When you cook a lot, like I do, you count on having a number of staples in your pantry. For me, I usually know when I use the last of a staple and immediately put it on a grocery list, even if I won’t be using it for weeks. When it comes time to make a menu for the week and make my grocery list, I don’t even bother looking to see if I have butter, milk, olive oil, vegetable oil, salt, pepper and other things like that.
One of those items is Worcestershire sauce. I can’t say I use it all the time but I bet it ends up in at least three or four recipes a month. As I rarely use more than 1-2 tablespoons in a recipe, it tends to last a long time.
Several months ago I was deep into a recipe with frying pans going and went to my pantry and looked for my Worcestershire and….nothing. I couldn’t believe it so I ended up touching each bottle to make sure it wasn’t my beloved sauce. Still nothing. So what does any cook do? I went to the internet and searched for substitutions. I found the recipe below and luckily had all the ingredients on hand.
Homemade Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
The taste was close enough to work and if you are vegan or having vegan guests (or ones with anchovy allergies), this is a quick alternative.
A handful of spices, soy sauce and vinegar.
Throw it all into a saucepan and simmer.
Homemade Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
prep Makes about 1 cup ∙ source Marthastewart.com
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups apple-cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup light-brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground yellow mustard seed or dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Step 1 Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and let cool completely before using. Worcestershire sauce may be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 months.
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
How interesting! I always wondered what was in Worcestershire Sauce. I don’t cook enough, or use enough Worcestershire Sauce to bother making it – but this sounds really good! Of all your recipes, I still fall back on the Diablo Shrimp from April of 2012. Simple, and simply delicious!
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Me too. In fact, I’m making it again tonight!
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Yummy!!!! I will be thinking of you at dinner time tonight…
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Reblogged this on The Vampire Diet and commented:
Even though martha stewart is the exact opposite of the aesthetic I want to create in “the vampire diet” I have to grudgingly admit a vegan worcestershire sauce is a good idea.
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I am going to have to try this, looks great.
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I always wondered too! looks yummy I’ll have to try it 🙂 thanks!!
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Nice! Sometimes quick substitutions turn out great.
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Also…if you substitute the soy sauce with tamari it will be gluten-free. Thanks! I am going to try it.
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