Salt, umami, color, and depth. Soy sauce is the fastest route to savory.
Ingredient hub
Soy Sauce
Salt, umami, color, and depth. Soy sauce is the fastest route to savory.
Fast Answer
how to use soy sauce
Best pairings
- Ginger
- Onion
- Garlic
- Scallion
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame
- Chili crisp
- Lime
- Cabbage
- Chicken, salmon, shrimp, tofu, beef, or eggs
Common mistakes
- Using too much without balancing it with acid, sweetness, salt, or fat.
- Adding delicate aromatics too early and burning them.
- Forgetting the finishing layer: scallions, sesame, lime, herbs, or chili crisp.
Substitutions
- Fresh ginger: ginger paste or frozen grated ginger.
- Onion: shallot, scallion whites, red onion, sweet onion, or yellow onion.
- Soy sauce: tamari or coconut aminos.
- Sesame oil: toasted sesame seeds plus neutral oil, though the flavor is not identical.