This sauce delivers a little bit of sweetness, a touch of saltiness and a hint of smoke which makes it perfect for putting on almost, well … everything. I love the flavor combination in this sauce so much that I found myself throwing together slight variations of it week after week to drizzle over soup or noodles or to marinate tofu in. Although whipping up this sauce is quick and easy, there’s no reason it can’t be made in a larger batch, then used throughout the week as needed. This sauce has an array of uses, including:
- a marinade for thoroughly pressed tofu;
- a sauce for drizzling over cooked noodles, soups and greens; and
- a glaze for grilled/sauteed tofu (see METHOD below on how to thicken it)
Thai chilis are completely optional here, of course, and can be subbed with something milder, like a squirt of sriracha or roasted red chili paste, or left out altogether. The sauce will still produce a mild yet flavorful all-purpose staple in your kitchen.
EVERYTHING SAUCE
Cook
Total
Yield 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 TB dark sesame oil
- 1 TB fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
- 1 TB garlic, grated or finely minced
- 2/3 cup mirin or broth
- 2 TB soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 TB brown sugar or raw agave syrup
- 1-2 fresh thai chilis, sliced or sriracha or red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the ginger and garlic into the oil and stir. Allow to soften and slightly mellow for a few minutes, but don’t allow it to brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium, then add in the mirin, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar or agave. Allow the mixture to come to a very small simmer for a minute or two. If using brown sugar, allow it to dissolve completely.
- Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. Add in the thai chilis or sriracha if you want it spicy.
- Store in a glass container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- To thicken the sauce, dissolve 1 rounded teaspoon of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water. Place half of sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a very small simmer. Pour the cornstarch/water mixture into the sauce and stir with a rubber spatula or whisk until thick. Remove from the heat and pour over sauteed or grilled tofu.
Sheila Tajima says
June 20, 2013 at 5:18 pmI am definitely going to try this! Just had to write to give you kudos for exceptionally awesome images today.
erinwyso says
June 20, 2013 at 5:24 pmThank you, Sheila — I hope you enjoy! : )
Sandy Smith says
June 23, 2013 at 9:31 pmI agree… STUNNING!
Angry Asian says
June 20, 2013 at 8:40 pmdelightful! i made soba noodles today and had no sauce to put on top, plain soy sauce just didn't cut it for me.
christine says
June 24, 2013 at 10:42 pmmust make some of this, sounds really useful:)
Bill (Already Living) says
June 26, 2013 at 1:42 pmWhat kind of green-stem vegetable is that in the first photograph?
Are those spring onions?
erinwyso says
June 26, 2013 at 2:37 pmThey are flowering chives. I love them for their crunch and spicy flavor, but they also look really pretty in photographs, I think!
Carole says
July 5, 2013 at 3:53 amLovely work! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is all about sauces? This is the link . I do hope to see you there. There are already quite a lot of links for you to check out. Cheers
racheyalex says
July 10, 2013 at 2:36 amThis sauce was great over steamed broccoli and edamame beans! I added a tbsp of peanut butter with the cornstarch and water. Licked my plate clean after both helpings 😉 Now I'm looking forward to the other half of this sauce that I reserved, and all the delicious possibilities!
erinwyso says
July 10, 2013 at 10:37 amso happy you enjoyed, racheylex … the addition of pb sounds awesome — I will have to try that out!
Mary "Mickey" McCormick says
December 2, 2013 at 4:31 pmHow long does this sauce last? Shelf life, I mean.
erinwyso says
December 2, 2013 at 9:29 pmMary, I've kept this sauce in the fridge for up to a week with no issues.
Anonymous says
January 26, 2014 at 7:04 pmHi – Can you recommend a specific mirin?
erinwyso says
January 26, 2014 at 7:30 pmI use aji-mirin, Not great (contains corn syrup), but it's the only kind I can find.
Marisa Houser says
February 19, 2014 at 3:48 pmThis sauce was delicious! It will now be a staple in my fridge 🙂
erinwyso says
February 19, 2014 at 4:22 pmSo happy you like, Marisa!! : )
Anonymous says
February 23, 2014 at 9:06 pmIf you don't have chilies around you're using siracha how much would you put in?
erinwyso says
February 23, 2014 at 10:26 pmIt really depends on your opinion about heat! If you don't like much, start with 1 teaspoon and add more as needed. I hope you enjoy!
Chili Pepper says
September 7, 2014 at 4:56 pmBeautiful photos