Corn Egg Drop Soup

Corn Egg Drop Soup

I really like the different soups served in Chinese restaurants. I love hot and sour soup, wonton soup, egg flower soup, and corn egg drop soup. The only problem is that most restaurants over salt their broth base so much that it renders their soups almost inedible – even if you’re not following a low sodium diet. So I’ve taken to making my own versions. Easy, just as tasty, and low in sodium.
I’ve been following the recipe from the Kitchn website for the egg drop soups. Its recipe is based on a recipe from Serious Eats. You can make the soup a little different each time, depending on what you have on hand or what you’ve got a hankering for. It can be as simple or as complex as you want. The Kitchn recipe uses a hint from Serious Eats, adding a bit of cornstarch in the eggs to keep them from getting rubbery.

To make corn egg drop soup, I add at least 1 cup of NSA corn, either frozen or canned, to the basic egg drop soup recipe. If I’m in a particularly lazy mood, I’ll leave the corn kernels whole. But if I’m more ambitious, I will puree ½ cup in my mini food processor. The pureed corn adds an extra layer of corniness and sweetness that I find comforting and soothing.
The flavoring agents I always use are ginger, white pepper, low sodium soy sauce, and green onions. I also like to include small cubes of tofu, and sometimes a handful of frozen peas and carrots. For a heartier soup, I may add some finely chopped leftover cooked chicken.
The corn egg drop soup makes a great appetizer/starter to a meal or a light lunch or dinner all by itself. It reheats well too. Just heat it gently, and don’t boil it. I always add fresh green onion slivers to leftovers.

Corn Egg Drop Soup with Brown Rice & Baked Tofu

Corn Egg Drop Soup
Adapted from Kitchn
(Printable Recipe)
Soup Ingredients:

4 cups (32 ounces) NSA chicken stock/broth

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 large eggs

1-3 tsp low sodium soy sauce (I use Chinatown)

1 - 1 ¼ cup NSA corn, frozen and cooked or canned

Flavoring Extras: (use one or all)

Ginger: ½ -1 tsp fresh grated  or ¼ - ½ tsp dry ground, etc. (I use 1 cube Dorot ginger)

Ground white pepper (just a few pinches)

5 Spice Powder (just a few pinches)

Toasted sesame oil (just a few drops)

Hot chili oil (just a few drops)

½ cup frozen peas and carrots

Soup Extras: (use one or all)

½  block (7 to 8 ounces) extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces

8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 bunch baby bok choy, thinly sliced

4 green onions/scallions, thinly sliced

Water chestnuts, sliced

Chicken, cooked and finely chopped or shredded

Toppings:

Thinly sliced green onions/scallions

Toasted sesame oil

Hot chili oil

Ground white pepper

Sesame seeds (white or black)

If desired, puree ½ cup of corn. Set aside all the corn and add with the soup extras.

Heat the NSA stock/broth over medium-high heat. Add all the flavoring extras you’ve chosen to the saucepan with the stock. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. If using frozen peas and carrots, cook them with the stock and flavorings.

Add any soup extras to the stock and simmer for another five minutes. Save some scallions for sprinkling on top of the soup at the end.

Remove about ¼ cup stock and whisk it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Use a spoon or a whisk to stir the soup while slowly pouring in the cornstarch slurry. Let simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes. The soup will begin to thicken a bit.

Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. Make sure the soup is at a slow simmer.

Use a large spoon or ladle to gently stir the soup in one direction. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture through the tines of a fork. Let the soup stand for 10 - 15 seconds, then stir gently to break up the egg to desired size.

Serve sprinkled with thinly sliced scallions.

Chinese Style Meatballs with Stir Fry Sauce

Sizzling in the pan!

I was in a stir fry mood and already had a package of ground pork thawing in the refrigerator. Crumbled meat didn’t appeal to me but meatballs did. So I decided to adapt my Thai Inspired Meatballs recipe to Chinese style ingredients. The recipe made 12 meatballs, enough for 2 meals, plus a couple for tasting. I could have frozen half the meatballs, but opted for two stir fry dinners in a row. I use a cookie dough scoop to portion out the meatballs. Most of the time, I just bake them without rolling to get perfect rounds.

With Trader Joe's Frozen Stir Fry Veggie Medley

The vegetables were easy enough. One night I used a package of Trader Joe’s frozen stir fry medley. The next night I reheated the meatballs in a little NSA chicken broth and stir fried a package of fresh snap peas I had in the fridge, some sliced carrots, and some canned baby corn. I tossed everything, vegetables and meatballs, with homemade stir fry sauce and dinner was done.

I used a basic stir fry sauce, however it’s very easy to customize. Check out the list of optional add-ins below. You can modify the stir fry sauce to suit the meat or vegetables being used and your own personal tastes. Make a mild, delicate sauce or a robust, flavorful sauce. It’s up to you.

With Fresh Vegetables

The meatballs were great and so were the accompanying vegetables. I didn’t serve rice or noodles, but if I had, I would have doubled the liquid used in the sauce. The bottom line ‒ I ended up with two tasty Chinese style dinners, each with very little sodium.

Chinese Style Meatballs with Stir Fry Sauce

(Printable Recipe)

1 lb. ground salt free turkey/chicken/pork

1/3 cup fresh salt free/low sodium breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. minced shallots/thinly sliced green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tsp. ginger (minced  or paste)

1-2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (I use Chinatown)

Optional: (I used all the options)

¼ tsp. 5 spice powder

⅛ tsp. Hot chile oil (or to taste)

¼ tsp. White pepper

Combine breadcrumbs, eggs, and all the ingredients except meat. Mix well.  Break up meat and add in small clumps. Mix well. (I wear vinyl disposable gloves and use my hands.)  Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes in order to allow breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture.

Form approximately 12 meatballs.(I use a cookie scoop to portion meatballs) Place on greased cookie sheet (I line my baking pan with Reynold’s non-stick foil. Parchment paper would work too.) Bake for approximately 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven until done.

Basic Stir Fry Sauce

¼ cup water or NSA/low sodium chicken broth* (Note: the flavor of Herb-Ox granules does not work well in Asian dishes)

1- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (I use Chinatown)

1 tsp sugar

½ - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water*

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced or finely sliced

½ tsp ginger, minced/grated or paste

1 tbsp vegetable oil, if needed

*For more sauce, use ½ cup liquid with 2 tsp cornstarch

Optional Add-Ins: (Start with small amount until you’re sure you like the flavor addition)

Unseasoned rice vinegar (adds tartness & tang)

Fresh chilies, minced/sliced or hot chili oil (adds spiciness & heat)

Sweet chili sauce (Ginger People’s Sweet Ginger Chili Sauce has only 5 mg sodium/2 Tbsp)

Substitute part of the water with pineapple or orange juice

Fresh cilantro (adds a fresh, herby taste)

Pinch of Chinese five spice powder (adds a flavor similar to hoisin sauce)

Freshly ground white pepper (adds complex earthiness due its fermentation)

Molasses (adds a bit of sweetness and dark coloring)

Ketchup (adds tomato flavor along with a touch of vinegar and sweetness)

Add more toasted sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger to taste

In small bowl, combine water/broth with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch slurry. Add desired optional ingredients. Stir well to dissolve sugar and blend in cornstarch mixture.

Stir fry whatever vegetables and/or meat are being used until almost ready for serving. Add 1 more tbsp oil, if needed. Add garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, just a few seconds. Add sauce mixture a little at a time, and continue cooking until sauce is slightly thickened and glossy. All the stir fry should be lightly coated with the sauce.

Note:

Vary the sauce ingredients according to what’s in the stir fry. What works for chicken with snow peas may not work for beef with onions and peppers. Some stir fry combinations need a  more delicate, lightly flavored sauce, while others lend themselves to the aggressive flavors of chilies, garlic, and vinegar. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Also, don’t add all the sauce at once. Pour in just a little bit at a time, adjusting the sauce to how much food is being cooked. The goal is for the sauce to lightly coat every piece of food, leaving just enough to drizzle on rice if it’s being served. Don’t drown the stir fry in sauce.

Chinatown Soy Sauce

Chinatown Soy Sauce 

Chinatown soy sauce is a great product, and I’m so glad to have discovered it. Finding a truly low sodium soy sauce – what a journey it has been! Before CHF (congestive heart failure), we used Kikkoman regular soy sauce: 920 mg sodium/tbsp. Once my husband was placed on a salt restricted diet, we switched to the “less sodium” version: 575 mg sodium/tbsp. Lower but not exactly low sodium. You can imagine my joy when I discovered World Harbor Angostura Lite Soy Sauce with only 380 mg sodium/tbsp at our local supermarket. Much better! But sadly, as often happens in the low sodium world, the grocery store stopped carrying it and eventually World Harbor stopped making it. Not to worry – Healthy Heart Market to the rescue. It carried House of Tsang Less Sodium Soy Sauce with only 320 mg sodium/tbsp. Even better!

In the meantime, several folks touted the low sodium content of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. The problem is that most of the people hyping the low sodium properties of Bragg’s hadn’t done the math correctly. One single teaspoon contains 320 mg sodium. That works out to a whopping 960 mg per tablespoon (more than Kikkoman’s regular). I didn’t see how that could be considered a truly low salt alternative.

Then, of course, there were all the DIY salt free/super low sodium soy sauce recipes available online and in cookbooks. I tried a few of them and was not pleased with the results. They all seem to be basically some sort of combination of beef broth, molasses, and vinegar with a bit of ginger and garlic thrown in for good measure. That combo didn’t taste good to me. Plus not every Chinese dish worked well with beef broth, molasses, and vinegar. And the homemade mixtures didn’t last long in the fridge.

Anyhow, I ordered House of Tsang faithfully for a several years. But eventually Healthy Heart Market started carrying an even lower sodium soy sauce option: Chinatown. It’s the lowest sodium by far ‒ only 145 mg. per tablespoon. Now that’s super low! And it tastes pretty good. True, it doesn't have the more refined taste of saltier soy sauces, but it's a very good low sodium option. And apparently it’s very popular for cooking authentic Jamaican dishes.

Only 145 mg Sodium/Tbsp

Chinatown is available online at Healthy Heart Market, Amazon, and at Jamaican Products.com. Depending on where you purchase it, there may be some shipping costs and a slightly higher price tag. But, for me, it’s worth it. It’s one of the few products I would order no matter what the cost.

It has freed me to cook more Chinese style food. I look for recipes that do not call for more than ¼ cup of soy sauce to start with. Instead of the ¼ cup, I’ll generally just use 2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce. However, since Chinatown is so low in sodium, I may use 2 - 4 tbsp when preparing a dish that serves 4 and with no worries whatsoever.

I realize that Chinatown may not taste as good to some as the higher quality, authentic Chinese or Japanese sauces. And it may not appeal to those with more refined palates. But, hey, we’re talking low sodium cooking. It tastes pretty good and is definitely much better than the DIY concoctions. To me, it’s the perfect soy sauce solution when you’re following a low sodium diet.

For more about my search for a good low sodium soy sauce, click HERE.

For another low sodium soy sauce alternative, click HERE.

Egg Foo Yung

This has always been one of our favorite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants, but for some reason I assumed it would be too difficult for me to make at home. Boy, was I wrong. It’s simple to fix, easily lends itself to the low-sodium style of cooking, and is super tasty.

I’ve been using a recipe from one of the Cooking Forum members, adjusting the ingredients and quantities to make it low-sodium friendly. One really great thing about the recipe is that I’m able to modify it to suit my tastes and/or what I’ve got on hand. So far, I’ve made all-vegetable omelet patties, but I’m certain chicken, pork or shrimp foo yung would be great too.  Of course, be sure to use chicken or pork that hasn’t been “enhanced” with a saline solution. And, if possible, find fresh shrimp that hasn’t been “enhanced” either.

Essential vegetables include bean sprouts, onions, green onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. But I’ve also used julienned bamboo shoots, sliced baby corn, sliced baby bok choy, and even thinly sliced cabbage. Not all at the same time, though! Too many vegetables might result in a weakened omelet structure. The eggs provide stability. Also, be sure to stir fry the vegetables a bit before combining with the beaten eggs. This will make them more pliable in addition to removing some of their excess water.

Actually, the hardest part about the recipe is getting all the vegetables chopped or sliced ahead of time. Once that’s done, everything comes together quickly. Also, be sure all the vegetable are dry before starting the cooking. For what it’s worth, I did not deep fry the omelet patties in a wok. I poured about a 1/4 inch layer of oil in a skillet, and that worked fine for me. I fried 2 patties at a time and drained them on paper towels before serving. I also added a generous grind of white pepper to the eggs.

When I asked my husband how he liked the egg foo yung, he replied,"You should make this once a week." I'd call that a ringing endorsement!

EGG FOO YUNG 
(Printable Recipe)

Adapted from Madame Wong's Long Life Chinese Cookbook via Doucanoe from Cooking Forum

1/2 lb. fresh peeled and deveined shrimp cut into small pieces (or thinly sliced chicken or pork)
5 eggs

1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp. oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1scallion (green onion), thinly sliced
4 water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup fresh bean sprouts

White pepper
2 cups oil for deep frying

Dry shrimp, chicken, or pork.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Add soy sauce and generous grind of white pepper. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in wok to 350F. Stir fry onion, scallion, and water chestnuts 1 minute. Add mushrooms and bean sprouts and stir fry 1 minute more. Remove to plate or bowl.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in wok to 400F. Stir fry shrimp, chicken or pork until just cooked through; do not overcook. Let cool.

Add all ingredients to egg mixture. Heat 2 cups oil in wok to 400F. Gently ladle 1/4 of egg mixture into wok. Deep fry until golden brown on one side, turn over, and deep fry other side until brown. (I pour about a 1/4 inch layer of oil in a skillet and fry 2 patties at a time, draining on paper towels before serving.) Remove patty to paper towel lined platter to drain and keep warm while frying the other 3 patties. Serve with sauce.

Sauce:

1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 -3 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. water

2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
(I also add a bit of ginger)

Bring stock to a boil, add soy sauce. Thicken with dissolved cornstarch. Ladle sauce on omelet patties and garnish with sliced scallions.

Thai Inspired Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

2016 THAI RED CURRY PASTE UPDATE: I’m sorry to announce that the information provided in this post about Thai and True red curry paste is no longer correct. The jar now states 380 mg sodium per tablespoon. When I first wrote about this particular brand, the label specifically stated 5 mg sodium/tablespoon. Obviously, there’s been a change in their recipe. As a result, I no longer recommend this product.

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The Spice House offers a salt free Thai Red Curry Powder that can be mixed with water to form a paste. The nice thing about the dry powder is that you only make what you need, and it's totally salt free. No leftover jars in the fridge or worrying about salt content. I order from the Spice House frequently, so I can vouch for their quality ingredients and good service.

Thai Inspired Meatballs

A few weeks ago my daughter-in-law gave me some wonderful fresh lemon grass stalks she got at her local farmer’s market. I decided I’d make Thai-inspired meatballs and started looking for a recipe online. I found several, but none of them included all the flavors I associate with Thai food: lemon grass, lime, chili peppers, fish sauce, ginger, onion, garlic, cilantro, basil, mint, and Thai red curry paste. I ended up using a recipe from AllRecipes as an inspiration with several modifications. Originally I’d planned on simmering the meatballs in a coconut/red curry sauce. But I decided instead to make a peanut dipping sauce. I remembered how much my husband & I enjoyed the peanut sauce from our favorite Vietnamese restaurant and hoped I could come close to duplicating it.

The meatballs were a hit, as was the peanut dipping sauce. We liked them so much, that I made them again two more times. The meatballs could be shaped as burgers, using the peanut sauce as a spread for buns. Mini, appetizer-size meatballs would work too. I baked them, but they could be fried. And, of course, they could be simmered for about 20 minutes in some chicken broth flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste.

About some Thai ingredients:

Fish Sauce – It’s extremely salty, so I don’t use it at all. Some people like to substitute soy sauce, but I’d rather just leave it out. It has a unique flavor that doesn’t lend itself to substitutions.

Lemon Grass – When it’s fresh, it’s great and easy to chop or process. Fresh stalks can be processed with a bit of oil and frozen flat in plastic bags. Then just break off chunks as needed. However, not everyone has access to fresh lemon grass. Most herb and spice companies sell dried lemon grass, so that might be an option. Gourmet Garden sells lemon grass in paste form, and the tubes can be found in most grocery produce sections. The problem is that ¾ tsp. of lemon grass paste is 90 mg of sodium. To actually get the flavor of lemon grass in a dish, you’d need to use at least 1 tablespoon of the product and that would result in 360 mg sodium. Litehouse now sells freeze dried minced lemon grass. I wouldn’t use lemon zest just because it doesn’t actually match the flavor of lemon grass. Besides, most Thai dishes include lime juice and zest, and I think too much fresh citrus flavor would be overpowering.

Thai Red Curry Paste – This is the foundation of so many delicious Thai recipes. Probably the most available brand is Thai Kitchen. But it has a 390 mg sodium per tablespoon. I thought I was pretty lucky when I discovered World Foods Thai Red Curry Paste at a local upscale grocery store. It has 230 mg sodium per tablespoon. But in researching this post, I discovered a brand that boasts only 5 mg sodium per tablespoon. Yes, that’s right! You read correctly: only 5 mg sodium per tablespoon! And as I checked out their products online, I happily discovered many other curry pastes with exactly the same low sodium content. This wonderful discovery opens up an entire world of flavorful food for those of us cooking low sodium. The brand is Thai and True, and the company hails from Portland, Oregon. They have 7 different curry pastes and several sauces, including a very low sodium sweet red chili sauce. You can order directly from the website or many of the products are available from Amazon. Of course, you can always make your own red curry paste. More work, but also more of a guarantee of low sodium. Lots of recipes are available online.

THAI INSPIRED MEATBALLS
(Printable Recipe)

1 lb. ground salt free turkey/chicken/pork

1/3 cup fresh low sodium breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. minced lemon grass (optional - see notes above)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. minced shallots/thinly sliced green onions

2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

1 jalapeno, finely diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp. ginger

1 tbsp. Thai Red Curry Paste (optional - see notes above)

Zest of 1 lime (reserve juice for peanut sauce)

Combine breadcrumbs, eggs, and all the ingredients except meat. Mix well.  Break up meat and add in small clumps. Mix well. (I wear vinyl disposable gloves and use my hands.)  Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes in order to allow breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture.

Form 12 meatballs. Place on greased cookie sheet (I lined my baking pan with Reynold’s non-stick foil. Parchment paper would probably work too.) Bake for approximately 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven until done. 

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This peanut sauce is adapted from one posted by Cooking Forum member, Triciae. It’s easy to adjust to your personal tastes, especially a low sodium diet. Yet it still packs a flavor punch.

THAI PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
(Printable Recipe)

1/3 cup salt-free, natural creamy peanut butter

¼ cup NSA chicken broth or water, warmed in the microwave a bit

1-2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (I use Chinatown)

1-2 tbsp. brown sugar

1-2 tbsp. minced ginger (sub ¼ - ½ tsp ground for each tbsp fresh)

1-2 tbsp. lime juice (sub unseasoned rice vinegar for some or all of lime juice)

1-2 cloves garlic

¼ - ½ tsp. hot chili flakes or oil

1 tsp. Thai red curry paste (I use World Foods brand or sometimes sub Gourmet Garden Thai Seasoning stir-in paste)

1-2 green onions, coarsely chopped (optional)

Place all ingredients in blender & blend until smooth. (I often use my hand-held stick blender.) If desired, warm the sauce in the microwave. Thin, if necessary, with additional chicken broth or water. Start with lowest amounts of soy sauce, sugar, ginger, lime juice, garlic, and hot chili. Adjust to suit your tastes.

Coconut Aminos

For several years now I’ve wondered about substituting Bragg's Liquid Aminos for soy sauce. About seven years ago, when my husband first went on a low sodium diet, I bought the product because so many people on different forums claimed it was lower in sodium than soy sauce. It tasted OK, but the math behind the claims puzzled me. 

Granted, regular soy sauce is horribly high in sodium. The same can be said of the lower sodium versions you can purchase at most grocery stores. However, for the last several years I've been able to purchase online House of Tsang Less Sodium Soy Sauce with only 320 MG SODIUM PER TABLESPOON. A few months ago I read a couple of blog posts and forum entries about Bragg’s, and I bought a small spray bottle of the Aminos just to give it one more try. It tastes pretty much like the Tsang soy sauce I use. However, it's got 160 mg sodium per 1/2 Teaspoon. That works out to 960 MG PER TABLESPOON – quite a bit more than the low sodium soy sauce I presently use – three times more sodium!

So I wondered again, “What’s the advantage of using the Aminos? Is it because the flavor is so concentrated that I can use a lot less?  I did a taste test, comparing equal amounts (1/2 tsp each) of the Aminos vs. the soy sauce, and my opinion was that I'd have to use the same amount of product.) So I was left wondering why Bragg's is often touted as a better sodium option than soy sauce. Even low sodium Kikkoman has just 575 mg per Tablespoon – still much lower in sodium content than a Tablespoon of Bragg Aminos. 

 A while ago, one of the Cooking Forum members posted a link to a coconut amino product that looked really interesting. Its sodium content is much lower than Bragg's, just 90 mg for 1 Teaspoon. That works out to 270 MG PER TABLESPOON. When I found the coconut product at three different stores in my area, I decided to give it a shot. 

Once I got it home, I did a taste test, comparing it to what I had on hand. The Coconut Aminos has a very similar taste to Bragg’s and low sodium soy sauce. It does, however, have a stronger fermented undertone. The extreme saltiness of the Bragg’s was immediately apparent in comparison to Coconut Aminos. I ended up dumping the Bragg’s and pouring the coconut product into the spray bottle. I figure a light spray on top of vegetables or rice might brighten things up a bit. 

Coconut Aminos is a great option for those who dearly love amino products and also need to reduce their sodium intake. It’s got a flavor that’s similar to both Bragg’s and low sodium sauce. It’s also a great product for those trying to avoid soy products, due to sensitivity or allergy. And it's gluten free and non-GMO. All in all, it's a great product!

Update: Since writing this post, I've been purchasing Chinatown Soy Sauce from Healthy Heart Market. It's got only 145 mg sodium per tablespoon. But I keep a bottle of Coconut Aminos on hand for gluten sensitive relatives.

Soy Sauce Studies

Soy sauce is a great flavoring agent. It’s perfect, of course, for Asian inspired dishes. But it’s also great in beef dishes. Before CHF (congestive heart failure) affected my cooking approach, I always added a tablespoon or so of soy sauce to beef stew, pot roast, Swedish style meatballs, even super simple hamburger gravy. The addition of a bit of soy sauce boosted the “beefiness” of those and other dishes. It’s the umami , a basic flavor profile that is common to savory products such as meat, cheese, and mushrooms.

What’s the problem with using soy sauce? It’s as salty as all get out! Even the so-called low sodium versions are pretty high in sodium content. When it comes to “heart healthy” recipes and products, soy sauce is ever present. It’s understandable because it does add so much flavor. It makes a terrific marinade for all kinds of super lean cuts of meat. You can make tasty stir-fries with just a smidgen of meat and an overload of good-for-you veggies. But… Just because a dish is low in fat, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily “heart healthy.” Anyone suffering from hypertension, CHF, and other heart-related problems knows that controlling sodium intake is important too.

A quick look at the soy sauce options readily available at most grocery stores are pretty discouraging. Kikkoman regular soy sauce has 920 mg. of sodium for just one tablespoon. Its lite or reduced sodium version has 575 mg. per tablespoon. Better but definitely not great. San-J Tamari has similar numbers: the regular is 960 mg. for one tablespoon while the reduced sodium version has 700 mg. per tablespoon.

Are there any decent alternatives out there? Well, one possibility is making your own low sodium soy sauce substitute. There are several recipes online and in cookbooks for DIY no salt/low sodium soy sauce substitutes. I tried a few of them but was not impressed. They're usually a combination of beef broth, molasses, and vinegar with a bit of ginger and garlic added for good measure. That combo didn't taste good to me and didn't work well with some Chinese dishes. Plus the homemade concoctions didn't last long in the fridge. Commercially bottled soy sauce has a much longer shelf life.

I’ve read posts on so many forums touting the low sodium content of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and its use as a soy sauce alternative. Bragg’s products are readily available in the natural foods sections of most grocery stores and at most health food stores. The problem is that most of the people hyping the low sodium properties of Bragg’s haven’t done the math correctly. The Bragg’s current website notes that 1 teaspoon is considered one serving, and that single teaspoon contains 320 mg. sodium. It takes three of those teaspoons to equal one tablespoon, the standard serving size for soy sauce. 3 x 160 mg. = 960 mg. per tablespoon of Bragg’s. I don’t see how that can be considered a truly low salt alternative. (For more information about Liquid Aminos, check out this more recent POST.)

The idea of shopping at an Asian market, if you've got one nearby, is a good one. That way you could spend hours searching the aisles and checking labels. You might discover some hitherto unknown brands of soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, etc. with very low sodium contents. It could be a lot of fun.

All is not lost, however. Years ago I discovered House of Tsang Lower Sodium Soy Sauce from Healthy Heart Market. This soy sauce has 320 mg. sodium per tablespoon. But the lowest sodium is by far China Town Soy Sauce, also from Healthy Heart Market. It has only 145 mg. per tablespoon. Now that’s super low! It doesn't have the more refined taste of saltier soy sauces, but it's a good low sodium option.

If you’re interested in creating low sodium Asian style dishes & stir fries, you’ll need some other flavoring ingredients in addition to just soy sauce. Toasted sesame oil is a must. A drizzle on top of finished dishes or in marinades adds a wonderful toasted, nutty flavor. Most grocery stores carry at least one brand in the ethnic foods aisle. Another must-have is unseasoned rice wine vinegar. Combined with other flavoring agents, it adds extra sparkle. Hot chili oil with or without red pepper flakes are also necessary. Just the slightest sprinkle enlivens bland dishes. Of course, if you like hot foods, add more.

Ginger & garlic are other requirements. Both flavors are necessary for Asian style dishes. And it doesn’t matter how you get that flavor. You can find powdered ginger or garlic powder everywhere. Most grocery stores carry jarred crushed ginger and jarred crushed garlic in their produce section. Usually the bottled garlic and ginger are prepared without salt. Many stores now carry whole peeled garlic cloves in the refrigerated section of their produce department. And some stores carry Gourmet Garden fresh herb pastes in handy tubes. These are usually found in the refrigerated section of the produce department. Watch out, though. Be sure to read the labels. Although the product is super convenient, the chili & garlic pastes are relatively high in sodium. However, the ginger and cilantro/coriander pastes are pretty good. And, in order to create a consistency useful for squeezing out of a tube, fillers have been added so the herbal flavor may not be as strong as desired. Of course, there’s always fresh ginger and fresh cloves of garlic.

Cilantro is another flavoring agent that works well in Asian style dishes. A generous sprinkling of the freshly chopped herb really boosts taste. Although fresh cilantro is best used as a finishing garnish, I have also thrown a couple of tablespoons of my own homemade frozen chopped cilantro into marinades & stir fries. Not as good as fresh, but better than no cilantro at all.

Another handy ingredient is Chinese Five Spice Powder This spice blend most commonly combines the sweet tones of star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon with the bite of Szechwan pepper and sometimes white pepper. It's one of the flavoring agents in Hoisin sauce, so it can be a good substitute. The sweet and pungent flavor goes well with meats and stir fries. Be forewarned, though. A little goes a long way. So you’re better off using just a ⅛ teaspoon to start with until you’re sure you like the flavor. It's also available in the ethnic foods section of most grocery stores.

The bottom Line: If you make your own lower sodium soy sauce substitute, then “the sky’s the limit.” You don’t have to worry about soy sauce sodium quantities at all. Just be sure to watch out for other Asian ingredients that are high in sodium. Things like Hoisin sauce, Oyster sauce, Thai fish sauce, garlic/chili paste, etc.

If you'd prefer using a commercially prepared lower sodium soy sauce, look for Asian inspired recipes that do not call for more than ¼ cup of soy sauce. Instead of the ¼ cup, just use 2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce.

And, of course, please realize that lower sodium soy sauces or soy sauce substitutes will NOT taste as good as the higher quality, authentic Chinese or Japanese sauces. But they will taste pretty good and they will definitely be lower in sodium.