You won’t believe how easy it is to make vegan fish sauce at home! This plant-based sauce is gluten-free, soy-free, Whole30, and packed with umami. It’s the perfect way to add a salty and savory boost to any dish.
What is vegan fish sauce?
Vegan fish sauce is a plant-based version of the traditional Asian cooking ingredient that adds a burst of flavor to any dish. I’m a huge fan of Red Boat fish sauce (a.k.a. liquid gold), which is made from fermented anchovies and salt. It’s one of my secret weapons in the kitchen, and I use it in many of my recipes to enhance the depth of flavor and aroma. But I know that some of you have a fish allergy or follow a vegan diet, and you’ve been asking me for a substitute that is made with wholesome ingredients.
Well, I have good news for you: I’ve created a No-Fish Sauce recipe that is just as delicious and versatile as the real thing!
You can find this vegan fish sauce recipe on page 28 in my latest cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!, where I share more than 100 easy and fun recipes for busy and adventurous eaters. The No-Fish Sauce recipe is super simple: you only need 5 ingredients and a fine mesh sieve!
The secret is to combine ingredients that have a high amount of umami (i.e., umami synergy), which is the savory taste that makes food more satisfying. Umami is also known as the fifth taste, after sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. By simmering together dried shiitake mushrooms, dried seaweed, coconut aminos, water, and salt, you can create a sauce that has a complex and rich flavor, similar to fish sauce.
What are some recipes that use vegan fish sauce?
You can substitute this vegan fish sauce in any of my recipes that call for paleo fish sauce, or in your own favorite Asian cuisine dishes. It will add a depth and dimension to your cooking that you’ll love. Please note that this sauce is SALTY, similar to regular fish sauce, so a little goes a long way!
A great recipe to use vegan fish sauce is my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce—a versatile and delicious sauce that you can use for quick stir-fries, marinades, salad dressings, stews, and more. To make it with vegan fish sauce, simply replace the regular fish sauce with the same amount of No-Fish Sauce. You can use the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce in any of my recipes that call for it, such as Moo Shu Chicken, Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice, or Chinese Pepper Steak. Need more ideas? Check out this ever-growing collection of recipes that use it!
Ingredients
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: Dried shiitake mushrooms are super high in umami and they’re one of the key ingredients in this vegan fish sauce recipe. They do come in a bunch of different sizes, so make sure you use at least 0.5 ounce (14 grams), which can range from two fat dried shiitake mushrooms to ten or more of the thin ones. Do not substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms because they don’t impart as much flavor.
- Dried dulse seaweed: This bacon-y and savory seaweed is also high in umami and helps contribute a “seafood” flavor to this sauce. I like to use dried dulse whole leaf, rather than the dulse flakes or powder because the latter two are hard to strain out.
- Coconut aminos: Similar to soy sauce, coconut aminos is high in umami and contributes to umami synergy in this recipe. If you choose to use soy sauce or tamari, you may need to use a little less because coconut aminos are naturally sweeter.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: Regular fish sauce is very salty so salt is a critical ingredient in this recipe. However, if you are using fine grain salt or Morton’s kosher salt you will need to use about half the amount.
- Water
How to make vegan fish sauce
Break up the dried shiitake mushrooms (including the stems) into small pieces and toss them into a small saucepan. If your dried mushrooms are extra thick and hard to break up by hand, smash them into small pieces with a meat pounder or pulverize them in a mortar and pestle.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot: dulse, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, coconut aminos, and water.
Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, decrease the heat to maintain a steady simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup or a glass storage container and discard the solids. (If you boiled off too much of the liquid and you end up with less than 1.5 cups of fish sauce, you can add more water to make the final volume 1.5 cups.)
Cool the sauce to room temperature and transfer to an airtight storage container. Then, use this vegan fish sauce in all the recipes that call for fish sauce!
How to store vegan fish sauce
You can store the vegan fish sauce in a sealed airtight container for up to a month. You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Because of the high salt content, the sauce may not freeze solid, but that’s okay!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Vegan Fish Sauce (Whole30, Soy Free, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 0.5 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms about 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms or a handful of small dried shiitake mushrooms
- ¼ cup dried dulse whole leaves, packed
- ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt use about half the amount if you are using a fine grain salt or Morton's kosher salt.
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Break up the dried shiitake mushrooms (including the stems) into small pieces and toss them into a small saucepan. If your dried mushrooms are extra thick and hard to break up by hand, smash them into small pieces with a meat pounder or pulverize them in a mortar and pestle.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Decrease the heat enough to maintain a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. Cool to room temperature and transfer to a sealed airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
