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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Recipes / Sauces / Condiment & Sauces / Best Soy Sauce Substitutes

Best Soy Sauce Substitutes

by Sarah Pope / Feb 6, 2025 / Affiliate Links ✔

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  • Preparation Tips
  • Soy Sauce Substitute+−
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions

The best soy sauce substitutes to buy, including how to make a simple and healthy version at home in minutes using four whole food ingredients.

healthy soy sauce substitute in glass bottle with sushi

While properly fermented soy sauce is a healthy traditional food, many people today actively avoid it due to allergies.

For example, while it is easy to avoid the wheat in soy sauce by using tamari, you still have fermented soy which isn’t ideal for those with pre-existing thyroid issues.

Coconut allergies are also on the rise, so the best commercial substitute for soy sauce….coconut aminos…is a no-go as well.

Hint: Never buy liquid aminos as it is loaded with MSG!

In situations where issues with both coconut and soy are present, the next best commercial substitute would be properly made fish sauce or mushroom garum.

However, these items can be hard to find and/or expensive depending on where you live.

Another wrinkle is that fish and mushrooms are fairly common allergens as well.

If you’ve been throwing up your hands searching for a tasty, non-allergenic soy sauce substitute that fits well in the home budget, I would suggest trying the recipe below.

Preparation Tips

The key to replicating the umani flavor of soy sauce is to reduce a small amount of beef broth.

If you are sensitive to glutamate, use short-cooked beef meat stock instead.

Using plain beef broth does not produce enough umami flavor, in my opinion.

Thus, it is worth taking the extra few minutes to reduce the broth down to achieve a richer flavor.

If you don’t have time to make your own beef broth or stock, I recommend this brand or this brand.

**Never buy broth in tetrapak, shelf stable cartons as this packaging is toxic even if the broth itself is otherwise organic and properly made.

I hope you enjoy this delicious condiment that works well with the following dishes or any Asian-inspired fare:

  • natto fried rice
  • egg fried rice
  • shrimp fried rice
  • egg foo yung
  • peanut satay sauce
healthy soy sauce substitute in glass bottle with sushi
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Soy Sauce Substitute

Easy recipe for a tasty soy sauce substitute blended in minutes using four whole food ingredients. Soy-free and coconut-free.

Course Condiment
Cuisine American, asian
Keyword coconut-free, easy, fish-free, healthy, savory, soy-free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 10 kcal
Author Sarah Pope

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp molasses
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt

Instructions

  1. Cook down the beef broth on the stovetop in a medium-sized pot until it is reduced by half. This will take about 20 minutes on medium-high heat.

  2. Cool the half-reduction broth on the counter for 15 minutes.

  3. Mix in the remaining ingredients with the reduced beef broth in the pot. *Start with 1/4 tsp sea salt, add another 1/4 tsp after tasting the sauce if you feel it needs more salt.

  4. Pour the mixture into a glass bottle or container. Store in the refrigerator with a tight-fitting lid.

  5. This soy sauce substitute will last about one week refrigerated or many months if frozen.

Nutrition Facts
Soy Sauce Substitute
Amount Per Serving (1 Tbsp)
Calories 10
% Daily Value*
Carbohydrates 1.5g1%
Protein 1g2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
woman holding homemade soy sauce substitute in glass bottle
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Category: Condiment & Sauces, Dairy Free Recipes, Healthy Living, Stock & Broth Recipes
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (3)

  1. S

    Feb 12, 2025 at 8:48 am

    It’s also in glass bottles.

    Reply
  2. S

    Feb 12, 2025 at 8:47 am

    Fond is the best bone broth on the market and regenerative and you also don’t have to make it yourself. It’s delicious. You may have to order it from Fond.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope

      Feb 12, 2025 at 8:52 am

      Thank you for sharing this source!

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