Pour it on your mashed potatoes. Pour it on everything! This vegan gravy is super simple, super delicious, and requires only seven ingredients to make.
I’ve made vegan gravy for this site before. In fact, I’ve made a lot of vegan gravy. I’m a big fan of the stuff. But I can get a little carried away.
I made vegan gravy with whiskey and mushrooms. It was awesome. But I know lots of you aren’t down with one or both of those ingredients. And I’ve got other versions of vegan gravy involving other stuff like caramelized onions or homemade vegan sausage. So if you’re into fancy stuff in your gravy, check out those recipes.
But I thought just maybe a few of you would want a super simple gravy recipe that tastes just like the stuff you grew up eating on your mashed potatoes, but also happens to be free of animal products.
Well folks, here it is. And it’s delicious.
This gravy is perfect for Thanksgiving. It’s probably as close to Turkey gravy as you can get without the actual Turkey. It’s also super easy.
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Why this Recipe Works
Regular old Turkey gravy isn’t much more than a bunch of fat, flour and broth. So that’s what I used in here, but in vegan form.
To make it taste like turkey gravy I added a few seasonings. Soy sauce and vegan Worcestershire sauce make this gravy nice and savory. Onions turn up the flavor even more.
And my then there’s my secret ingredient: poultry seasoning.
Poultry seasoning is a blend of spices that you’d normally use to season poultry. What I discovered is that because we associate these flavors with poultry, they’re great for making things taste like poultry.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan butter. This can be found near the regular butter in most supermarkets. Earth Balance and Miyoko’s are a couple of popular brands.
- Onion.
- Flour. I’ve only personally tested this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, though I’ve heard from readers who substituted a gluten-free flour blend with success. Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur both make blends that would be great to try!
- Vegetable broth. If you can find a no-chicken style vegan broth, use it. Otherwise, regular old vegetable broth is just fine!
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Most Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovy sauce, so be careful here. Annie’s, Edward & Sons and Whole Foods brands are all vegan. You can also use homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce if you’d like.
- Poultry seasoning. Look for this in the spice aisle of your supermarket.
- Salt & black pepper.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by melting your vegan butter in a pot over medium heat. Once it’s melted and starting to bubble, add diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes, giving it a stir from time to time, until it softens and becomes translucent.
Now start whisking in flour, just a bit at a time. You want to create a paste that coats the onion. Once all of the flour is added and the paste is fully blended, start whisking in vegetable broth, a bit at a time. Keep whisking to work out any lumps, then add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and poultry seasoning.
Bring the gravy to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken up.
We all have different preferences as far as gravy thickness is concerned, so adjust if needed.
If the gravy seems too thick, add some water. If it seems too thin, remove a little from the pot, then whisk it together with some flour in a small cup. Return the mixture to the pot and whisk everything back together.
Also be sure to taste-test and adjust any of the seasonings as you see fit!
Tip: I like to keep a quick mixing variety of flour such as Wondra on hand when I’m making vegan gravy. It dissolves easier so it works better for thickening the gravy towards the end of cooking.
Serving ideas! This gravy is delicious over mashed potatoes, stuffing, or as an alternative to the glaze to top my chickpea meatloaf.
Leftovers & Storage
Vegan gravy will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. It will become thick and gelatinous during storage, so I recommend reheating it in a saucepan on the stove while whisking like crazy. You can also add a splash of extra water during reheating if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can, but it’s best on the day it’s made, and since it’s so simple, I normally just make it right before serving. If you’re short on time, I get it! Just follow the storage and reheating instructions above and be aware that it will thicken.
It is! Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs normally used to season poultry. It typically contains thyme, sage, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg, though the specific ingredients will vary by brand.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
Super Simple Vegan Gravy
Pour it on your mashed potatoes. Pour it on everything! This vegan gravy is super simple, super delicious, and requires only seven ingredients to make.
Ingredients
-
¼
cup
vegan butter -
1
medium onion,
diced -
¼
cup
all-purpose flour,
or more as needed -
3
cups
low sodium vegetable broth -
2
tablespoons
soy sauce -
1
tablespoon
vegan Worcestershire sauce -
1
teaspoon
poultry seasoning -
Salt and pepper,
to taste
Instructions
-
Place the vegan butter into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat.
-
When the butter has melted and begins to bubble, add the onion.
-
Sweat the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
-
Begin whisking in the flour, a bit at a time, to form a thick paste coating the onions.
-
Slowly whisk in the broth, a bit at a time, then the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and poultry seasoning.
-
Whisk until smooth, raise the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, until nicely thickened.
-
Add water if you’d like a thinner gravy. If you’d like a thicker gravy, ladle out some of the gravy into a small bowl or cup and whisk in a bit of flour to form a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the pot.
-
Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to strain out the onions if you’d like a perfectly smooth gravy.
- Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted for the soy sauce.
- You can substitute cooking oil (such as canola) for the butter, though the flavor won’t be as rich. I haven’t tested an oil-free version of the recipe, but I think if you start by whisking the flour together with about a half cup of vegetable broth and then adding it to the pot with all of the other ingredients it would work.
Nutrition Facts
Super Simple Vegan Gravy
Amount Per Serving
Calories 150
Calories from Fat 104
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.5g18%
Saturated Fat 1.9g10%
Sodium 975mg41%
Potassium 74mg2%
Carbohydrates 10.3g3%
Fiber 0.9g4%
Sugar 2.1g2%
Protein 1.8g4%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
