Soy sauce is a critical ingredient in Asian cuisines and can make or break a dish. But when this sauce is too thin in consistency, it can disrupt the texture, moisture, and taste of your favorite recipes. The good news is that there are several ways to thicken soy sauce using pantry staples like corn starch, sugar, or flour, or you can do so without adding any optional ingredient by simply reducing the liquid.
The Spoon Test
Before you choose a method to thicken your soy sauce, the first step is to test its consistency. The spoon test is a foolproof method to test the thickness of any spice. Test the soy sauce with a spoon. If the soy sauce coats the back of a spoon, it will cover other ingredients. The spoon test is also recommended because its temperature will cool the light soy sauce a bit, giving an accurate impression of how thick it will be once it cools down to room temperature and becomes ready to serve.
Recommended Methods
If your soy sauce isn’t thick enough for your liking, there are several methods you can use to add more thickness. These include the following:
Reducing Liquid
Reducing soy sauce on the stove is an excellent way to naturally thicken it without adding thickening agents or ingredients. Apart from thickening the sauce, this method also concentrates its intense flavor. Follow these instructions:
1. Pour your dark soy sauce into a pot and heat it to medium-high on the stove. Be sure to stir it while it’s heating.
2. As the sauce heats, it will start to boil. The heat will thicken the sauce. As the bubbles in the pot become larger, watch the soy sauce. You don’t want the bubbles to become too large because they will boil over if they do. So, reduce the heat when the bubbles enlarge and continue to cook the soy sauce further to strengthen and deepen its umami flavor.
3. When the soy sauce has reached your desired taste and thickness, it has completed cooking.
4. Test the thicker sauce with a spoon.
Add Cornstarch
Corn starch is one of the best ways to thicken soy sauce, and it’s not surprising why. It’s inexpensive, always available at a grocery store, tasteless, and highly effective at thickening, even if you use small amounts. Not to mention it also makes a translucent mixture when you heat it. When you mix cornstarch with liquid and heat it, it becomes thick and gelatinous. Follow these instructions to thicken your soy sauce with cornstarch:
1. Mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with one teaspoon of cold water.
2. Create a slurry by whisking water and cornstarch together.
3. Pour the slurry into your soy sauce and heat the mixture on medium heat.
4. Bring the soy sauce to a boil for one minute.
5. Use the spoon test to check the thickness/consistency of the soy sauce.
Add Sugar
A great way to thicken the thin soy sauce a little bit and give it a sweet finish is to add sugar to it. You can use white or brown sugar, but brown sugar is better. Creating a thick, sweet sticky sauce is essential to get the ratio right, as you don’t want the soy sauce to sweeten too much. Follow these instructions:
1. Pour two teaspoons of sugar and ¼ cup of water into a small bowl to create a mixture. Mix well and make sure the sugar completely dissolves in the water. To make the process easier and faster, using hot water is recommended.
2. Heat the Chinese soy sauce in a saucepan on the stove. Use low heat. Once the simple sauce is simmering, pour in the water and sugar mixture and stir it in.
3. Continue stirring the sugar mixture and soy sauce as it simmers so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Once the sweet soy sauce has thickened enough, remove it from the stove and let it cool before using it.
Add Flour
Adding wheat flour is another excellent option to thicken soy sauce if you are not gluten-free. When added to the soy sauce, the starches in the flour expand and help reduce the sauce. There are two different methods to use flour to thicken soy sauce: making a roux or slurry.
Making a Roux With Flour
A roux is a famous thickening agent that contains equal parts flour and fat by weight. Usually, people prefer to use butter. Follow these instructions:
1. Use medium heat to heat the butter. When a sprinkle of flour causes the butter to bubble, you can add the rest.
2. Add the rest of the flour and whisk the mixture until it turns into a thick paste and changes its color to a golden brown.
3. Add roux to stir-fry sauce and whisk to mix it thoroughly.
4. Use the spoon test to check the thickness of the sauce.
Using Flour and Water
This method of thickening soy sauce is also very straightforward. Follow these instructions:
1. Combine two tablespoons of flour with each ¼ cup of cold water and mix until the paste becomes smooth.
2. Heat the mixture to your low-sodium soy sauce on medium stove heat. Be sure to keep stirring while the mixture is heating up.
3. Cook until the desired thickness is reached.
4. Use the spoon test to check the consistency of the sauce.
Conclusion
There are several different methods to thicken regular soy sauce. Most methods listed above include heating the sauce on a stove, which is the best way to reduce it to the perfect consistency. When choosing a method for thickening, it is essential to consider whether or not you would want to add any other ingredients to the sauce or change its sour flavor.
Leave a Reply