Too many times I have bought or ordered delightful asian dishes that are meant to be served with soy sauce. And in fact are only complete with soy sauce. Think sushi, stir-fry, fresh spring rolls etc. These dishes are laaaaame without an asian sauce, am I right?! Whenever I bring any of these wonderful asian foods into my house I end up throwing together a whole bunch of paleo-approved ingredients in an attempt to simulate soy sauce. Well friends, I finally wrote the recipe down so that you no longer have to go asian sauce-less!
This All Purpose Paleo Asian Sauce works great as a marinade (I’m using it for an asian-style duck recipe for dinner tonight), for stir-fry, sushi, spring rolls, salad dressing or my most favourite use of late: Poke Bowl!!
If you haven’t heard of a poke (poh-kay) bowl yet then you need to make a fast exit from that cave you’ve been living in and head to your nearest Hawaiian (or poke) restaurant. Life has so much more meaning with poke in it. I first got introduced to this bowl of deliciousness when Poke Saigon opened up here in Ho Chi Minh City. First poke restaurant in the city and it is such a win. I could have it all day, everyday. Seriously.
Anyway, back to the sauce. Super versatile, super tasty and super easy to make!
What you’ll need:
- Fish sauce (replace with himalayan salt and water for vegetarian/vegan option)
- Coconut aminos (or condensed coconut water which we get dirt cheap here in HCMC)
- Sesame oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lime juice
- Grated ginger
- Grated garlic
- Cayenne pepper
- Water
Now get on this recipe and let me know what you used it with!
Why not drizzle it over my Asian Chicken Salad…
- 1 Tbs fish sauce OR (vegetarian option 1/4 tsp salt + 1 Tbs water)
- 1 Tbs coconut aminos or condensed coconut water
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- juice of half a lime
- 2 Tbs water
- 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1/2 clove of garlic grated
- dash of cayenne pepper
- Mix together well and serve immediately or store in a glass container in the fridge.
What is “condensed coconut water” and where do you get it??
Condensed coconut water is coconut water that has been reduced to form a syrup/caramel. It is a South East Asian product. Here’s a link to a picture so you know what it looks like: http://www.namphongfood.com/datafiles/setone/14182774169889_nuoc-mau-dua-200ml.jpg
This multi-purpose paleo stir-fry sauce is my go-to condiment for making Asian inspired pan-fried dishes, marinades and dressings.