Soy Sauce Alternatives- What Should I be Using?
With so many gluten-free people these days, there are alternatives for unsuspecting foods such as soy sauce, where gluten is one of those sneaky ingredients that you should be aware of. There are alternatives! Tamari, coconut aminos and liquid aminos. But why would you want a soy alternative? Traditional soy sauce is high in sodium, and it also contains wheat and soy, which are common allergens. Also, soy products are typically highly processed. If you’re not familiar with these alternative products, let’s take a look at what makes each of these products unique as we consider three things; sodium, taste, and gluten.
Soy Sauce
The flavor of soy sauce comes from fermented soybeans, along with roasted grains (wheat), salt, water and a mold or yeast culture. There are hundreds of variations of this basic condiment. In the US, we most frequently find light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (with added caramel color or molasses to thicken and sweeten it) and a low-sodium soy sauce.
Taste: salty, a little sweet, and a bit bitter. If you have a soy allergy, soy sauce should be avoided.
Sodium: varies by brand but typically has around 960 mg of sodium per tablespoon. The low sodium version usually contains around 575 mg per tablespoon.
Gluten: wheat is added to most soy sauce so this is a no-no for those following a gluten-free diet.
Tamari
Tamari is soy sauce made without the roasted grains (wheat). I actually prefer the flavor over soy sauce, plus it’s a great gluten-free alternative. While most tamari products in the US are 100% gluten-free, you do need to watch labels as some tamari sauce brands could use “less wheat” – which would still be enormously problematic if you’re celiac.
Taste: smoother tasting with less vinegar flavor. I find that it has a bolder, stronger flavor than soy sauce.
Sodium: there’s about 940 mg of sodium per tablespoon in regular tamari and 700 mg in low sodium tamari.
Gluten: tamari typically does not contain gluten because the fermentation process does not include wheat.
Coconut Aminos
Coconut aminos is another great gluten-free and soy-free alternative and much lower in sodium than other options. Coconut aminos look and taste similar to soy sauce. It’s made by fermenting sap from coconut blossoms and adding salt.
Taste: though the name is coconut, it actually doesn’t taste like coconut. Most people would describe the flavor as a mild, watered down soy sauce that is dark in color and has a salty, umami flavor, though contains far less sodium and has a more mild, slightly sweeter flavor.
Sodium: there are about 270 mg of sodium in 1 tablespoon, significantly lower than soy sauce or tamari.
Gluten: gluten-free, making this a great substitute for soy sauce.
Liquid Aminos
Like coconut aminos, liquid aminos is gluten-free.
Taste: much like soy sauce, well it should, it contains soy.
Sodium: high in sodium with 960 mg per tablespoon.
Gluten: Contains wheat so not a gluten-free alternative.
Which is better - Soy Sauce, Tamari, or Coconut Aminos?
It’s really an individual preference based on your health awareness. If you don’t have a problem with gluten and you like soy sauce, consider purchasing organic low sodium soy sauce. Soybeans are one of the top GMO and pesticide-laden crops, so it’s worth spending the extra money on organic. I seem to switch around depending on what I’m eating. Sometimes I simply mist coconut aminos on vegetables as they’re roasting, other times I use tamari when I want a stronger flavor, and use low sodium soy sauce when I’m diluting it in soups and stews.
Gluten-Free Tamari Tips
Always read ingredient labels to ensure your bottle of tamari is 100% gluten-free.
If eating out, remember to not only request to see the bottle of gluten-free tamari, but also verify that soy sauce or other sauces (such as ponzu, which is also made from soy sauce) were not used as a marinade for any ingredients in your meal if you’re avoiding gluten.
How to Use Soy Alternatives
Soy sauce alternatives can be used in stir fry, such as this Oil-Free Broccoli Stir Fry or Edamame Stir Fry. Here’s a great recipe for Oil-Free Basic Stir Fry Sauce.