Try this easy delicious Vegan Mushroom Gravy for Thanksgiving - made w/ caramelized mushrooms & onions and flavored with vegetable broth, soy sauce & thyme
The countdown for Turkey Day officially begins – it’s less than a week away! Do you have all your recipes lined up? I usually have an 80/20 rule where I re-make the tried and true for 80% of the dishes and try new recipes for 20% of the dishes. And when it comes to gravy, it doesn’t hurt having a couple different ones. Using the turkey drippings, it’s easy to make a delicious gravy. But if you’re looking for something vegan for the non-meat eaters, or just something lighter you need to try my vegan mushroom gravy!
I first started making this mushroom gravy a couples ago as a sauce to add to steak and then I realized it actually goes perfect with so many other dishes, especially turkey. The beauty of this vegan mushroom gravy is you don’t need any turkey drippings, which means you can make it ahead of time! Also, it’s dairy-free and it takes about 10 minutes to make so double bonus points there!
How do you make vegan mushroom gravy
These are the ingredients you’ll need: mushrooms, onions, olive oil, vegetable broth, soy sauce, flour and fresh seasoning like thyme, sage, rosemary or a poultry mix. I used just fresh thyme.
You’ll start by heating up the olive oil and sauteing the mushrooms and onions with the olive oil. It’s about to smell so good in your kitchen! This step is where all the flavor comes from, so be sure to stir frequently and allow the vegetables to get caramelized; it should take about 5 minutes.
Then you’ll pour the vegetable broth and soy sauce into the caramelized vegetable mixture and add some fresh herbs. At this point, the mixture will look quite separated, kinda like soup. So you’ll want to reduce the heat and slowly start adding flour. I only used two tablespoons of flour, which gave it the perfect consistency. I recommend adding a little at a time until you’re happy with the consistency. Keep in mind that the gravy will thicken as it settles.
After simmering for a few minutes, this was the final product. The vegan mushroom gravy has a decadent rich color from the soy sauce, and a noticeable shimmer from the olive oil. At this point, you can taste it and season with salt and pepper.
Tips for making this vegan mushroom gravy
- Chop the mushrooms and onions very finely. It’s tedious but so worth it. This will help them cook faster and ensure that they dissolve nicely into the broth when cooked. No one wants large chunks of onions in their gravy. Well at least my kids don’t haha!
- If you prefer a smooth gravy without any onions or mushrooms chunk (even finely minced ones), try using a hand immersion blender to blend the gravy. I use the Cuisinart Smart Stick. It’s quick and easy and will give you a smooth and silky consistency.
- Take the time to caramelize the onions and mushrooms before adding the broth and soy sauce. It’s important to do this sequentially, and not just throw everything together in the saucepan. This ensures that the vegetables release their flavors fully.
- Carefully add the flour. Remember that the gravy will get thicker as it sits. Be patient in stirring in the flour a little at a time to ensure you get the best consistency
- If the gravy does get too thick, you can add some vegetable broth to thin it out.
What to eat with vegan mushroom gravy
Well for starters, definitely pour this all over your Thanksgiving turkey. It will be a huge hit even for the meat-eaters! The mushrooms have such a strong depth of flavor (they call it umami) and the soy sauce gives it that salty bite we all like in gravy. But if you’re looking for other things to enjoy with this gravy, try these recipes:
This mushroom gravy is a hearty, rich and flavorful vegan gravy that is perfect for the big Thanksgiving meal or can be used for topping your weeknight chicken, steak, potatoes or biscuits. I’m just an all-around fan of this magic sauce they call gravy baby!
If you make this healthy-ish feelgood Vegan Mushroom Gravy recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Try this easy delicious Vegan Mushroom Gravy for Thanksgiving - made w/ caramelized mushrooms & onions and flavored with vegetable broth, soy sauce & thyme
- 1 cup mushrooms of choice minced
- 1/2 small yellow onion minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and add onions and mushroom. Sauté until the onions and mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the fresh thyme, vegetable broth and soy sauce.
- Slowly add flour, stirring frequently to ensure no clumps form.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for a few more minutes, stirring regularly, until the gravy thickens.
- Remove it from the heat and serve.
Storage:Â Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 5 days in the fridge.
Make Ahead Tips: You can make the gravy up to five days ahead and store it in the fridge. Reheat just before serving. If the gravy thickens too much, you can add vegetable broth to thin it out.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
- You can use chicken broth or beef broth instead of vegetable broth (although it won't be vegan anymore)
- You can substitute cornstarch, arrowroot starch, potato starch or tapioca for flour. Use half as much cornstarch as you would flour. Since the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of flour, you would use only 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, for example
Equipment: If you prefer a smooth gravy without any onions or mushrooms chunk, I highly recommend using the Cuisinart Smart Stick hand immersion blender. It's quick and easy and will give you the perfect consistency.
Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label is only for 8 servings, but this can certainly feed a bigger crowd depending on how much gravy everyone uses.
