Vegetarian Nước Chấm - Recipe
Nước chấm is the quintessential Vietnamese dipping sauce made of fish sauce seasoned with sugar, lime juice, garlic and chiles. I use a little bit of kombu and soy sauce to infuse that oceanic, umami flavor that would otherwise be missing.
Serve this with the Bánh xèo, or as an alternative to of the ginger-grapefruit sauce with Bun,
Vegetarian Nước Chấm
Vegan; gluten-free option / Yields 1 cup / 10 minutes
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 small piece dried kombu seaweed
- 1-2 thinly sliced Thai bird or serrano chiles, or 2 teaspoons chile paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (omit or check ingredients carefully if you need gluten-free)
- 6 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- about 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup julienned carrots (optional)
- Bring the water, sugar and kombu to a simmer. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for ten minutes. Remove the kombu.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning to achieve a balance of savory, salty, sweet, spicy and sour. Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator for a few days.