Kimchi Without Fish Sauce: 8 Vegan Substitutes Compared
Fish sauce and salted shrimp give kimchi its salty depth. Here is what replaces them: each swap’s flavor, a starting amount, and the gluten, soy and label traps to watch.
What Can Replace Fish Sauce in Kimchi?
The simplest swap is soy sauce (or Korean soup soy sauce) used 1:1, plus a little mushroom powder for savory depth. For a richer result, use a kombu-shiitake broth with soy sauce, or add a spoon of miso for a fermented note. Keep your overall salt close to the original recipe, since salt controls the fermentation. For the whole method, see our vegan kimchi recipe.
8 Vegan Fish Sauce Substitutes for Kimchi
Amounts are starting points per 1 tbsp of fish sauce a recipe calls for. Adjust by taste, since brands vary in saltiness.
| Substitute | Flavor | Start with | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soy sauce / guk-ganjang | Clean, salty, savory | 1 tbsp | Darkens the paste; contains wheat. Usually less salty than fish sauce, so taste first. |
| Miso (white or red) | Rounder, fermented, slightly sweet | 1–2 tsp, dissolved in water | Too much turns the paste sweet or cloudy. Some miso has barley. |
| Kombu-shiitake broth + soy | Closest “sea + earth” depth | 1 tbsp of seasoned broth | Needs 20 minutes of prep. Make it salty enough to taste like fish sauce. |
| Mushroom powder + salt | Neutral, savory; covers the saeujeot role | 1 tsp powder + ¼ tsp salt | Check that the powder blend is vegan and has no fillers. |
| Doenjang | Strong, funky, fermented | ½–1 tsp | Very salty and pungent; best paired with another swap. |
| Tamari | Like soy sauce, a bit richer | 1 tbsp | Gluten-free only if the label says so. |
| Coconut aminos | Mild, slightly sweet | 1 tbsp + pinch of salt | Lower in salt; soy-free and gluten-free. |
| Store-bought vegan fish sauce | Closest convenience swap | Follow the bottle; start 1:1 | Read the label for allergens and added sugar. |
Fish Sauce Does Four Jobs in Kimchi
Most guides treat fish sauce as “salt plus umami”. It does a bit more, and no single swap covers every job, which is why combining two works better than hunting for one perfect replacement.
| Job | What it adds | Best vegan cover |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | Seasoning, and part of the salt balance that guides fermentation | Soy sauce, tamari, sea salt |
| Umami | Savory, mouth-filling depth | Mushroom powder, kombu-shiitake broth, miso |
| Fermented funk | The aged, slightly pungent note | Doenjang, miso (a close match isn’t possible, only a nearby one) |
| Ocean note | A faint briny freshness | Kombu (kelp) |
The Salt Math (Why 1:1 Isn’t the Whole Story)
Fish sauce is typically saltier than soy sauce by weight, roughly a quarter salt versus around 15% for many soy sauces, though brands vary. Swapping 1:1 therefore lowers the salt in your paste. As a rough estimate, replacing ½ cup of fish sauce with ½ cup of soy sauce leaves you about 1–2 teaspoons of salt short.
Fish Sauce Swap Amounts by Kimchi Batch Size
Typical napa kimchi recipes use roughly 2–4 tbsp of fish sauce per kilogram of cabbage, though recipes vary. Find the amount your recipe calls for, then read across. All amounts are starting points; taste the paste and adjust.
| Recipe’s fish sauce | ≈ Cabbage batch | Soy sauce | Miso (dissolved) | Mushroom powder + salt | Kombu-shiitake broth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 1–2 kg | ¼ cup | 1⅓–2⅔ tbsp | 4 tsp + 1 tsp salt | ¼ cup |
| ⅓ cup | 1.5–2.5 kg | ⅓ cup | 1¾–3½ tbsp | 5 tsp + 1⅓ tsp salt | ⅓ cup |
| ½ cup | 2–4 kg | ½ cup | 2⅔–5⅓ tbsp | 2⅔ tbsp + 2 tsp salt | ½ cup |
| ¾ cup | 3–6 kg | ¾ cup | 4–8 tbsp | 4 tbsp + 1 tbsp salt | ¾ cup |
Swap Calculator
Replacing Fish Sauce and Salted Shrimp Together
Traditional recipes use both fish sauce and saeujeot (salted shrimp). You don’t need two substitutes. One combined swap usually does it, and these pairings are common among home cooks:
Replacing Saeujeot (Salted Shrimp) Specifically
If your recipe lists saeujeot separately, replace it as well. Estimates per amount of saeujeot in the recipe:
| Recipe’s saeujeot | Mushroom powder + salt | Or soy sauce | Optional funk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | 2 tsp + 1 tsp salt | 2 tbsp | ½ tsp doenjang |
| ¼ cup | 4 tsp + 2 tsp salt | ¼ cup | 1 tsp doenjang |
| 6 tbsp | 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp salt | 6 tbsp | 1½ tsp doenjang |
Replace fish sauce and saeujeot with different swaps (for example soy sauce for one, mushroom powder for the other) rather than doubling the same one, then taste the paste before mixing.
Which Swap Fits Your Diet? Allergen and Sodium Matrix
Always read the actual label, since brands differ. This table shows the typical picture.
| Swap | Gluten-free | Soy-free | Sodium | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soy sauce / guk-ganjang | Usually no (wheat); check guk-ganjang | No | High | $ |
| Miso | Depends (barley miso: no) | No (most) | High | $$ |
| Kombu-shiitake broth | Yes with sea salt or GF tamari | Yes with sea salt | Adjustable | $$ |
| Mushroom powder + salt | Yes (check blend) | Yes | Adjustable | $$ |
| Doenjang | Check label | No | High | $$ |
| Tamari | Yes if labeled GF | No | High | $$ |
| Coconut aminos | Yes | Yes | Lower | $$$ |
| Store-bought vegan fish sauce | Check label | Check label | Varies | $$$ |
If you’re comparing sodium in finished jars rather than ingredients, see our low-sodium kimchi brands ranking.
DIY Kombu-Shiitake Vegan Fish Sauce
A popular home-cook method on Korean cooking forums, and the best all-purpose swap if you want depth. It makes about 1½–2 cups; use it in place of fish sauce, measure for measure.
Steep from cold
Put the onion, kombu and shiitake in a pot with the cold water.
Heat only to a boil, then switch off
Boiling kombu for long makes the broth bitter and slimy. Turn the heat off at the first boil and let everything cool.
Strain and season
Strain, then stir in soy sauce until it is properly salty, nearly as salty as fish sauce. Add a spoon at a time and taste.
Store cold
Refrigerate in a clean jar and use within about a week. It is a fresh broth, not a shelf-stable sauce.
It won’t taste like fish sauce. It is a salty, savory, slightly earthy replacement that does the same job in the paste.
Which Swap Works Best in Each Recipe
| Dish | Best swap | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Baechu (napa) kimchi | Soy sauce 1:1 + mushroom powder | Blends into the paste and fermentation-friendly; the paste’s red color hides any darkening. |
| Kkakdugi (radish) | Soy sauce + a pinch of mushroom powder | Chunky radish soaks up the seasoning evenly. See vegan kkakdugi. |
| Fresh kimchi (geotjeori) | Soy sauce or tamari, dissolved first | It is eaten right away with no fermentation to mellow it, so season carefully by taste. |
| Cooked dishes (jjigae, fried rice) | Soy sauce, or a splash of kombu-shiitake broth | Simple, direct swap. See vegan kimchi jjigae. |
Troubleshooting Your Swap
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tastes flat | Not enough salt or umami after the swap | Add mushroom powder and a pinch of salt to the paste; taste before mixing in. |
| Too salty | Soy sauce plus extra salt stacked up | Cut the added salt next batch; balance this batch with a little grated pear or extra vegetables. |
| Sweet or cloudy paste | Too much miso | Limit miso to 1–2 tsp per tbsp of fish sauce and make up the rest with soy sauce. |
| Paste looks dark or brownish | Dark soy sauce | Use a lighter soup soy or replace part of it with sea salt. |
| Bitter or slimy broth | Kombu boiled too long | Turn the heat off at the first boil and steep. |
| Less “funky” than usual | No saeujeot or fish sauce | Add a small amount of doenjang, and let the kimchi ferment to taste, since flavor deepens as it sours. |
What to Buy: Ingredient Names and Label Checks
Korean grocery stores and online shops carry all of these. This is what to look for on the package.
| Ingredient | Korean name | Label check | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean soup soy sauce | 국간장 (guk-ganjang) | Soybeans, salt, water; note whether wheat is listed. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Doenjang | 된장 | Check for anchovy or seafood extract, which some jars add. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Dried kelp (kombu) | 다시마 (dasima) | Ingredient list should be kelp only. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Dried shiitake | 표고버섯 (pyogo) | Mushrooms only; whole dried caps work best for broth. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Shiitake or mushroom powder | — | Mushrooms only; avoid blends with fillers or unclear “flavors”. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Miso | 미소 (miso) | No bonito or dashi listed; instant miso often has fish. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Gluten-free tamari | — | “Gluten-free” printed on the label. | 🛒 Amazon |
| Coconut aminos | — | Short ingredient list; lower in sodium than soy sauce. | 🛒 Amazon |
Looking for ready-made jars instead of ingredients? See vegan kimchi brands and where to buy kimchi.
Run Your Own Split-Batch Test
Taste varies, so the most reliable way to choose is to test. One batch, four jars:
Make one salted, rinsed batch
Prepare the cabbage once, then split the seasoning paste base into four bowls.
Add one swap per bowl
Use soy sauce, miso, mushroom powder with salt, and kombu-shiitake broth, with amounts from the batch chart. Label each jar.
Taste on day 1, 3 and 5
Ferment all jars the same way (see the fermentation stages guide) and note how each changes as it sours.
| Swap | Salt | Umami | Funk | Color | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soy sauce | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 |
| Miso | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 |
| Mushroom powder + salt | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 |
| Kombu-shiitake broth | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 | /5 |
Which Substitute Fits You? Quick Quiz
Not sure whether a jar you already have contains fish sauce? Use our label guide: is kimchi vegan? Prefer to buy? See vegan kimchi brands.
Fish Sauce Substitutes — FAQ
For most people, soy sauce or Korean soup soy sauce plus a little mushroom powder is the easiest. For more depth, use a kombu and shiitake broth with soy sauce. Miso adds a rounder, fermented flavor.
Yes, and the kimchi will still ferment. It will taste lighter and less savory, so most cooks replace the salt and umami with soy sauce, miso or mushroom powder, keeping total salt close to the original recipe.
There is no exact match. Mushroom powder with a pinch of extra salt covers the savory role, and a little doenjang or miso adds fermented depth. Many vegan recipes use one combined swap for both fish sauce and saeujeot.
Yes. Miso brings salt, umami and a fermented note. Dissolve it in a little water first, start small, and taste, because too much can make the paste sweet or cloudy.
Not always. Many dashi powders and packets contain bonito (fish). Use a kombu-only or kombu and shiitake dashi, and check the ingredient list.
Use tamari labeled gluten-free, coconut aminos, or sea salt with mushroom powder. Regular soy sauce and some miso contain wheat or barley, so check labels.
Coconut aminos, or sea salt with a mushroom and kombu broth. Coconut aminos is milder and sweeter than soy sauce, so you may need a pinch of extra salt.
Yes. A 2018 Brown University study found that miso-based vegan kimchi ended up with bacterial communities very similar to traditional kimchi. Keep the overall salt level similar to your usual recipe. See our fermentation stages guide.
Start with the same amount of soy sauce as the fish sauce in the recipe. Soy sauce is usually less salty, so taste the paste and add a pinch of salt or mushroom powder if it seems flat.
Steep onion, kombu and dried shiitake in cold water, heat only until it boils, then cool and strain. Season it with soy sauce until it is quite salty. Keep it refrigerated and use it within about a week.
No. Most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so it is not vegan. Use soy sauce, miso, mushroom powder or a vegan fish sauce instead.
Yes. Use the same amount, taste the paste, and add a pinch of salt or mushroom powder if it seems flat. Soy sauce is usually less salty than fish sauce and darkens the paste slightly.
Yes. Fermentation is driven by lactic acid bacteria on the vegetables, and proper salting of the cabbage is what makes it safe and sour. Fish sauce is a seasoning, not the fermenter, so keep your normal salting and clean-jar routine.
It varies, but roughly 2–4 tablespoons per kilogram of napa cabbage is common. Use the amount in your own recipe as the base for any swap.
Kombu adds umami and a faint sea note but very little salt. Use it as a broth and season it with soy sauce or sea salt, rather than adding it alone.
Temple cooking relies on plant sources of umami, and cooks commonly cite kelp and mushrooms. That is why kombu and shiitake are such common building blocks for vegan kimchi.
Storage depends mainly on salt level, temperature and how sour you like it, not on fish sauce. Keep it refrigerated and expect it to keep souring slowly. See our fermentation stages guide.
Mushroom-based vegetarian oyster sauce is vegan and adds savory-sweet depth, but it is sweeter and thicker than other swaps, so use it sparingly. Regular oyster sauce is not vegan.
Yes. Use sea salt with mushroom powder and a kombu-shiitake broth, adding salt gradually and tasting the paste. Coconut aminos is another soy-free option, but it is milder.
Ji-Young Park writes about Korean food and kimchi fermentation, and keeps the vegan kimchi guides on this site consistent with each other. This page covers ingredient swaps; the full recipe lives in the vegan kimchi recipe guide.
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Dr. Sarah Mitchell, RD, PhD, reviewed the ingredient, allergen and dietary claims on this page for accuracy.
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