HOISIN SAUCE {LOW SUGAR}
A typical packaged hoisin sauce can contain 30 teaspoons of added sugar in one small jar! That’s 4 ¼ teaspoons of added sugar per 2 tablespoon serving, which can be as much added sugar as a packaged snack cake. This homemade hoisin sauce from Half the Sugar, All the Love is sweetened with miso paste instead of added sugar. You can use unsweetened peanut butter if you don’t have miso paste on hand. This simple recipe reduces added sugar by 95%, takes only 5 minutes to make, and keeps in your refrigerator for up to a month. It’s a delicious addition to the Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Half the Sugar, All the Love.
HOISIN SAUCE {LOW SUGAR}
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
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.
Ours = 1/4 teaspoon
Theirs = 2 1/4 teaspoons
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
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 cup white miso paste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
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.
Make Ahead
The sauce will keep in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Information (2 tablespoons):
Calories: 54 | Added sugar: 1/4 teaspoon or 1g | Carbohydrates: 6g | Sodium: 923mg | Saturated fat: 7% of calories or 1g | Fiber: 0g | Protein: 2g
Excerpted from Half the Sugar, All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH. Photographs by Erin Scott. Workman Publishing ©2019.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
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.
