This soy sauce substitute doesn't taste exactly like the real thing, but it makes a flavorful alternative for anyone trying to reduce the amount of salt in their diet.
Yields about 1/3 cup, or enough to prepare approximately two meals.
How to Lower the Salt in Chinese Cooking - More Tips
Yields about 1/3 cup, or enough to prepare approximately two meals.
How to Lower the Salt in Chinese Cooking - More Tips
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup boiling water
Preparation:
1. Combine all the ingredients. At this point, you can either a) use the sauce as is, leaving for an hour to give the flavors a chance to blend, or b) for a thicker, richer sauce, boil the liquid until it is reduced by half, about 3 tablespoons.
2. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Use the sauce within 3 - 4 days.
Note: I used Campbell’s reduced-sodium beef broth (25 percent less salt) and Crosby’s molasses, which gives this soy sauce substitute recipe 12 – 13 mg sodium per tablespoon (about 25 mg per tablespoon if you boil down the sauce and reduce it by half). To lower the sodium count even further, use a sodium-free beef broth.
Note: Is this recipe gluten-free? I spoke with Teri Gruss, the About.com Guide to Gluten-free Cooking, and she confirms the recipe is gluten-free as long as it's made with:
2. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Use the sauce within 3 - 4 days.
Note: I used Campbell’s reduced-sodium beef broth (25 percent less salt) and Crosby’s molasses, which gives this soy sauce substitute recipe 12 – 13 mg sodium per tablespoon (about 25 mg per tablespoon if you boil down the sauce and reduce it by half). To lower the sodium count even further, use a sodium-free beef broth.
Note: Is this recipe gluten-free? I spoke with Teri Gruss, the About.com Guide to Gluten-free Cooking, and she confirms the recipe is gluten-free as long as it's made with:
- Gluten-free beef broth (broths and stocks sometimes contain gluten as an additive)
- Only the vinegars called for in the recipe ("Malt" vinegars contain gluten)
- Garlic powder that is gluten-free (seasoning powders sometimes contain gluten as a flow agent)


