Vegan gravy is the best way to top your favorite mashed potatoes! This recipe uses onions and mushrooms to build flavor and create a thick and creamy texture.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.
Gravy is one food you often won't find a meatless swap for at your holiday dinner. Usually its made with the drippings from whatever meat is being served. But let's not forget the vegans and vegetarians!
If you want to serve a gravy that suits everyone, this will be your go-to. It gets rave reviews from both vegans and meat eaters. The onions and mushrooms create a rich base that gets perfectly seasoned and pairs so well with mashed potatoes.
This does have one more step and a few more ingredients than ordinary gravy, but I think its worth it, especially if you're making this for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- Vegan butter
- Yellow onion
- Cremini mushrooms
- All purpose flour
- Vegetable broth
- Soy sauce or tamari
- Vegan worcestershire sauce
- Ground sage
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make vegan gravy
- Heat butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the onion and mushroom and cook for 10 minutes or until softened.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the broth, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sage, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to a high powered blender and blend until smooth, making sure to vent the top slightly to allow steam to escape.
- Return the gravy to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
Top tips
Cremini mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms are the same as baby portobello mushrooms. They're about the same size as white button mushrooms, but have a brown top and are a little more flavorful in my opinion.
How to blend mushroom gravy
I tested this recipe using both an immersion blender (affiliate link) and a high powered blender, and found the high powered blender to produce a much smoother gravy. Because the gravy is hot when you blend it, make sure you vent the lid a little to allow steam to escape.
If you only have an immersion blender the gravy will still taste great, it may just be a little lumpy. If you prefer, you can pass it through a sieve to make it smoother.
How to store
Keep leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can make this recipe ahead of time and rewarm in a saucepan on the stove either chilled or thawed in the refrigerator overnight after being frozen.
Tips for customizing vegan gravy
- Serve over biscuits, with or without seitan crumbles, for vegan biscuits and gravy
- Omit the onion and double the mushrooms, or vice versa, for a purely vegan onion gravy or vegan mushroom gravy
- Add your favorite holiday spices such as thyme, rosemary, etc.
- Swap the cremini mushrooms for your other favorite mushrooms such as white button mushrooms, shitake, or portobello
- Use regular butter to make this vegetarian gravy
FAQ
Most of the time gravy is made with animal stock or broth, or the drippings from cooking a piece of meat. Depending on the recipe it may even be made with pieces of meat.
In either case, the gravy would not be considered vegetarian or vegan. This gravy recipe is made with vegan butter, vegetables, and vegetable stock, making it vegan.
Most worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies, which means it is not vegan or vegetarian. However, it is possible to find a vegan version of worcestershire sauce, usually in the natural and organic aisle of the grocery store.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free swaps, but theoretically you could swap the flour for equal amounts of gluten-free flour or cornstarch. If you are familiar with tapioca starch, potato starch, or arrowroot these may also work with some experimenting.
More side dish recipes
- Mashed Potato Bake
- Cheesy Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cranberries
- Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing
- Simple Vegetarian Stuffing
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Oven Baked Potato Wedges
- Oven Roasted Carrots with Thyme
- Oven Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
- Creamy No Mayo Coleslaw
- Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Vegan Gravy
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced, about 1 cup
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, diced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the onion and mushroom and cook for 10 minutes or until softened.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the broth, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sage, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to a high powered blender and blend until smooth, making sure to vent the top slightly to allow steam to escape.
- Return the gravy to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, biscuits, toast, or your favorite meat substitute.
Notes
Tips for customizing vegan gravy
- Serve over biscuits, with or without seitan crumbles, for vegan biscuits and gravy
- Omit the onion and double the mushrooms, or vice versa, for a purely vegan onion gravy or vegan mushroom gravy
- Add your favorite holiday spices such as thyme, rosemary, etc.
- Swap the cremini mushrooms for your other favorite mushrooms such as white button mushrooms, shitake, or portobello
- Use regular butter to make this vegetarian gravy
Leave a Reply