Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Adding fish sauce to your fruit salad might seem dramatic, or incongruous. You might even think it sounds “gross”—but please, suspend judgment for a moment. Consider how some folks swear by adding a cup of mayonnaise to chocolate cake batter. Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches, and fish sauce isn’t just for stir fry. It happens to be the perfect dressing for summer fruit.
Fish sauce adds complexity
Fish sauce isn’t typically paired with fruit in the U.S.; rather it is used to accent savory foods. Which is great! Honestly, I’m glad fish sauce is becoming more of a household ingredient these days. It’s widely acknowledged for bringing a healthy dose of umami and complexity to dishes like chili and sautéed veggies. While the tawny condiment has a powerful fermented fish smell straight out of the bottle, it can be quite subtle when used with other ingredients.
Even still, it might seem like a wild and new idea to add it to fruit, but rest assured, fish sauce and fruit belong together. Sliced fruits are often enjoyed with a sweet, tangy, savory, and sometimes spicy dipping sauce in Thailand, Laos, and other neighboring Asian countries. It’s a common way to snack on green mango or other young, sour fruits. Salty, umami-packed fish sauce is usually mixed with sugar and chilis to contrast the sour fruit and deliver a flavorful, well-balanced bite.
How to make a fish sauce dressing for fruit
Although peak summer fruits—like peaches, plums, strawberries, blueberries, and tomatoes—are associated mostly with sweetness, they also exhibit a decent hit of acidity. That’s perfect for this fish sauce use case, and you can make a fish sauce-based dressing pretty easily.
In a glass measuring cup, I stir together equal parts (by volume) fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and granulated sugar (either white or brown is fine). Stir the mixture until the granules of sugar have dissolved completely. In a mixing bowl, Drizzle over a couple cups of cubed or sliced fruit. Gently toss all until all of the fruit has been dressed in the “fishagrette.”
I think this sauce is especially good over cut melon and peaches, but I recommend trying it with any of your favorites. Feel free to add more fish sauce, or bump up the sugar or lime juice, depending on the ripeness of your fruit. If you are excited for a flavor adventure but worried you might not love it, serve the sauce on the side, dip a cube of fruit, and taste it before deciding if you want to pour it over the whole bowl.
Sweet and Savory Fish Sauce Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
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1 cup cubed watermelon
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1 peach, sliced
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1 campari tomato, chopped
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1 ½ teaspoon fish sauce
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1 ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
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1 ½ teaspoon sugar
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A few leaves of torn fresh mint or basil
1. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar to a glass measuring cup. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Add the cut fruit to a mixing bowl. Pour the fish sauce dressing over the fruit and add the herbs. Toss gently until all of the fruit is coated. Enjoy.
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Staff Writer
Allie has been Lifehacker’s Food Writer since 2021. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Ithaca College in drama and studied at the Institute of Culinary Education to earn her diploma in Pastry and Baking Arts. Allie worked professionally as a private chef for over a decade, honing her craft in New York at places like Balthazar, Bien Cuit, The Chocolate Room, Billy’s Bakery, and Whole Foods. She spent evenings as a chef instructor, and also earned a master’s degree at Hunter College for teaching English. Allie’s YouTube channel, Thainybites, features recipes and baking tricks. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.
