Hoisin Sauce {Low Sugar}
 
 
The ultra-sweet, gloopy hoisin sauce used in many Chinese dishes and marinades can taste like candy. This version is less thick and cloying but still has a sweet-salty balance and the captivating flavor of Chinese five-spice powder, which is easy to find online or in grocery stores with decent spice sections. If you have trouble finding miso paste, unsweetened natural peanut butter is a great substitute here.
Author:
Serves: Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients
  • 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted (dark) sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or chili oil
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • ¼ cup white miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir to melt the sugar, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the miso paste. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  2. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl, stir in 2 tablespoons water, then add this slurry to the sauce, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Let cool completely.
Notes
Make Ahead
The sauce will keep in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Excerpted from Half the Sugar, All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH. Photographs by Erin Scott. Workman Publishing ©2019.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 tablespoons Calories: 54 Saturated fat: 1g Carbohydrates: 6g Sugar: ¼ teaspoon or 1g Sodium: 923mg Fiber: 0g Protein: 2g
Recipe by Jennifer Tyler Lee at https://www.52newfoods.com/hoisin-sauce-low-sugar/