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Asian Umami Sauce

Asian Umami Sauce

Looking for a rich Asian cooking sauce that explodes with savory depth but contains no MSG, fish or oyster sauce? This is the one for you. Perfect in a stir-fry or even just drizzled over rice and veggies for a little extra pizzazz, this recipe takes its flavor from known umami sources, like mushrooms and kombu. (By the way, if you are averse to the flavor of seaweed never fear – I am, too, and this is not fishy at all.) Umami, also known as the fifth taste along with sweet, salty, bitter and sour, is the full-bodied flavor found in l-glutamate and can be translated as “pleasant savory taste” from Japanese. I have a theory that this is what new vegetarians and vegans are missing when they complain of not feeling satiated without flesh and animal products. Umami is most often found in meat and cheese but mushrooms and some plant foods have it (tomatoes are especially rich in umami) as well. This Umami drizzling and cooking sauce will give you a lot of deep flavor you can use every time you want delicious Asian food without going out for it.


 

Asian Umami Sauce

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
32-ounces vegan broth, divided
(I used mushroom for maximum umami)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
2 pieces kombu seaweed
¼ cup tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Optional:
1 tablespoon vegan sweetener
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

 
Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1 ½ cups hot broth. Put a plate or cover over the top of the bowl to keep it warm. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes or more.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan with a lid, warm 3 tablespoons broth over a medium-high flame for a minute. Alternatively, you can use toasted sesame oil for a richer and more flavorful sauce. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté, stirring often, for six minutes adding more broth by the tablespoon if needed to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the soaked mushrooms, the soaking broth, the remaining broth, 2 pieces of kombu and tamari. Heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Finally, using a fine colander, strain over a container. I used a large measuring cup. Add the rice vinegar and optional sweetener, press down with the end of a spoon to get all the liquid out, pour into a covered container and store in the refrigerator.

If you want this just as a flavoring sauce, you can use it as is. If you want as a thicker brown or oyster-style sauce, use the cornstarch variation. Mix together the cornstarch and water in a cup with a spoon. Add it to the Umami Sauce in a saucepan over medium heat and stir together with a whisk until thickened. It is ready to use in a stir-fry.





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