Step aside soy. There’s a new sauce in town.
Introducing coconut aminos. This dark, rich sauce has a salty yet slightly sweet flavor that’s reminiscent of a light soy sauce. Coconut aminos is free of both soy and gluten, making it a smart substitute for folks with allergies and intolerances as well as those who adhere to a paleo diet. Coconut aminos is also 100 percent vegan, not to mention a perfect choice for people looking to avoid the excess sodium and MSG commonly found in soy sauce.
So what is coconut aminos exactly? Coconut aminos is made from the sap of coconut blossoms. After the sap is collected, it is blended with sea salt and aged to produce a vitamin- and mineral-rich sauce that rivals soy. As its name suggests, coconut aminos is composed of 17 different amino acids—the building blocks of protein, responsible for carrying out many essential body functions. The savory brown sauce not only tastes good—it’s good for you!
Adding coconut aminos to your diet
There are countless ways to enjoy the taste (and health benefits!) of coconut aminos. Use it as a replacement for soy sauce in soups, stews, stir-fries, salad dressings and marinades… It even makes a delicious dipping sauce.
Following are some simple suggestions for adding coconut aminos to your diet:
- Combine coconut aminos with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil to make a salad dressing
- Mix it with garlic, honey, lime juice and olive oil to make a marinade for salmon fillets
- Use coconut aminos in place of salt when preparing beef stew
- Mix it with lime juice or sesame oil to make a dipping sauce for turkey meatballs
- Use coconut aminos to replace salt and reduce the acidity of homemade tomato sauce
- Blend it with garlic, pepper and coconut oil to make a marinade for steak
- Add coconut aminos to a pot of lentils for enhanced flavor
- Use it as a dipping sauce for sushi
- Drizzle it into your vegetarian or beef curry
- Add a dash of coconut aminos to your Blood Mary mix
- Use it to marinate chicken for your stir-fry
- Mix coconut aminos with olive oil and use to coat homemade sweet potato fries (before baking)
- Stir it into your pork fried rice
- Use coconut aminos to deepen the flavor of Asian noodle dishes
- Mix it with garlic, salt, pepper and honey to make a marinade for zucchini
- Use it in place of soy sauce when making beef jerky
- Mix coconut aminos with lime juice and use as a dressing for coleslaw
- Add it to sauteed greens, such as spinach, kale, chard and beet greens