I think you'll miss the fish sauce in that dish if you leave it out. It won't taste "Thai" just salty.

Is this for the dressing? I have made one with 1/3 c lime juice, couple of chilies,garlic 2 T brown sugar, 1 T water, 1 T fish sauce, mint and cilantro.. I don't think soy sauce is a good addition if it's something like that. .

Is this for a marinade? I gave up marinating steak for this kind of dish because the dressing made everything plenty good.

Here is a recipe for vegan fish sauce. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-vegan-fish-sauce--130535

It looks pretty easy to make. Good luck!

Ok - Here's the JACKPOT answer- A vietnamese herb- heart shaped ( I happen to grow it) called FISH MINT ( DAP CA) .When you pick it and rub it between your fingers it exudes a fish smell- totally weird but it smells like fish

To substitute Thai Fish sauce try Worcestershire sauce and some anchovy paste (or minced). It should mimic the umami that fish sauce contains and impart a little of that fishy flavor that well makes fish sauce.

There is not shell fish in the fish sauce you are talking about typically.

Hi Pierino, yep, should be kosher theoretically, but I haven't found one (yet?) that is certified kosher.

Allie

Wait a minute, I don't know why fish sauce would not be kosher or pareve as there is no shellfish (although the best lable is Three Crabs, I can't explain that). The essential component is fermented anchovy. Kind of like worcestershire sauce.

I'm sure you will still have a nice dish if you leave it out, but Fish Sauce give a crazy unique funky flavor. I might use soy sauce for the fish sauce and add a little dab of anchovy paste. I guess your dish will have a little something missing just like if you made a Ceasar salad without anchovies or anchovy paste. You'll be missing some Umami.

Cooking Light recipe for Thai Beef Salad calls for both soy sauce (lower sodium) and Thai Fish sauce. I have the soy sauce not the Thai Fish sauce. Did not know how important it would be to leave out or do I need substitute?

I haven't found a kosher fish sauce so would love ideas for substitutes (what to add to soy sauce to make it into a fish sauce?); a source of a kosher fish sauce or a recipe of how to make one from scratch (shellfish free).

If you need a substitute either because you're vegetarian/vegan or because you don't have access to a local grocery that carries it, try using soy sauce. You'll get the desired saltiness, but will lose a little depth of flavor.

If you're vegetarian, check out this book titled "Real Vegetarian Thai":
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811811514/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20

Fish sauce is really unique. My first thought was to substitute Vietmanese fish sauce, lol. Can I first ask why you want a sub for it? Don't want to go to store? or are you vegan or somehting? I'd give different answers. And what are you making?