Woohoo! I did it! Very respectable gluten-free hoisin sauce is mine, allllll mine. And yours, too. If you want it. Let me share.
Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce... one step closer to Gluten-free Mu Shu!
So some serious googling returned the results that hoisin is made from fermented soy bean paste, among other things. Armed with my new-found knowledge I hit Chinatown and found me some of this alleged fermented hoisin magic. The label said the only ingredient was fermented soy bean paste, but I was suspicious. Fermented with what? Wikipedia, oh great fountain of knowledge, says the soy beans are fermented using either wheat flour, pulverized mantou, rice, or sugar. Hmm… what are the odds… BAH! Until someone develops a quick and easy at-home gluten test, I’m going to avoid the sketchball Chinatown bean paste and go with what I know.
Luckily, what I know is pretty dern good.
Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce*
- 1/4 c. sweet red bean paste (the smooth variety)**
- 2 T wheat-free tamari
- 2 t sesame oil
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/2 t sugar
- dash of white pepper
- (optional) squirt of Sriracha chili (or “Freshred Chili” if you have it)
Combine all of the above ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a week.
*Before you get all sassy and tell me that Premier Japan makes a gluten-free hoisin sauce, I want to save you the disappointment of buying and trying it. Honestly, it tastes like orange-flavored BBQ barf. Not even close to hoisin. I’m not trying to be snobby here – bleeeeve you me, my heart skipped a thousand beats when I saw it on the grocery store shelf. But it really tastes absorootly nothing like any hoisin I’ve ever had. Sad, but less so because of the above recipe.
**If you can’t find smooth red bean paste in Asian specialty markets, sweet red bean paste is easy-po-cheezy to make at home. About.com has a recipe.
6 comments
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March 30, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Irish
Thank you!!
July 4, 2011 at 4:42 am
Asparagus and Chickpea Stir-Fry with Hoisin Sauce « the taste space – steam, bake, boil, shake!
[...] have wanted to make my own hoisin sauce, ever since Rose posted her recipe and I spotted an even more compelling version in The 30 Minute [...]
December 19, 2011 at 10:50 pm
MESSAGE!!!
Hi, I’m new to your site and stumbled across it when I had discovered that the brand of hoisin sauce I’d purchased had wheat flour in it. Bummer! I wanted to really make General Tso’s, and now maybe I can, thanks to finding your receipe!
December 20, 2011 at 10:10 am
gfvegheads
Woohoo! I know, finding out hoisin has wheat was devestating
But I think you’ll find this is a pretty good substitute! Thanks for commenting!
March 29, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Kaza's Kitchen
Great Hoisin Sauce! I needed to omit the sesame oil due to cross-reactive food sensitivities, but this was just what my Mu Shu Pork dish needed. (I used rice wrappers lined with Boston lettuce leaves for the pancakes.) I made the Hoisin Sauce starting with the small dry red beans using the About.com recipe referenced above. The small red beans can be found in Asian grocery stores. Check the ingredients carefully if you want to use pre-made sweet red bean paste. I encountered a can of “sweet red bean paste” that contained soybeans and wheat, but no red beans.
Thanks for sharing!
March 29, 2012 at 10:31 pm
gfvegheads
Kaza, so glad you like it! I love the idea of using rice wrappers and lettuce for the pancakes. I’ll try that next time around. Thanks for the tip!