vegan fish sauce

How to make Vegan Fish Sauce! - a plant-based substitute for fish sauce that adds depth and umami flavor to Asian dishes. Gluten-free adaptable!

Vegan Fish sauce 

water

soy sauce– shoyu, tamari,

dried mushrooms (like dried shiitakes)

x 8 inch sheet of dried kombu (seaweed) or wakame seaweed

garlic cloves, sliced

salt

shallot

Bring all to a simmer in a medium pot, uncovered, over medium heat. Simmer on low until reduced by half.  You should have about 2 cups of liquid.

If you have time, let this steep overnight, or up to 24 hours, covered on the counter. Then strain and pour into a clean glass bottle or  jar.

***If liquid is less than 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.

So I think I used too much seaweed. It was hard to judge an amount since I only had wakame flakes instead of a sheet to work with but boy did it expand to take over the pot. Regardless this recipe seems pretty forgiving because the end result still tastes awesome. Obviously it does not taste like fish sauce but it packs a powerful umami punch which is basically the point anyway. Thank you for providing a great ingredient to add to my vegetarian dishes that were juuuust missing something.

Wow! Liquid gold, I add both roasted garlic &amp; greatly roasted red onion. So happy to now be able to make my favourite Thai dishes for my vegan and shellfish allergic friends.  This fish sauce recipe is even better than the real stuff, cheers

How do you measure 1/2 cup dried shiitakes? Lots of air around those stuff caps &amp; stems! Can you tell us the weight, please?

This is my go-to vegan fish sauce. My husband became a vegetarian 2 years ago after having increasingly horrible digestive issues. 

He is a huge lover of Asian cuisine and we found your sauce and make it in large quantities. We store it in bpa free squirt bottles in our fridge. 

I am half Filipino and use it on any native dish that calls for “Patis”, our traditional fish sauce. 

I even use it in meat-based dishes to add extra flavor. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.

Thank you so much for a Vegan fish sauce that can easily be adapted to be gluten or even soy free (via coconut aminos or the like).  We use tamari since I have a gluten intolerance.  Have made this fishless sauce/seaweed sauce three times now.  Letting it steep overnight and filtering it right away.  Letting it steep overnight is definitely a must!  Gives a deeper color and richer flavor.  A little goes a long way when using it.  Recently I made it with kelp sheets instead of kombu, and I actually like the flavor even more.  I usually use a 1 oz package of dried shiitakes, because they are expensive if bought organic.  Not sure how many cups that comes out to.  We always add a shallot or a quarter of red onion or both!  The other thing I love about this sauce is that it can stand in and add those umami flavors that processed Chinese or Asian sauces do in recipes without the preservatives, caramel color, wheat gluten and added sugars.  Thank you again!

A really simple homemade vegan ‘fish’ sauce perfect to be used for noodle stir-fries, curries, and more!

Vegan Fish Sauce

coconut sugar ((55 g))

tsp red chili flakes

tsp minced garlic

water ((180 ml))

lime juice ((30 ml))

tsp sea salt (or more depending on desired saltiness)

In a small heatproof bowl, add in the sugar, chili flakes, and garlic. Pour in the boiling water. Mix well until the sugar has dissolved. Add in the lime juice and the salt. You can start with the least amount of salt and just add more depending on your desired saltiness level.

Leave the sauce to cool before storing in an airtight container. Keep the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use. The flavours will get stronger as it sits. This sauce is good for up to 2 to 3 weeks.

Learn how to make vegan fish sauce with seaweed, dried mushrooms, and miso. It’s an intense briny and salty condiment that’s bursting with umami flavor. Serve it with stir-fries, fried rice, or veggies like bok choy.

dulse flakes

mushrooms

salt (plus more as needed)

black peppercorns

garlic (fresh cloves, minced)

soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)

miso paste (plus more as needed)

In a small skillet over medium heat, combine the water, dulse flakes, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Don’t add the soy sauce and miso just yet.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Strain the mixture. We used a funnel with a built-in strainer, but you can also use a sieve. Let cool.

Add two tablespoons of soy sauce and one teaspoon of miso, then whisk well. Taste and add more soy sauce, miso, or salt as necessary.

To serve, garnish the fish sauce with chili pepper flakes, sliced garlic, and/or sliced jalapeno peppers.

Got a craving for Asian flavors but sticking to a vegan diet? Say hello to your new go-to: The Best Vegan Fish Sauce Substitute! Whip it up with just 6 simple ingredients in under 30 minutes.

The Best Vegan Fish Sauce Substitute

soy sauce

miso paste (any kind)

garlic

shiitake mushrooms

4x8 inch

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes until it&#39;s reduced by half.

Allow the mixture to cool, then strain it to remove any solid pieces.

Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. Use it in recipes just like you would traditional fish sauce, substituting it one to one.

Rather than sieving the sauce, I blended it to produce a thick liquid. It was truly an umami bomb.
Thank you so much for all your efforts on this blog.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/wIx0weba.mp4

In SE Asian cooking, fish sauce is an essential component of the Thai holy flavour grail of hot, sour, salty, sweet. But it's no good if you avoid consuming animals. My vegan fish sauce, on the other hand, delivers that essential umami-bomb, is really easy to make, and is good to go in only two minutes. I call that a win!

How To Make Vegan Fish Sauce

nori

tbsp all-purpose soy sauce

1½ tbsp dried shiitake powder

1½ tbsp white miso paste

tsp bean curd

tsp rice vinegar

garlic powder

½ tsp double concentrate tomato purée ((aka tomato paste))

⅛ tsp coarsely-ground black pepper

Blender

Put all of the ingredients into a high-speed blander, and blitz for a few seconds, until you have a liquid with no discernible bits.

Strain through a piece of muslin into a glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Keep in the fridge for up to three months.

Use 1:1 in recipes which call for fish sauce

Mine turned out a milky colour and filtering the bits of nori etc out was nearly impossible. Gunna just see how it turns out after a week in the fridge as the sediment settles. It Tastes good but I dont think the fermented bean curd I got is the same as yours. Mine is salty and very tasty but I wouldnt say its funky, it has little to no smell.

Ewwww I enjoyed hearing about the literal translations but also kind of wish I didn't know them now haha. This looks great and a much more appealing alternative. I'm not sure if I've ever seen fermented tofu before - is there a specific name it goes by?

Just in right time! Speaking of synchronicity, hehe... just what we needed. Because about the year ago we got all crazy for Corean cuisine which has many great plant based dishes but apart from soy sauce, most common ingredients are fish sauce and oyster sauce.  As vegetarian/vegan family we were eager to cook all those great dishes but weren't so eager to use something that was made from fish or oysters. And what to use instead? Especially in our corner of the world where such condiments are rare, expencive and mostly, you don't know the brands, you don't know what are they made of really (with all those E-xyz things in ingredients list, especially thickening agents, hidden gelatines and stuff). 

So it's so great to find a post like this. So informative, smart and with right informations for vege/vegan people to know. Especially if you've been places, seen stuff, done your homework thoroughly with historical facts... and then presenting it to us.

Thank you, Nico, we'll be using this sauce soon! It's simple, we do have everything we need in our pantry so I'm off to make some!

Nico, firstly "leakage of anchovies" ewwwww.
Secondly I can't tell you how many times people have asked me how I sub for fish sauce.
 I tell them the extra little things I add to a recipe to get that funky umami flavour like miso, nori and fermented sh@*. Now I can just send them your way and get them out of my hair.
 Great recipe! You are a work horse. -Hanne

Nuoc Cham is a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce that is sweet, salty, tangy, and garlicky! This plant-based version uses vegan fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili, resulting in a wonderful blend of flavors. It perfectly accompanies fresh spring rolls, bánh xèo, egg rolls, salads, and so much more!

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

fish sauce

tbsp sugar

garlic (finely chopped)

Bird's eye chili (finely chopped)

lime juice

Combine the sugar with the fish sauce. Add the sugar and fish sauce to a small bowl and stir to combine.

Next, add the chopped garlic and chili to the bowl.

Dilute with water and lime juice. Pour in the water and lime juice and stir again until the sugar has completely dissolved. At this point, you can taste it and adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your liking.

You can keep the sauce for up to 2 weeks if you bring it to a boil, and do not add any garlic or chili. You can add these later on when you plan to use the sauce.

Hey, this nuoc cham is incredible. It tastes exactly like the one we make in southern Vietnam.

Hey Thomas

I made this using your homemade fish sauce. I had to dilute by doubling water and lime as it was way too sweet. I have made your other sauces for papaya salad and they were good. I just checked the recipe you have for dipping with your egg roll recipe and it's 1tbsp of sugar to 1/4 of water and this one calls for 3 tbsp for 1/4 cups of water (that one used half the fish sauce as well so less salty).
https://fullofplants.com/easy-vegan-egg-rolls/#recipe.

Just tried it. It was easy to make and we enjoyed it with homemade spring rolls with lettuce and white rice noodles, delicious! Thank you for sharing.

Learn how to make vegan fish sauce at home with just 5 ingredients. This savory condiment is the secret to elevating your dishes to a new level!

pineapple chunks (about 1/2 pineapple)

shiitake mushroom

sugar

MSG (Optional, to enhance the flavor.)

Slice the pineapple. Lay the pineapple on a cutting board and cut off the top and bottom parts. Next, slice the pineapple into 1-inch thick slices. Cut off the peel and discard.Cut it into chunks. Slice each slice into quarters and set aside.

Prepare the pineapple

Soak the shiitake mushroom. Place the dried shiitake mushroom in a small bowl and cover it with 3.5 ounces (100ml) of hot water. Let it rehydrate for about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a saucepan. Transfer the soaking water of the shiitake, pineapple chunks, and remaining water (19.5 ounces/550ml) to a saucepan.

Let simmer. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.

Add the salt and simmer again. Next, add the salt, rehydrated shiitake mushroom, and sugar. Let simmer for another 35-40 minutes or until it has reduced to 11.7 ounces (330ml).

Simmer

Strain the fish sauce using a fine sieve mesh and discard the pineapple chunks. You can now stir in the dark soy sauce, giving your fish sauce a beautiful golden brown color.

To store the fish sauce, transfer it to a clean glass bottle and keep it in the refrigerator.

Strain

Hi, I made some Thai Green Papaya Salad yesterday with the vegan fish sauce I hade made with this recipe as an ingredient. I also added a bit of vegan tuna made from a recipe on this platform and a bit of Atlantic dulse as  substitute for salted-dried shrimps required in the original Thai Green Papaya recipe. My kids and Thai friends love the resulting salad 😃 I have also used this vegan fish sauce in multiple Asian recipes calling for fish sauce, and it works great 👍

I gave this a try and it works well. So glad since the brand of vegan fish sauce we found here, with relatively clean ingredients,  is no longer sold. This is even better!

Happy Tet!

Love this fish sauce recipe!!! Better than any bought ones and easy to make. I, however, modified it somewhat and added a small mixture of dried Kombu (dark green seaweed), Atlantic dulse, and spirulina to add the sea/fishy taste and aroma to it. Not having rock sugar on hand, I used coconut/palm sugar and/or a splash of maple syrup instead, all of which add to the sauce’s brown color. Instead of MSG, I used some natural umami powder/liquid from my kitchen. Because I hate wasting food, I plan to keep the solid ingredients to put them in the braised tofu stew pot, also introduced on this platform, without any more salt and adding some maple syrup/honey/coconut sugar/palm sugar. I surely will continue making more vegan fish sauce myself this way in the future! 👍😃😋

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Top 7 vegan fish sauce recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegan fish sauce recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Vegan Fish sauce

Vegan Fish Sauce

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The Best Vegan Fish Sauce Substitut...

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Vegan Fish Sauce

The most viewed vegan fish sauce recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine