Vegetarian “Oyster” Sauce

Vegetarian “Oyster” Sauce

I do really like oyster sauce, and use it in a lot of Asian inspired recipes. However, the commercial versions are not vegetarian and frequently have lots of corn syrup and/or sugar added to them. This does not taste exactly like oyster sauce (which is not surprising given that a lot of the flavor does come from oysters) but does make for a fantastic substitute and very tasty sauce. You can add it to stir fries, drizzle it on cooked vegetables, serve with seafood, chicken, sliders, or burgers, and of course, use it as a substitute for traditional oyster sauce. This is exactly how I make it every time, and I think it is the best version I have tried, but you can make a very good sauce using other types of broth or bouillon. If you cannot find the black beans, you can use a brown or black bean sauce that you can find in the Asian section of your local grocery store – but they almost always have sugar or corn syrup added to them. I love the Better Than Bouillon soup bases, and use them all the time – but you can use your favorite broth, stock, or bouillon – just make sure it is a very strong ½ cup of broth that you end up starting with.

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
2 teaspoons vegetarian beef, mushroom, or vegetable bouillon concentrate (for testing we used Vegetarian “No Beef” Better Than Bouillon) (20 calories, 2 grams protein)
2 finely ground Chinese fermented black beans(35 calories, 4 grams protein)
1 tablespoon granular sugar substitute (for testing we used Erythritol) (5 calories)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (20 calories, 2 grams protein)
1 tablespoon mirin (25 calories)
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch (8 calories)


Heat ½ cup water to boiling in a small, heavy saucepan and add the bouillon and black beans. Bring to a boil, then add the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar substitute. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Before serving or preparing to chill for future use, mix together the remaining tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk into the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately, or cool and store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

113 calories and 8 grams protein total
14 calories and 1 gram protein per tablespoon