This vegan mushroom gravy is rich, creamy and so easy to make. It’s perfect on top of mashed potatoes and loved by all types of eaters. Plus, it’s ready and on the table in less than 20 minutes!
It wasn’t until high school that I started to love and appreciate all of the classic Thanksgiving foods. Up until then, I pretty much only ate pasta (no surprise lol), but in my later years I became obsessed with all of the classics!
Mashed potatoes and gravy just screams comfort food to me, and even this healthy vegan gravy really hits the spot. It’s a favorite among all types of eaters and bound to impress everyone at your Thanksgiving table!
I love a creamy gravy, so for this recipe we’re just sautéing onions, garlic and mushrooms, then blending them up with vegetable broth, herbs like thyme and rosemary and some soy sauce and pepper for a delicious umami flavor.
You can buy vegan gravy at lots of grocery stores, Whole Foods carries a really good one, but making it from scratch is truly so much better! Try my pumpkin cake for dessert!
Key ingredients
MUSHROOMS. The base of the recipe! I personally think baby bella are the best mushrooms for gravy, but you can use white or button mushrooms as well. I would avoid portobello or shiitake for this recipe.
ONION & GARLIC. This is where a lot of the flavor comes from! I used white onion, but yellow works just as well.
VEGGIE BROTH. This is used to help blend up all of the gravy into a smooth sauce.
HERBS. I used dried thyme and rosemary which give those delicious savory flavors. Feel free to add in other herbs of your choice.
SOY SAUCE. Soy sauce or tamari will also add a rich savory flavor.
FLOUR. You need flour to help thicken the sauce. I used gluten free all purpose, but regular will work too.
How to make vegan gravy
Add the chopped onion to a skillet with the olive oil.
Saute until it starts to look translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add in the sliced mushrooms and saute, covered but stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms start to look soft and shrink in size.
Transfer to a blender with all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. It’ll probably look thin at this point, but it will thicken up in a second!
Give it a quick taste and adjust flavors as desired. I like a touch extra rosemary, thyme and black pepper.
Transfer to a pot on the stove and let simmer over low heat to thicken. If it doesn’t thicken to your desired consistency, just whisk in an additional tablespoon of flour at a time.
On the other hand, if it at any point gets too thick, just add 1/4 cup more broth until it reaches your desired consistency. Serve warm with all of your Thanksgiving favorites!
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, this vegan gravy will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
It will continue to thicken as it sits, so if you prep it ahead of time, I suggest heating it back up on the stove with a splash of vegetable broth to thin it out slightly. Unless you prefer it thick, just leave it as is!
Yes! If you want to make a big batch or make this ahead of time to make Thanksgiving day easier, you can easily freeze it and then defrost it.
Leave a bit of room in the container for expansion and let thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Cornstarch vs. Flour
Gravy is often thickened with either cornstarch or all purpose flour, both of which have pros and cons.
Cornstarch works well because it doesn’t clump up in hot liquid, but it will thicken the gravy in a matter of minutes, which can lead to more of a goopy gel-like gravy, which we don’t want!
I chose to use flour for this recipe since we’re blending everything up anyway and since it thickens a bit more slowly, you don’t run the risk of it getting too thick. If you prefer a thinner gravy, just use less flour!
If you prefer using cornstarch, you’ll need half as much since it’s twice as starchy.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Thanksgiving already involves prepping and cooking so many things, but this vegan gravy makes it so much easier. It’s made with minimal ingredients, is inexpensive and ready in just about 10-15 minutes!
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Vegan Mushroom Gravy
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mushrooms I used baby bella
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp salt omit if using regular sodium soy sauce and/or vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour I used gluten free
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion to a skillet with the olive oil.
- Saute until it starts to look translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the sliced mushrooms and saute, covered but stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms start to look soft and shrink in size.
- Transfer to a blender with all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. It'll probably look thin at this point, but it will thicken up in a second!
- Give it a quick taste and adjust flavors as desired. I like a touch extra rosemary, thyme and black pepper.
- Transfer to a pot on the stove and let simmer over low heat to thicken. If it doesn't thicken to your desired consistency after about 10 minutes, just whisk in an additional tablespoon of flour at a time.
- On the other hand, if it at any point gets too thick, just add 1/4 cup more broth until it reaches your desired consistency. Keep in mind it will thicken in the fridge, so if you're prepping this in advance, avoid adding too much flour.
- Serve warm with all of your Thanksgiving favorites!
Anne says
BEST mushroom gravy. Very flavorful and easy to make.
Claire Cary says
Amazing, thanks Anne!
Julie says
Can this be made a day or two in advance and reheated?
Claire Cary says
Yes, definitely!
Ann says
Can this gravy be frozen – thank you.
Claire Cary says
Yes! You should have no problem freezing it.