Vegan Stir Fry sauce | Umami seasoning

Name: Vegan Stir Fry or Oyster Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 15 g dried Shiitake mushrooms (softened, about 10 caps); 1 cup [235ml] veggie broth; 4 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari); 1 tablespoon chopped garlic; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mix with 1 tablespoon water)

July 5, 2020 by woonheng 52 Comments

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This vegan stir fry sauce is the copycat of oyster sauce. It is what you’ll need to give your dishes the umami flavor you are looking for. I normally add a few spoonfuls of this sauce to dry noodles, stir-fries and rice dishes in my cooking.

What is Stir Fry sauce

Stir Fry sauce as the name says is a sauce for your stir fry dishes. In a lot of Chinese cooking, we love to use different types of sauces for a dish because you really can’t get the roundness of flavor with just salt and sugar. Stir Fry sauce is one of the common ones in my household and is normally used as a substitute for oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is a blend of oyster juices and other ingredients such as soy sauce, sugar, and salt. It is then cooked down into a sauce and thickened with cornstarch. However, every brand has their own recipes and techniques to create this sauce.

For the vegan and vegetarians version of this sauce, mushrooms are commonly used. With that said, there are many stir fry sauces on the market with names like: mushrooms stir fry sauce, vegetarian stir fry sauce, or just simply stir fry sauce. I do like brands that have mushrooms as one of the main ingredients which gives the sauce its umami savoriness.

Since I used a lot of stir fry sauce in my dishes, I figured it’s about time to make a simple one at home with ingredients on hand. So, I used mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce and added vegetable broth, then thickened it with a little cornstarch. I am truly satisfied with the results especially when there are no other additives in this sauce.

Easy steps to make Stir Fry sauce

Key ingredients to Stir Fry sauce

Mushrooms – I used dried Shiitake mushrooms in this recipe but you can substitute with other dried mushrooms. I also found that the color of the sauce really depends on the types and quantities of mushrooms used. For example, my sauce has a lighter color since my Shiitake mushroom is the light brown version.
Garlic – gives the sauce the extra punch and for allium free, please substitute with ginger
Soy sauce – is the one of the main seasonings for the sauce, so use your favorite brand or substitute with Tamari for gluten-free version.
Sugar – adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce and can be substituted with other types of sugar such as maple syrup

How to STORE Stir Fry sauce

Save cooked and blended sauce in a cleaned glass jar
Let the sauce cool down before putting the lid on
Refrigerate the mixture and use it within 2 weeks
Freeze for longer shelf life (Tip: save sauce in ice cubes so it’s easier to remove when needed)

How to USE Stir Fry sauce

Works great as a seasoning for soup dishes
Add to your marinades or braising dishes
Add a spoonful in any stir fry dishes such as rice, vegetables, and noodles such as Saucy Homemade Noodles Bowl or Crunchy Tofu Katsu Noodle Bowl.

This Stir Fry sauce is

Simple to make and delicious
Versatile – can be used as the all-purpose seasoning for rice and noodles dishes
Customizable
Perfect pantry staple sauce

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!

Vegan Stir Fry or Oyster Sauce

woonheng

Learn how to make a quick all-purpose umami seasoning with a just a few simple ingredients. This pantry staple sauce is the perfect one to elevate your dishes' taste. It is delicious and can be customizable to gluten-free and allium-free.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Ingredients

15 g dried Shiitake mushrooms softened, about 10 caps
1 cup [235ml] veggie broth
4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch mix with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Heat up a non-stick pan, then add in 2 tablespoons of oil.
Add the mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms turn golden and aromatic.
Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 30 seconds.
Add the sugar, salt, and soy sauce, then stir until well combined.
Add the vegetable broth and let the mixture simmer for about 1 minute or until slightly reduced.
Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until all incorporated, then turn off the heat.
Let the mixture cool off slightly, then transfer it into a blender and blend until smooth.
Check the storage tips above and enjoy this sauce in your dishes.

Video

Notes

Mushrooms – the types and amount of mushrooms used determine the sauce’s color. The more mushrooms you use, the darker the color is.
Vegetable broth – can be substituted with vegetable stock or water.
The sauce will set and turns thicker once cooled.

Keyword Condiment, Sauces, vegan

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