Here's a homemade recipe for Vegan Bagoong or "Shrimp" Paste!
WHAT'S BAGOONG?
Bagoong is a Filipino condiment, that’s pretty much a staple in Filipino cuisine. It’s usually made of fermented fish or shrimp, though of course this version is completely free of any fish/shrimp! There are different versions of bagoong but the one I grew up with was salty with some sweetness and a hint of spice. It’s also cooked with a lot of aromatics so it’s really fragrant!
It has many uses: you can dip some fresh green mangoes in bagoong, add bagoong in stir-fries for an extra layer of flavour, or use it as a condiment for Kare-Kare (Filipino Peanut Stew).
There are even dishes such as binagoongan, which is basically a stew that’s cooked down with shrimp paste!
It’s a really easy condiment to make and it’s a great one to have on-hand for dishes you’d like to recreate.
MUSHROOMS FOR THIS VEGAN BAGOONG OR SHRIMP PASTE
I've once tried a vegan mushroom bagoong and love the texture and extra umami mushroom gives to this vegan version of bagoong.
I used oyster mushrooms for mine and simply minced them. You can also opt to use other mushrooms like shiitake mushrooms (which are actually more umami!) but I personally prefer oyster mushrooms because they have a subtler flavour.
I also prepared some garlic, ginger, onion, and some chili (for spice!). Cook them all together and you have a super aromatic blend of ingredients!
I used bird's eye chili and sliced them up. These chiles are really hot so you can opt to remove the seeds if you'd like or lessen the amount. Dried chili flakes work too!
THE PASTE
This is what really brings the bagoong together and really adds that umami punch.
I used doenjang, which is a fermented Korean soybean paste. It's salty and is packed full of flavour, so I no longer salted my bagoong.
You can opt to use white miso paste instead of doenjang for this recipe. Both really pack a salty punch and can vary depending on the brand use so you can always opt to add more sugar, to sweeten.
I basically cooked everything down until all the flavours infused together.
So there you go! This is a simple vegan version of my favourite Bagoong or “shrimp” paste growing up. It’s something I use sparingly because it’s really salty but I love the added depth it gives to dishes.
Make sure to cool it completely before storing it in a jar for future use.
Get the full recipe down below ◡̈
Check out my other recipes:
- Filipino Kaldereta or 'Meat' Stew
- Filipino Lumpiang Gulay or Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Japanese Chahan or Fried Rice
- Crispy Eggplant Katsu
- Scalloped Potatoes in Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
- Chili Garlic and Black Bean Eggplant Noodles
- Easy Sweet, Spicy, and Saucy Noodles
- Stir-Fried Tofu and Basil Noodles
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Tofu 'McNuggets'
- Tantanmen (Vegan Ramen)
- Yaki Udon
- Chinese-Style Bolognese
- Ginger and Scallion Noodles
- Chili Garlic Oil Noodles
- Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!
Vegan Bagoong (Filipino “Shrimp” Paste)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 medium red or white onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp finely grated or minced ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 bird’s eye or Thai chilies chopped, sub with 1/2 tbsp chili flakes (optional for spice)
- 100 g fresh oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms see notes, makes around 1 cup minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp sugar adjust according to desired taste
- 1/2 cup doenjang korean soy bean paste, see notes for sub
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. For the onion, garlic, and ginger, you can process these in a food processor if you’d like them really finely minced. For the mushrooms, I simply sliced them into very thin strips before mincing them.
- Heat a small pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add in the oil.
- Once hot, sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until aromatic, around 3 minutes.
- Add in the chilies or chili flakes, if using, and then mix well.
- Add in the mushrooms and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once the mushrooms are cooked through, add in the in the sugar.
- Mix the mushrooms well until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add in the soybean or miso paste and then mix it with the mushrooms well.
- Leave to cook over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until everything is well incorporated.
- Taste the paste and add more sugar if you’d like it a bit sweeter and more chili if you want more heat.
- Cook the bagoong for 2-3 more minutes over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mushrooms are cooked through.
- Turn off the heat and leave the paste to cool completely before storing in a jar.
- Refrigerate until ready to use! Keep the jar sealed tightly. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- You can enjoy your bagoong with some Vegan Kare-Kare or Filipino Peanut Stew. You can see my recipe here.
Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFO
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how long can you keep this in the fridge?
I’ve kept mine for as long as 4-5 months in there fridge. Possibly lasts longer since its fermented. 🙂
Really good! It’s super handy to have it in the fridge. I’ve made it twice, once with miso and once with gochujang. They were both good. The miso version definitely saltier in flavour. The one with gochujang spicier and sweeter. Worth trying both. Thanks Jeeca!
Thanks so much Chiara! Happy to hear! And using gochujang is a great idea!!
So good. I used half miso and half doenjang.
Hope you enjoy your bagoong Kelly! ◡̈
Might also try Chinese fermented black bean sauces, to provide, salt umami, and fermented flavors as found in fermented shrimp/fish pastes and sauces.
Yess! They work great in vegan bagoong too!!
so glad to find you. will try this out and report back.