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Nước Chấm Chay – Vegan Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

May 13, 2013 by Lisa Le 43 Comments

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This is a quintessential Vietnamese condiment that goes with countless Vietnamese dishes! A balance of sweet, salty, fermented and tangy, this vegan nước chấm chay is THE BEST.

Vegan fish sauce bottle with the prepared nước chấm chay, surrounded by lime, chili pepper, and garlic

This recipe for vegan nước chấm chay has been a staple in our house forever. I always have a jar of it in the fridge, either the soy-sauce version or the vegan fish sauce version.

Difference between Fish Sauce vs Dipping Sauce? Nước mắm vs nước chấm?

A lot of people will colloquially call this sauce “fish sauce”. There is a distinct difference between plain fish sauce (nước mắm chay) and the dipping sauce (nước chấm chay). Nước mắm chay is just the straight, salted and fermented vegan fish sauce, whereas nước chấm chay has sugar, garlic, water, chili, and lime juice added to it.

Nước chấm chay is the typical accompaniment to finished Vietnamese dishes. It has a balance of sweet, savoury, tang and spice.

Another common dipping sauce my family would use was plain fish sauce (nước mắm) with cut up chili peppers. This was used to dip fish, seafood, or blanched meats alongside other parts of the meal. It’s not meant to be poured over a whole dish like nước chấm chay is.

vegan fish sauce bottle with other bottles of seasonings in the background

Where to find vegan fish sauce?

I find my vegan nước mắm chay at a few different places:

  • Coven Hamilton
  • Local Vietnamese grocery shops
    • B&T Food in Hamilton (Queen St)
    • B&T Food in Kitchener (King St E)
  • Local Vietnamese vegetarian restaurants (Dai Bi Chay has this!)

I’m sure you can find it at similar places in Toronto, I just haven’t really been in the city much since I moved to Hamilton. I’m not sure what’s available regularly in stores anymore. Vegan Supply carries one, although it’s not the same brand but another vegan fish sauce.

Not all Asian supermarkets will carry it, I find the smaller markets in communities with more Vietnamese (esp Buddhist) populations are more likely to have it.

What if I can’t find vegan fish sauce?

For many years, vegan fish sauce wasn’t available to me, so my family made this vegan version for me with soy sauce. I’ve seen some people make homemade vegan fish sauce that uses a combination of soy sauce, pineapple juice, and seaweed. That sounds like too much work for me, so I just opt to buy it!

Nước chấm chay - soy sauce version of dipping sauce in a measuring yup

Eddie prefers this soy sauce version, and I love both. My family always has the soy sauce version in the fridge ready for us whenever we come visit! Personally, I find some dishes fare a lot better with the soy sauce one (like banh uot or banh cuon)

However, some dishes really do just hit different with the vegan fish sauce version. Spring rolls, bánh xèo, cơm tấm… sometimes you just gotta go with that stinky fermented flavour that isn’t quite there with soy sauce!

ingredients for vegan fish sauce based nuoc cham

How long does nước chấm chay last?

This is probably not up to food safety standards, but I keep mine indefinitely in the fridge. We probably eat it within a month or so, and I will make a new batch in a clean jar for next time.

The combination of boiled water, sugar, and salt means that this sauce can keep for a long time in the fridge. Prepare your nước chấm chay with a very clean cutting board, knife, mortar & pestle, and sanitized jar to have it keep for longer.

I make this full nước chấm chay recipe and always have it on hand in the fridge! Although, if you don’t eat Vietnamese food as frequently as I do, you may find it more practical to half the recipe.

What do I serve nước chấm chay with?

  • Bánh cuốn chay (steamed rice rolls with a savoury filling)
  • Bánh Xèo chay (crispy Vietnamese turmeric pancakes)
  • Chả giò chay (Vietnamese fried spring rolls)
  • Cơm Tấm (broken rice with vegan grilled meat or vegan egg meatloaf)
  • Bún Chả Giò Chay (Rice Vermicelli bowls with spring rolls)

Recipe Updated Oct 24, 2021

ingredients for vegan fish sauce based nuoc cham
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Nuoc Mam Chay Vietnamese Vegetarian Dipping Sauce

Calories: 613kcal
Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

Soy sauce version

  • 5 garlic cloves mashed or minced (I used a mortar and pestle)
  • 2 tsp chili paste OR 1-2 whole red chilies mashed with some of the sugar.
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce Golden Mountain brand
  • 1 1/4 cup 312 mL boiled water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 limes juiced

Vegan Fish Sauce version

  • 5 garlic cloves mashed or minced (I used a mortar and pestle)
  • 2 tsp chili paste OR 1-2 whole red chilies mashed with some of the sugar.
  • 1/2 cup vegan fish sauce pictured above
  • 1 1/2 cup 375 mL boiled water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 limes juiced

Instructions

Soy Sauce Version

  • Mash together garlic, chili, and 2 tbsp sugar with a mortar and pestle.
  • Transfer the sugar garlic paste with the remaining sugar into a large jar and add the boiled water. Stir to dissolve sugar.
  • Add the soy sauce and lime juice and mix.
  • Adjust if you like it saltier (more soy sauce), spicier (more chili paste), etc.
  • Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Vegan Fish Sauce Version

  • Mash together garlic, chili, and 2 tbsp sugar with a mortar and pestle.
  • Transfer the sugar garlic paste with the remaining sugar into a large jar and add the boiled water. Stir to dissolve sugar.
  • Add the vegan fish sauce and lime juice and mix. The vegan fish sauce may differ in saltiness, depending on what brand you have. Start with 1 1/4 cups water, and adjust as needed. I ended up adding another 1/4 cup water to be about 1 1/2 cups water total. Adjust to your taste!
  • Store in the fridge and enjoy on many Vietnamese dishes!

Notes

If you really like garlic, use 5 cloves, if you don't love it, just use 2.

Nutrition

Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 157g | Protein: 17g
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Filed Under: Condiments & Sauces, Recipes from TikTok, Vegan recipes, Vietnamese Tagged With: dipping, fish sauce, nuoc cham chay, nuoc mam, sauce, vegan fish sauce, vegetarian, vietnamese

About Lisa Le

Lisa is the thirty-something, nerdy, procrastinating, feminist blogger and photographer behind The Viet Vegan. She loves spicy foods, noodles, and food in bowls.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristin says

    May 13, 2013 at 12:33 PM

    Thank you for your post. As a vegetarian, I know that being a vegetarian means other things to other people. Some people believe fish sauce is included in that. LOL I’m so thankful for your post.. and that it doesn’t have fish sauce. LOL
    Kristin ;)

    Reply
    • Lisa Mai says

      May 13, 2013 at 12:40 PM

      Hahahah I know what you mean! I went to a wedding once that served me fish because I was vegetarian.

      Reply
  2. Jill says

    April 13, 2014 at 5:47 PM

    Just came across your blog searching for recipes. Just wanted to share something as I am also a very allergic person. It sounds like you may have what I have, called oral allergy syndrome. It’s not very common – see if it sounds like you…
    http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/oral-allergy-syndrome-foods

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      April 13, 2014 at 5:54 PM

      Haha you’re right, that does sound like me. The birch pollen and grass allergy look like the most likely, although I don’t get a reaction to oranges or tomatoes. But I get reactions to almost everything in the Birch pollen category. I still eat apples anyway though =P

      Reply
      • Jill says

        April 13, 2014 at 6:53 PM

        Awesome. You might want to talk to an allergist. There is some research to show that allergy shots can help get rid of oral allergy syndrome. Just an FYI because I wished I knew that sooner so I wanted to share!

        Reply
        • Lisa Le says

          April 13, 2014 at 6:57 PM

          Thanks Jill! I saw an allergist when I was in high school and I actually take antihistamines every day. I did allergy shots way back in the day but they wore off too quickly and weren’t as effective as the daily pill.

          Reply
  3. Alison says

    August 14, 2015 at 10:02 PM

    You. Are. A. Goddess. You don’t know how long I have been trying to figure out how to make Vietnamese and Thai dishes without fish sauce. Heaven is in my kitchen tomorrow at about 6.

    Reply
  4. Bao Nguyen says

    November 4, 2015 at 4:59 PM

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  5. Courtney says

    July 13, 2016 at 7:21 PM

    What kind of chili paste is pictured here?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      July 27, 2016 at 10:24 AM

      It’s like a homemade chili paste—but you can find the same kind of chili paste in Asian supermarkets. Typically either just chili, or chili + garlic.

      Reply
  6. Baruch says

    January 15, 2017 at 6:41 AM

    I’m pretty good googling things. More than prretty good, actually. But no matter what I do, I canmt find a vegetarian recipe of fish sauce that is *not* the dipping one. I want one for my pho. I canmt mix fish and meat, so I need a vegetarian equivalent, but all I can find is the dipping one… Anyone had better luck?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 17, 2017 at 9:43 PM

      This might not be helpful, but there’s a vegan fish sauce (the kind you’re looking for) sold in Vietnam, but I’ve never been able to get my hands on it in Canada. That’s all I know though =P

      Reply
      • Kate Williams says

        June 14, 2023 at 3:04 PM

        It’s a long time after you asked this question but just in case – we get a brand here called Thai Taste that does a vegan version of plain fish sauce with seaweed and salt. It’s not as fishy so add a bit more – but plenty good enough.

        Reply
    • Katharine Crawford says

      May 2, 2017 at 12:52 PM

      Miyoko Schinner’s book “The Homemade Vegan Pantry” has a recipe for fish sauce that isn’t a dipping sauce.

      Reply
  7. Katharine Crawford says

    May 2, 2017 at 12:54 PM

    How long will this last in the fridge?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      May 3, 2017 at 9:29 PM

      I usually keep it for about a month. That’s probably not foodsafe though haha but I’m fine.

      Reply
  8. Jacquie says

    October 25, 2017 at 12:55 PM

    Very good! I subbed half the water with rice wine vinegar, used tamari instead of soy sauce, and threw in a extra citrus and lots of fresh thai chiles. Threw it all in a blender and it worked like magic!

    Reply
  9. Mary Madison says

    March 19, 2018 at 12:07 PM

    Just returned from Vietnam and looking forward to more vegetarian (chay) recipes. Thank you so much for the
    Nuoc mam chay recipe. I took my three granddaughters to Vietnam and was going to try and cook Vietnamese food and one of my granddaughters just told me, I don’t like that fish sauce, so your recipe is perfect.

    Reply
  10. Angela says

    April 22, 2018 at 3:13 AM

    Can I ask how long this lasts in the fridge please? Thank you for recipe, my son seafood allergic.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      April 27, 2018 at 11:08 PM

      Hi Angela! Because of the salt & sugar content, I’ve kept this sauce in my fridge for months. I don’t know if that’s technically food safe but I do it and I seem fine haha.

      Reply
  11. Lisan says

    December 20, 2018 at 8:07 PM

    Hi Lisa, thanks for the yummy-looking recipe! This looks like it makes a lot; is it about 2 cups? I might try halving the ingredients. I’m going to make the Burmese Tofu Crispy Dippers from Mary’s Test Kitchen, and I think this would go well with them.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      December 24, 2018 at 6:10 AM

      Hiya! Yeah it’s just over 2 cups :) It lasts a while in the fridge though, I keep it for months at a time because of the amount of sugar and salt in the recipe.

      Reply
  12. Farid says

    January 30, 2019 at 12:27 PM

    Is that half a cup of soy? In your video it looks like it’s more what you’re pouring in. Also yours is darker than mine. I’m using the same soy as you… Also the bottle soy that you’re showing is less full than mine after taking out half a cup.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      February 23, 2019 at 3:18 AM

      Hi there! My video uses the same measurements that is in this recipe. If you look at the measurements on the side of the cup, you can see how much it is. In the photo here, I’m using a 2 cup measuring glass, in the video, I use a 1 cup glass for the soy sauce.

      Reply
  13. Anna Billany says

    February 19, 2019 at 11:24 AM

    Do you know how long this will keep for? :)

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      February 23, 2019 at 3:25 AM

      Hi Anna, I don’t have a specific time that would be “health and safety” approved, but the amount of salt and sugar in this means it stays good in my fridge until I use it up. That usually takes me a few months, and we haven’t gotten sick from it yet haha.

      Reply
  14. Ailsa says

    March 31, 2020 at 10:43 AM

    Hi Lisa,
    Due to lockdown we are sadly lacking in limes or even lemons, how badly do you think this will turn out if I just use orange juice?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      March 31, 2020 at 4:42 PM

      Hi Ailsa! I’m so sorry but orange juice lacks the acidity and is too sweet for what you’d want for this flavour profile :( I think you could reduce the amount of sugar and still have a tasty sauce though, but it might taste a bit more ponzu-like than nuoc cham like, if that makes any sense!

      Reply
  15. Maria mai says

    June 7, 2020 at 7:12 PM

    THIS NƯỚC MẮM IS THE BOMB.COM! It’s amazing!!! Sometimes better than regular nuoc mam!!

    Reply
  16. Judy says

    July 7, 2020 at 10:45 PM

    The sauce is the bomb! Can’t thank you enough. I haven’t had a vegan sauce that could rival the ones with fish sauce—but this is absolutely wonderful.
    It is instantly a permanent part of my repertory. Why make vermicelli if you can’t have a good sauce? To the noodles add, mint, basil, cilantro, pan-grilled tofu, a little carrot and cuc—and who needs a restaurant?

    Reply
    • Judy says

      July 7, 2020 at 10:46 PM

      And fresh greens

      Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      July 9, 2020 at 12:36 AM

      Haha I’m so glad you like it! It’s a staple in my fridge, and it makes everything better!

      Reply
  17. Gail Lopez-Henriquez says

    July 3, 2021 at 9:32 PM

    How important is it to use Golden Mountain soy sauce? I mostly use Pearl River Bridge Gold Label light soy sauce. I also have their low-sodium soy sauce, their mushroom soy sauce, Kikkoman, and probably some others. (Not to mention 3 different kinds of nuoc mam.) I’d rather not have to buy yet another bottle.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      July 8, 2021 at 6:53 PM

      It’s not the end of the world to use another type of soy sauce, the overall flavour profile would just be different (but still soy). I would recommend using the low-sodium soy sauce, or a mix of the regular and low sodium (as per your preference!)

      Reply
  18. Nealie Anderson says

    September 9, 2021 at 2:11 PM

    Hi Lisa, just wanted to let you know my husband can’t live without this sauce. He calls it the “not your mamas soy sauce” when he asks for it. LOL! We both love it and want to thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      September 10, 2021 at 11:49 AM

      Ahhaa I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for telling me!!

      Reply
  19. Bea says

    October 12, 2021 at 5:01 PM

    Amazing!! Making noodle salad with this and I cannot wait after the sauce turned out so delicious!

    Reply
  20. Deanie says

    April 5, 2022 at 2:22 PM

    Can you tell me the exact ingredients in the vegan fish sauce that you purchased? I found 1 online that someone in Seattle makes on Amazon. It has most of the ingredients, except the garlic. Also, l am having a hard time reading the bottle. What is the brand called? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      April 6, 2022 at 7:18 PM

      It’s the brand Au Lac Vegan foods, and the ingredients list is somehow just soy beans, water, and salt XD. It really has the stank of fish sauce though.

      Reply
  21. Kate says

    July 12, 2023 at 9:22 AM

    This was bloody rad!!! Thanks!!!

    Reply
  22. Ryn says

    January 13, 2024 at 2:53 PM

    This sauce looks really good, I’m just wondering how spicy it is? Do you think it would still taste good without the red chilis? <3

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 24, 2024 at 10:53 AM

      On a scale of 1-10, it’s probably a 3? But you can make it without the chilis! When I make it for my kid, I keep the chilis on the side to add later for the spicy-enthusiasts

      Reply
  23. Maria says

    December 26, 2024 at 3:00 PM

    5 stars
    Oh wow that tasted so amazing i am speechless. Have been searching for this sauce for so long, tysm <3

    Reply

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