This vegan hoisin sauce has a salty, sweet and tangy flavor that makes it the perfect partner for noodles and summer rolls.
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Is Hoisin Sauce Vegan?
Yes, most store bought hoisin sauces are vegan! Unlike other popular Chinese sauces like oyster sauce or fish sauce, hoisin sauce usually contains no animal products.
Usually, store bought hoisin sauce contains:
- Fermented soybean sauce
- Water
- Sugar
- Distilled vinegar
- Garlic
- Red chili peppers
- Preservatives and artificial colorings
Take a pass on the refined sugar and additives, and make your own homemade vegan hoisin sauce. It only takes a few minutes and few simple ingredients to make this popular Cantonese sauce.
What's The Difference Between Soy Sauce and Hoisin Sauce?
Soy sauce is typically an ingredient in hoisin sauce. Though both sauces use fermented soybeans as a base, hoisin sauce usually contains vinegar, chilies, and a sweetener.
The most noticeable difference between soy sauce and hoisin sauce is the texture. Hoisin sauce is much thicker, making it a great stir fry sauce as well as a dipping sauce.
How To Make Vegan Hoisin Sauce
- Remove the pits from your Medjool dates and put them in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and set them aside to soften for 10 minutes.
- Drain the dates, discard the water and transfer them to your blender. Blend until a thick paste forms. Alternatively, you can use my 15 Minute Date Jam.
- Add your soy sauce, miso paste, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, garlic, hot sauce and Chinese 5 spice. Blend until a thick paste forms and most of the lumps are gone.
Ways To Use Hoisin Sauce
- Hoisin sauce makes a great stir fry sauce.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for my Air Fried Oyster Mushrooms.
- Use it as a topping on your favorite veggie burger.
- Swap the harissa mayo in my Rainbow Sandwich out for hoisin sauce.
- Mix this homemade hoisin sauce with a few tablespoons of sesame oil for an easy, flavorful salad dressing.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, soy sauce contains gluten. If you need a gluten free hoisin sauce, simply substitute tamari sauce for the soy sauce.
Store hoisin sauce in the fridge in an airtight container. It should stay fresh for up to 1 month.
Absolutely! This is a great recipe to batch "cook" and store in the freezer. Simply transfer the hoisin sauce to an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge.
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Recipe
Homemade Hoisin Sauce - Vegan
Ingredients
- 6 large Medjool dates pits removed
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce *or tamari sauce for gluten free
- 3 tablespoons miso paste
- 1 tablespoons peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
Instructions
- Put the dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set them aside to soften for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the dates to a blender and blend until a thick paste forms.
- Add the soy sauce, miso paste, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, garlic, hot sauce and Chinese 5 spice. Blend until a thick paste forms and most of the lumps are gone. *see note 1
Notes
- If you don't have a high speed blender, you'll need to scrape the blender down a few times to achieve a smooth, thick consistency.
- To make hoisin sauce gluten free, substitute tamari sauce for the soy sauce.
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