Vegan Fish Sauce

Vegan fish sauce uses a combination of umami rich ingredients that are boiled then simmered. This vegan friendly option is great for any Thai dish that requires fish sauce.

After a visit to Thailand, it became quite apparent that fish sauce is in a lot recipes. Like, A LOT. The flavor profile of fish sauce is really just fishy, umami, and salty. This vegan fish sauce uses a few umami staples (miso paste and mushrooms) and seaweed to achieve that salty, fishy flavor.

Regular fish sauce has, well, fish in it. Not good if you are a vegan, or simply cringe at the thought of fish like some of my friends. In Thailand, I had a running joke that I was surprised fish sauce wasn't in the ice cream. Everything, even the chips, had a distinct fish sauce taste.

And it's important. It is part of the reason Thai foods tastes the way it does. So omitting it really isn't an option. A good substitute can be mushroom sauce, but it's hard to find and still doesn't add that salty, briney flavor you need from a fish sauce.

This problem, along with my many vegan friends, were the inspiration for this recipe. Simply add it into recipes that require fish sauce, starting with a little and adding it to-taste. Because it is so salty and concentrated, it will last quite a while in an airtight jar in the fridge (at least a few months).

Use sparingly, as it packs quite a punch... I don't know about you - but if you've ever tried a taste of plain fish sauce - you'll know it too packs quite a punch too!

Vegan Fish Sauce

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• Author: Emily Marrs
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 1 cup 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 ¼ cup water
• 4 cloves garlic (smashed and skins removed)
• ¼ cup tamari
• 1 tsp miso paste (I used white but any miso will do)
• 6 dry shitake mushrooms
• 1-2 sheets nori (more nori = more fish flavor)
• 1 tsp sugar (I used coconut)

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
2. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then strain mixture into container, making sure to press the juice out of the mushrooms. 
3. Store in airtight container in fridge for 1-3 months. 

Notes

Lasts in fridge a few months in tightly sealed container.