A flavorful vegan gravy made with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, flour and vegetable broth. This rich and creamy sauce is perfect served over potatoes and vegan holiday dishes. I also included a mushroom-free and blender-free option.
This is the gravy I’ll be making for Christmas this year (and likely every Christmas going forward). It’s simple, creamy and so flavorful! I also included a few options and ingredient substitutions. There’s something for everyone!
Here are the three options:
Go-To Mushroom Gravy: This is my personal favorite. It’s flavored with shallots, garlic and a small amount of mushrooms for that umami flavor (without an overpowering mushroom flavor). This version can be blended or not, depending on how you like your gravy. I personally love it blended for a smooth finish.
Mushroom Lovers’ Gravy: If you LOVE mushrooms, I added the option to increase the mushrooms in this recipe. You can also swap the vegetable broth for mushroom broth. Blend it smooth or keep it chunky. Your choice!
Mushroom-Free Vegan Gravy (No Blender Needed): If you’re not into mushrooms, this one is for you. This gravy also skips the garlic and shallots to save you time and the need for a blender. Don’t worry, it’s still delicious and flavorful! This one is my favorite when I’m looking for something quick and easy.
How to Make Vegan Gravy
Start by sautéing your shallots and garlic in vegan butter for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add your mushrooms and sauté for about 5-10 minutes or until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Add the flour and let it toast for a few minutes, then add the broth slowly, while whisking. A sauce should from. Add the nutritional yeast and soy sauce, plus salt to taste.
Once all the ingredients are mixed together, bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 15 minutes until the gravy thickens. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth or serve it as is.
If you want a thicker gravy, mix additional flour with a small amount of broth and add it to the gravy.
Tips to Avoid Lumps in Your Gravy
It’s easy to get lumps in your gravy, even when you think you did everything right. Here are a few tips to prevent or remedy lumpy gravy:
Add the flour to the butter and vegetables, then add the broth slowly, while whisking. Do NOT add the flour directly to the gravy. If you need to add more flour (to thicken it more), whisk the flour with a small amount of broth to make a “milky” liquid. Then add that to the gravy and whisk!
Whisk, whisk, whisk! Make sure to whisk your gravy often to prevent the flour from setting at the bottom and form lumps. This is especially important as you’re adding the liquid. Once the gravy is smooth, whisk every few minutes,
Is your gravy lumpy already? Add it to the blender or blend it using an immersion blender.
Make-Ahead Gravy
I find that this gravy stays smooth and creamy when refrigerated overnight IF you use less flour. I had success making it ahead when using 3 tablespoons – 1/4 cup of flour. It will be thinner, but will stay creamy overnight. It did thicken quite a bit overnight when I used the amount of flour indicated in the recipe. It’s still great when heated, but it doesn’t look as smooth.
When you’re ready to eat it, heat it over medium heat until heated through. If it gets too thick to your liking, simply add a splash of vegetable broth.
How to Use Your Vegan Gravy? Try serving it on top of Instant Pot Vegan Mashed Potatoes, vegan “meatballs”, tofu or tempeh. I love cooking my tofu in a cast-iron skillet until crispy with a drizzle of soy sauce (or even plain). It’s a great protein to serve with gravy!
A flavorful vegan gravy made with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, flour and vegetable broth. This rich and creamy sauce is perfect served over potatoes and vegan holiday dishes. I also included mushroom-free and blender-free options.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine vegan
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
2tablespoonsvegan butter
2mediumshallots,finely diced
2mediumgarlic cloves,peeled and minced
1cupcremini mushrooms,sliced (see notes)
1/4cup + 2 tablespoonsall-purpose flour or corn starch
3cupsvegetable broth(see notes)
1tablespoonlow sodium soy sauce
3tablespoonsnutritional yeast
Salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare all your ingredients. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Stir in the flour and let it brown for 1 minute, then add 1 cup of broth to deglaze and whisk until smooth. Scrape the bottom to remove any brown bits. Add the remaining broth plus the soy sauce and nutritional yeast.
Bring the gravy to a low boil, then let it simmer over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Make sure to whisk the gravy every few minutes to prevent lumps from forming. If the gravy is too thick, add more broth. If it doesn't get thick enough to your liking, whisk 1-2 more tablespoons of flour with a small amount of water in a bowl, then add it to the gravy. Don't add more flour directly in the gravy or lumps will form.
Serve the gravy as is or blend it until smooth. You can use a blender or an immersion blender. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, vegan "meat" alternatives, tofu and more. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered.
Notes
Love mushrooms? You can add more! I would recommend going to 2-3 cups if you want a chunky mushroom gravy.Don’t like mushrooms? Skip the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Just heat the butter, then stir in the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Add your broth gradually while whisking. It should be creamy. Add the soy sauce, nutritional yeast and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. There’s no need to blend!I used regular vegetable broth and find it salty enough with the soy sauce. If you use low-sodium broth, you will likely need more salt. You can also use mushroom broth for extra mushroom flavor.You can make this gravy ahead of time and heat it over medium heat until warm when ready. It stays smooth and creamy when using flour. BUT use less flour (3 tablespoons- 1/4 cup, no more). I wouldn’t recommend preparing it in advance with corn starch or with the amount of flour indicated in the recipe. It forms a “gel” once cold. It’s still good once warm, but it doesn’t look as good.
If you make this vegan gravy, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!