thank you for the recipe 🙂
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Hi, yes it is a lot but wanted to match the salt level in fish sauce, so it works when substituting. Feel free add less. But I’ve found this works.
Does this need to be strained or can it be blended together and let the solids sit on the bottom?
You could try blending- my only concern would be about its shelf life with the solids in there?
What would you use as replacement for garlic? Thanks
Try shallots!
This was pretty yummy tho not exactly the flavor of fish sauce . Do you know how long it last in the fridge or freezer?
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It will last forever! Mine is a year old.
thanks for this, i will make this week.. Is there an expiry date?
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It lasts for months! I’ve had mine in the fridge for probably a year now and still use it.
I think I love you more and more with every new recipe I find! After my recent discovery that I’m intolerant to gluten, dairy, and cane sugar, I’ve been looking for new staples to cook at home. Family members are also allergic to fish and soy, so finding dishes everyone can eat AND enjoy (without “labels” 😉 ) is a bit of f a challenge. I’m SO EXCITED about this soy-free, vegan condiment! My fish-allergic husband, vegan Indian son-in-law, and gluten-free/dairy-free siblings can ALL eat this! It may become Christmas gifts as well!
Thank you Sylvia! Your recipes are helping me completely change the way I eat. So, yes, you ARE a life-saver, a tasty one at that!
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Awww thanks Laura! Im so glad the recipes are helping!
This is amazing!!!!
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Glad you like it!!!
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
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Hahaha.. no! I understand your concern though!
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!
Use Chinese eeggplant to sub for the mushrooms
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Perfect and thanks!!!
Looks great! How long does it keep?
6 months-1 year in the fridge
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! 🙂
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!
Thank you and can’t wait to try this out!