Anchovies play an essential role in adding flavor to your meals, as their known for the savory “fifth taste”, which adds incredible depth to dishes.
Many sauces include anchovies to provide umami, namely Worchestershire sauce, and numerous other sauces, which is obviously an issue if you’re vegan.
If you wish to reproduce the flavor of anchovies but want a plant-based replacement, we found 15 substitutes that might help you get the same end result.
Seaweed
One of the most common foods that vegans use instead of anchovies is seaweed. While there are many foods that can be used to replace seaweed, nothing offers the same fishy taste that seaweed has to offer. If you are looking to keep the fishy taste that comes with anchovies, we certainly recommend seaweed as a substitute.
There are many kinds of seaweed available, allowing you to be as picky as you want! If you are not familiar with seaweed, it may be better to start with dulse or nori, the most common seaweed types used as anchovy substitutes.
While seaweed alone is a great substitute for anchovies, many vegans prefer to mix several substitutes for the best result. That being said, you may want more than just seaweed, and thankfully, we still have many suggestions to share!
Olives
If you don’t have time to go running around to stores and need a quick and easy substitute for anchovies, olives are the way to go. There are many kinds of olives that you can use, and while most of them will do the job, we certainly recommend kalamata olives.
Kalamata olives large olives that have a smooth and meaty texture, much like anchovies, hence, we consider them a perfect substitute for us vegans!
Lastly, a little fun fact for you. Kalamata olives are a strong source of oleic acid, which has been proven to improve your health, especially in your heart. It is also known to contain cancer-fighting properties.
Mushrooms
Another super simple yet tasty substitute is mushrooms! As you can imagine, mushrooms are very easy to find at almost any grocery store, and they can be great to include in your vegan meals.
Mushrooms are very tasty as they can absorb plenty of flavors. They are the meatiest vegetables, after all! What’s even better is that mushrooms absorb flavor swiftly, thus, being a perfect anchovy substitute for home cooks that are always on the go!
Soy Sauce
Who says we need to substitute anchovies for another solid food? Soy sauce is another delicious substitute to consider using next time you make a meal that requires anchovies. While it may seem simple enough to pour a bit of sauce on your food, that’s often all it takes to get the same salty taste that anchovies contribute to your meal.
Soy sauce alone is often all it takes, but you can make your meal even more enjoyable by combining soy sauce with a solid substitute such as mushrooms or seaweed, as previously mentioned.
Tomatoes
Great taste doesn’t require complexity. Tomatoes are both tasty and nutritious, as well as being an excellent substitute for anchovies.
Tomatoes also absorb flavor, thus, they will taste amazing in whatever you decide to cook.
Tamarind
Tama-what now? Tamarind. Don’t worry, the average person doesn’t know of this fruit, but if you need to impress someone such as a work colleague, your husband, or even yourself, going the extra step with tamarind can make your meal even more delicious. You can usually find tamarinds in the produce section at your local grocery store.
The fruit is mainly found in tropical Africa and is a pod-like fruit offering a sweet, tangy pulp, making a perfect vegan substitute for anchovies.
Tamari
Although similar to soy sauce, Tamari is a Japanese sauce that is slightly thicker than soy sauce. Tamari sauce is not quite as salty as soy sauce, but there is no doubt that it tastes delicious. If you are someone that does not like too much salt, tamari may be the perfect substitute for your vegan meal!
Sauces such as tamari allow you to add so much delicious flavor to your meals without the need to include animal products. As with soy sauce, it is recommended to pair tamari and a solid substitute to your meal. We suggest mushrooms or olives as the best matches for tamari sauce, but be creative with it!
Miso Paste
Miso paste offers a fermented flavor, hence, so many people recommend it as an anchovy substitute, including us! Miso paste is a soybean-based paste that is mixed with salt and koji.
There are three types of miso including white miso, red miso, and mixed miso. When using miso to replace anchovies, it is recommended to opt for white miso as it tends to come with better results, in this case.
Umeboshi Paste
Umeboshi originated in Japan and is a paste made with fermented plum. Although it is a fruit-based sauce, umeboshi paste is surprisingly an excellent anchovy substitute. Despite being made with plums, the sauce is not too sweet, yet still offers a fruity taste. The sauce is commonly described as tangy and salty, much like anchovies, thus, a substitute that we had to include on our list!
Capers
Capers have been used as an anchovy substitute for a long time, and there is no doubt that it is one of the best ways to make your meal without using anchovies, all while staying as close as possible to the original recipe.
Capers are so well known as anchovy substitutes that there is a rule of thumb when it comes to substituting capers for anchovies.
Before doing anything with capers, you should rinse them in case they were in a vinegary liquid. Once done, you should prepare ½ tbsp of capers for every 6 anchovy fillets. This is the perfect ratio, according to Cook’s Info.
Some cooks have even tried using the caper brine paired with other suggested substitutes we shared to give your meal even more flavor and liquid if needed.
A.1. Sauce
As a vegan, you likely don’t have steak sauce around, but you can certainly easily find A.1. Sauce at any grocery store! We recommend using A.1. sauce in particular as the main ingredient of this sauce is tomato puree, which is another ideal substitute for anchovies.
Many people using A.1. Sauce to replace anchovies in vegan dishes as it offers the salty taste of anchovies and it will make for a delicious meal that everyone, including non-vegans, will love eating and maybe even ask for seconds!
Tomato Puree
As we just mentioned, tomato puree is another substitute known for r