You Can Use a Fish Sauce Dressing for Your Summer Fruit Salad

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Adding fish sauce to a fruit salad may seem dramatic or outlandish. You may even think this sounds “rude”, but please reserve judgment for a moment. Think about how some people swear when they add a cup of mayonnaise to their chocolate cake batter . Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches , and fish sauce isn’t just for stir-fries. This is the perfect dressing for summer fruits.

Fish sauce adds complexity

Fish sauce in the US is not usually paired with fruit; rather, it is used to accent savory dishes. This is cool! Honestly, I’m glad that fish sauce is becoming a more popular household ingredient these days. It is widely known for adding a healthy dose of umami and complexity to dishes such as chili and steamed vegetables . Although the tawny seasoning has a strong fermented fish smell straight out of the bottle, it can be quite subtle when used with other ingredients.

However, adding it to fruit may seem like a wild and new idea, but rest assured, fish sauce and fruit go well together . Sliced ​​fruits are often served with sweet, tangy, savory, and sometimes hot sauce in Thailand, Laos, and other neighboring Asian countries. This is a common way to snack on green mangoes or other young, sour fruits. The salty, umami-infused fish sauce is usually mixed with sugar and chili peppers to contrast with the sour fruit and provide a flavorful, well-balanced flavor.

How to make fish sauce for fruit

While peak summer fruits like peaches, plums, strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes are associated primarily with sweetness, they also exhibit a decent amount of acidity. This is perfect for when using fish sauce, and you can make a fish sauce based dressing quite easily.

In a glass measuring cup, I mix equal parts (by volume) of fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and granulated sugar (white or brown works fine). Stir the mixture until the sugar granules are completely dissolved. In a bowl, drizzle over a couple cups of diced or sliced ​​fruit. Gently stir everything until all the fruit is included in the fish grette.

I think this sauce is especially good on sliced ​​melon and peaches, but I recommend trying it with any of your favorite sauces. Feel free to add more fish sauce or increase the amount of sugar or lime juice, depending on the ripeness of your fruit. If you’re looking forward to a flavor adventure but are worried you might not like it, serve the sauce on the side, dip a cube of fruit, and taste it before deciding whether you want to pour it all over the bowl.

Sweet and tangy fruit salad with fish sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced watermelon

  • 1 peach, chopped

  • 1 Campari tomato, chopped

  • 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce

  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar

  • A few leaves of torn fresh mint or basil

1. Add fish sauce, lime juice and sugar to a glass measuring cup. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Add the chopped fruit to the mixer bowl. Drizzle the fish sauce sauce over the fruit and add the herbs. Toss gently until all the fruit is coated. Enjoy.

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