Vegan fish sauce, perfect for plenty of Asian recipes. It's salty and full of flavor, made with 6 simple ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes.

Vegan fish sauce is a condiment that works great with lots of different Asian dishes. It gives it a delicious taste and truly makes a difference when preparing new recipes!
This sauce is a basic pantry ingredient everyone should have on hand. It can be very helpful when cooking dishes like ramen, noodles, or even other sauces because it provides an amazing depth of flavor.
I used shiitake mushrooms and dried seaweed, which are the base of this sauce. If you can't find them at a regular grocery store, you'll surely find some at any Asian supermarket, as they are common ingredients in this kind of cuisine.
This vegan substitute for fish sauce is a flavory and salty condiment perfect for Asian recipes. To make it you only need 6 ingredients, a saucepan, and 30 minutes of your time. You'll get a wonderfully good vegan sauce that will last for a long time!
How to make vegan fish sauce - Step by step
- Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan (photo 1) and bring it to a boil (photo 2).
- After that, simmer until reduced by half (for about 25 minutes) (photo 3).
- Let it cool, drain (photo 4) and use it with plenty of Asian recipes.
Pro tips
- If you don't eat soy, feel free to replace soy miso for chickpea or any other legume miso, and substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Add salt to taste or a little bit more miso if you'd like.
- I like to use dried shiitake mushrooms better, but any other kind of dried or fresh mushroom will work too.
- You can make this sauce with almost any type of dried seaweed, so just use the ones you have on hand.
How long will this vegan fish sauce last?
This vegan fish sauce will last for 1 month in the fridge. Remember to keep it in a sealed container and shake before using it to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
Can I freeze this vegan fish sauce?
Of course! I'd recommend you freeze it in small portions in an ice cube mold so you can use each portion individually.
In that case, you won't need to thaw them previously, so just add the frozen cubes into your hot pot or saucepan while you're cooking. It will last for up to 2-3 months in the freezer.
How to use vegan fish sauce
This condiment goes well with plenty of Asian recipes. Use it just like regular fish sauce and eat it with dishes like vegan pad Thai, vegan ramen, vegan Thai soup, and lots of other delicious meals.
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Vegan Fish Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups water, 500 ml
- 2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon miso paste, any kind
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- ¼ oz dried shiitake mushrooms, or 4 oz sliced fresh mushrooms (115 g)
- 1 2x4 inch or 5x10 cm sheet of dried seaweed, 3 g, like kombu, kelp or wakame
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- After that, simmer until reduced by half (for about 25 minutes).
- Let it cool, drain and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 month or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- Use it just like regular fish sauce and eat it with dishes like vegan pad Thai, vegan ramen, vegan Thai soup, and a lot of other delicious recipes.
Notes
- If you don't eat soy, feel free to replace soy miso for chickpea or any other legume miso, and substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Add salt to taste or a little bit more miso if you'd like.
- I like to use dried shiitake mushrooms better, but any other kind of dried or fresh mushroom will work too.
- You can make this sauce with almost any type of dried seaweed, so just use the ones you have on hand.
- Nutritional information for this recipe is a rough estimate because some of the ingredients get lost while draining the sauce.
Col says
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.
Iosune Robles says
Thanks for your kind comment! Have a nice day 🙂
Nayab Riaz says
one of the best blog ever .bookmarked for future read.
I'm telling everyone I know about it ! It makes anything you prepare taste great and the health effects are endless as compared to soy sauce
Iosune Robles says
Hi Nayab! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂