Ok, if there’s one question I’ve been asked repeatedly on this site, it was the result of my homemade soy sauce experiment. It’s a little hard for me to admit failure, especially after posting my experiment on my blog… but here it is. My experiment failed. I never bothered tasting it, because after sitting in the sun for a few months, it started growing this hot pink bubble textured mold. It freaked me out.

So then I was back to square one, trying to figure out something to use as a soy sauce substitute, for my stir fries and other similar Asian dishes. Yes, I know there is the product Coconut Aminos, but they don’t sell it locally, and the only gluten free soy sauces they sell are either a fortune or have artificial colorings, etc… And if I can avoid soy, even better, because too much soy isn’t good for you.
There are all sorts of recipes on the net for homemade soy sauce alternatives, but I wasn’t too thrilled with certain ones I tried.
My friend Debra, on the SCD diet (similar to GAPS) said that she uses date syrup and salt as an alternative to soy sauce for a SCD legal stir fry. I tried that, but ehh, it didn’t do the trick for me, but I used that basic idea and vamped it up to make a really yummy terriyaki sauce alternative, which, if you ask me, tastes not that far off the real deal, despite not having any soy or grains or refined sugar.

I use a bit of potato starch to thicken mine, but it’s not SCD/GAPS legal. You can either leave it out if you’re on the GAPS/SCD diet, or if you’re on GAPS thicken with ground chia seeds, but those aren’t SCD legal.

It really is terrific and can be used in place of any terriyaki sauce, or for any stir fries or baked Asian type dishes, etc… I just made eggplant roll ups with them.

I hope you like it!

Homemade Grain Free Teriyaki Sauce Recipe/Soy Sauce Replacement- Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, GAPS/SCD/Paleo/Primal Legal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup +1 tablespoon date syrup
1 cup + 1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, and possibly arrowroot powder and ground chia seeds, or leave out

Instructions:
1. Mix the date syrup with the white wine in a pot, and bring to a boil for 3-5 minutes.

2. Mix the starch with the lemon juice and water, and add to the pot.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients.

4. Heat up until thick, stirring constantly.

5. Use as you would soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.


If you have no dietary restrictions, and just want cheap, check out my recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce:

What is your favorite way to use teriyaki sauce or soy sauce? Do you buy store bought stuff or do you make yours at home? If you have gluten/soy sensitivities, or avoid grains, what do you use as a soy sauce replacement, or do you just not use anything of the sort? Does this look like a recipe you’d try out?

Linking up to Real Food Wednesday and Allergy Free Wednesday