Name: Vegan Korean Fish Sauce
Yield: Makes 2 cups
Ingredients: 1½ cups soy sauce; 4 large or 6 small dried shiitake mushrooms; 4 handfuls fresh oyster mushrooms; 2 shallots, roughly chopped; 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 5 (2-inch) squares of dashima; 2 tablespoons mirin; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon mushroom sauce; 2 teaspoons black peppercorns

the ingredients of vegan fishy sauce simmering in a saucepan.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

For me, the biggest stumbling block to going vegan as a Korean was kimchi. How does one make kimchi without fish sauce? The truth is, kimchi tastes just as good without fish sauce if it’s done right. While fish sauce provides some flavor, it also facilitates fermentation. So, the trick to making kimchi without fish sauce is extra time. When I was playing around with my kimchi recipes, I came up with my own “fishy” sauce to add that subtle umami punch. Like regular fish sauce, a little goes a long way, so use with caution!

Cook's note:

You can find vegetarian oyster mushroom sauce at most Asian grocery stores. It is a thick, rich sauce that works great for soy sauce but also provides another layer of flavors for this “fishy” sauce.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1½ cups soy sauce

4 large or 6 small dried shiitake mushrooms

4 handfuls fresh oyster mushrooms

2 shallots, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled

5 (2-inch) squares of dashima

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mushroom sauce

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Preparation

Step 1
In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups water, the soy sauce, shiitakes, oyster mushrooms, shallots, garlic, dashima, mirin, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, mushroom sauce, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Step 2
Discard the vegetables and continue to simmer the sauce until it reduces by half, about 1 hour.
Step 3
Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth and into a container to remove the small bits. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or freeze for future use.

The Korean Vegan Cookbook Cover by Joanne Lee Molinaro

From The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes From Omma's Kitchen © 2021 by Joanne Lee Molinaro. Reprinted with permission by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from HarperCollins, Amazon, or Bookshop.