Vietnamese dipping sauces for summer rolls, spring rolls and egg rolls (nuoc cham)

fish sauce

🥗Healthier: soy sauce

💰Cheaper: salt + vinegar

Soy sauce is lower in calories, while salt and vinegar provide a similar salty flavor.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey offers natural sweetness, while brown sugar is often less expensive.

lime juice

🥗Healthier: lemon juice

💰Cheaper: vinegar

Lemon juice provides a similar acidity, while vinegar can be more economical.

chili pepper

🥗Healthier: jalapeño

💰Cheaper: red pepper flakes

Jalapeños add heat with fewer calories, while red pepper flakes are often cheaper.

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan.

Add in crushed garlic and 1/4 of a shallot, sauté until fragrant.

In a bowl, mix equal parts sugar and vinegar to create a vinaigrette.

Add warm water to the sugar and vinegar mixture, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Pour in fish sauce to the mixture and stir to combine.

Prepare the basic dipping sauce by adding crushed garlic and chili to the fish sauce base.

Squeeze in lime juice to taste, adjusting sweetness with lemonade or additional sugar if desired.

For ginger sauce, blend roughly chopped ginger and chili in a mini processor.

Mix ginger sauce with fish sauce for a protein marinade.

For lemongrass sauce, add leftover lemongrass to the fish sauce base for flavor.

Combine basil paste with fish sauce and olive oil for a salad dressing or dipping sauce.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens