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Home » Condiments and More » Awesome Sauce

June 20, 2013

Awesome Sauce

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Everything Sauce

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

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Everything Sauce

Awesome Sauce


  • Author: erin wysocarski
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings
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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. Add in the thai chilis or sriracha if you want it spicy.
  4. Store in a glass container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
  5. 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.
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes

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Everything Sauce

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Filed Under: Condiments and More

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sheila Tajima says

    June 20, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    I am definitely going to try this! Just had to write to give you kudos for exceptionally awesome images today.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      June 20, 2013 at 5:24 pm

      Thank you, Sheila — I hope you enjoy! : )

      Reply
    • Sandy Smith says

      June 23, 2013 at 9:31 pm

      I agree… STUNNING!

      Reply
  2. Angry Asian says

    June 20, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    delightful! i made soba noodles today and had no sauce to put on top, plain soy sauce just didn't cut it for me.

    Reply
  3. christine says

    June 24, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    must make some of this, sounds really useful:)

    Reply
  4. Bill (Already Living) says

    June 26, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    What kind of green-stem vegetable is that in the first photograph?

    Are those spring onions?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      June 26, 2013 at 2:37 pm

      They are flowering chives. I love them for their crunch and spicy flavor, but they also look really pretty in photographs, I think!

      Reply
  5. Carole says

    July 5, 2013 at 3:53 am

    Lovely 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

    Reply
  6. racheyalex says

    July 10, 2013 at 2:36 am

    This 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!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      July 10, 2013 at 10:37 am

      so happy you enjoyed, racheylex … the addition of pb sounds awesome — I will have to try that out!

      Reply
  7. Mary "Mickey" McCormick says

    December 2, 2013 at 4:31 pm

    How long does this sauce last? Shelf life, I mean.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      December 2, 2013 at 9:29 pm

      Mary, I've kept this sauce in the fridge for up to a week with no issues.

      Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    January 26, 2014 at 7:04 pm

    Hi – Can you recommend a specific mirin?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 26, 2014 at 7:30 pm

      I use aji-mirin, Not great (contains corn syrup), but it's the only kind I can find.

      Reply
  9. Marisa Houser says

    February 19, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    This sauce was delicious! It will now be a staple in my fridge 🙂

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      February 19, 2014 at 4:22 pm

      So happy you like, Marisa!! : )

      Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    February 23, 2014 at 9:06 pm

    If you don't have chilies around you're using siracha how much would you put in?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      February 23, 2014 at 10:26 pm

      It 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!

      Reply
  11. Chili Pepper says

    September 7, 2014 at 4:56 pm

    Beautiful photos

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Erin Wysocarski. Glad you’re here.

I create vegan recipes for those who love to cook and eat. My husband Jeff photographs them. We live in Boston with our rescue dog, Harper. More about Erin →

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