Often called the savoury butter of the eastern world, soy sauce is a unique staple, used in many Asian recipes either as a base to sauce or a way to season dishes.
Soy sauce is not fit for a paleo diet. It contains a lot of wheat (aka gluten) both as an ingredient and as part of its manufacturing process. Commercial soy sauce also includes sugar, dyes and chemicals that are neither healthy nor natural.
But there are some paleo substitutes that you can use instead of soy sauce.
Our 4 Paleo Substitutes for Soy Sauce
Admittedly, soy sauce is a perfect blend of salty, sweet and has prominent umami flavours that are very hard to replicate. But there are some paleo substitutes that you can use instead of soy sauce.
Here are our top 4 paleo substitutes for soy sauce:
1) Coconut Aminos Sauce
Rather than being made from coconut flesh like coconut oil, coconut aminos is a product of the sap from a coconut tree.
The final sauce is formed after the sap has been fermented and then blended with salt. This is what makes it paleo-friendly, as there are usually no additional chemicals. Though it is always best to check the label for any sneaky additions.
Slightly sweet and certainly salt, coconut aminos sauce can be used in both bitter and sweet recipes that call for soy sauce. It will pair well with various ingredients common in Asian cuisine.
Coconut aminos sauce can be an expensive purchase. It is mostly manufactured in the Philippines and can be hard to find in western supermarkets. But it is a near perfect soy sauce substitute.
Account for Sweetness
Coconut aminos does have a sweeter kick than soy sauce, particularly in its aftertaste. This will not be much of a problem in an already bitter dish, but you may need to balance out this sweetness by adding less extra sugar.
2) Beef or Lamb Bone Broth
When turning into a broth, bones are the perfect soy sauce substitute and overall taste elevator.
To ensure that your bone broth is paleo-friendly, it is better to make it at home. This is simple enough so long as you have a few hours to spare (or 10).
Head down to your local butchers and ask for any beef or lamb bones they may have (they likely already sell them but may give you them for free). You could use pork bones instead, but beef and lamb will replicate soy sauce better in a broth.
The flavour and nutrients can be pulled out of the bones while they simmer. This will create a meaty, salty broth. Though it will not taste like soy sauce, bone broth is a good base that will absorb the flavour of anything you use it in.
Roast Before Boiling
Much like nuts, bones will develop a deeper more robust flavour if you roast them before boiling them. This will be better when used in meat or savoury dishes.
3) Dried Mushrooms
Dried mushrooms are the perfect soy sauce substitutes for those following a paleo diet who are also allergic to soy. Mushrooms are also very low in sodium, unlike soy sauce which makes it an overall healthier choice.
For the best soy sauce substitute, use dried shiitake mushrooms. They are commonly used in Asian cuisine so will complement your dishes flavour perfect.
Water will easily rehydrate the mushrooms and will absorb some of the umami from the mushrooms as they soak. It is this left-over water that can be used to replace soy sauce.
The mushrooms themselves can be used to add extra texture and flavour to your dish.
Add Extra Flavour
Dried mushrooms will yield a very diluted soy sauce substitute which will not offer many flavours to your dish initially. But, by adding your own seasoning and adding the liquid to your dish early in the cooking process, you can develop a deeper flavour.
4) Fish Sauce and Lime Juice
Paleo fish sauce is made using anchovy (extract or whole), water and salt. You will want to check the label when buying fish sauce to ensure that no extra chemicals are added and that it is gluten-free.
Fish sauce is naturally very salty. Using lime juice to add a sweet bitterness will help to balance your dish out and closely replicate soy sauce’s flavour.
Much like soy sauce, fish sauce is often used in Asian recipes and will complement many fish and meat dishes.
Try With Lemon Juice Too
For a sweeter hit to your dish, use lemon juice instead of lime juice. Lemon tends to be the sweeter citrus while lime is more bitter.
Other Paleo Substitutes for Soy Sauce
Some varieties of soy sauce are paleo-friendly but are harder to find and more expensive to buy. But if you want a near-perfect soy sauce flavour substitute, there here are some other alternatives:
- Gluten-Free Soy Sauce – You will want to ensure that no wheat has been used in the soy sauce manufacturing process for it to be paleo-friendly. But if you can find a suitable gluten-free soy sauce, it will be the best substitute.
- Gluten-Free Tamari – Even less common than gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free tamari has a very similar flavour to soy sauce but is not traditionally processed using wheat though modern recipes may use wheat.
Summary
Soy sauce is very difficult to replicate with its complex flavour profile. But some slightly obscure substitutes like coconut aminos sauce and bone broth can make for a rich, paleo soy sauce replacement.