Cooks Illustrated came up with a really good substitute to use for fish sauce. In a saucepan, simmer 3 cups of water, ¼ ounce of dried sliced shiitake mushrooms, 3 tablespoons of salt, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce over medium heat until reduced by half. Strain, cool, and store in the fridge for up to three weeks. I made this up to help a daughter prepare a dinner for a vegan friend. I thought it worked brilliantly. We gifted the rest to the friend, who also enjoyed it. There are vegan versions of "fish sauce" out there, but after tasting some of them- I can't say I'd recommend any of them. There is also a version which adds in a spoonful of tomato paste, which is sauteed in a bit of oil before adding in the liquid ingredients. I haven't tried that, but offer it as an additional choice.
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Strain, cool, and store in the fridge for up to three weeks.
I made this up to help a daughter prepare a dinner for a vegan friend. I thought it worked brilliantly. We gifted the rest to the friend, who also enjoyed it. There are vegan versions of "fish sauce" out there, but after tasting some of them- I can't say I'd recommend any of them. There is also a version which adds in a spoonful of tomato paste, which is sauteed in a bit of oil before adding in the liquid ingredients. I haven't tried that, but offer it as an additional choice.
Maybe a combination of something sour and something salty...lemon juice or vinegar plus soy sauce or salt.