Vegan Gravy

A silky vegan gravy that will impress everyone at the table, most of all you!

This gorgeously appetizing and flavorful vegan gravy needs simple pantry ingredients, and it comes together in minutes. A base of carrots, celery and onions adds healthfulness and flavor, and mushrooms, tomato paste and vegan worcestershire sauce add umami. This gravy is great for low-carb eaters with just four net carbs in a serving, and you can pour it over your favorite foods to make them even more delicious, from a vegan tofu steak to mashed potatoes and vegan meatballs. The gravy is gluten-free and nut-free, making it perfect for all eaters.

Here's a delicious vegan gravy that's both tasty and versatile but also really, really easy to make.

It's perfect with nearly anything, from vegan meatballs to a tofu steak to mashed potatoes. It's made with a base of veggies, which makes it extra delicious, and it is very low calorie and low carb with with just 43 calories and four net carbs per serving. I even have options for a no-oil gravy, making this perfect for anyone watching their weight. There is no all purpose flour in this gravy -- tapioca starch acts as the thickener, and therefore there's no gluten.

I already have a super tasty vegan mushroom gravy on the blog that I shared a few holidays ago, but this gravy is just as good, if not better, and it's become my go-to now. It's great for the holidays, of course, but you can serve it year-round to amp up a meal and make it that much more delicious.

Why you'll love this vegan gravy

• It's delicious. I love veggies in any gravy because they add great depth of flavor, which you can't just get from stirring water into flour and seasonings, as many quick gravy recipes do. The tomato paste, vegan worcestershire and liquid aminos add more deep flavor and umami. The final taste is almost indescribably gorgeous--smoky, with tons of complexity and an overarching deliciousness.
• It's easy. The gravy takes under 30 minutes to make, and it is so easy, anyone can do it.
• It's versatile. You can serve this gravy up with almost any main dish you have in mind, from tofu steaks to vegan meatballs to a vegan wellington. It is divine over mashed potatoes or, if you're keto, cauliflower-mashed potatoes. The possibilities with this vegan gravy are endless.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. If you're oil-free, you can saute the veggies with water or vegetable stock.
• Vegetables: 1 medium onion, ½ medium carrot and 2 stalks celery.
• 4 cloves garlic. You can use more if you like more garlicky flavor, I find four cloves just perfect here. Make sure they are large cloves. 🙂
• Herbs: 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1 tsp dried sage. You can sub another savory herb, like thyme or marjoram or oregano. Use one tablespoon each if using fresh herbs.
• 4 oz crimini mushrooms. Don't worry if you have mushroom haters in the home--you'll be pureeing the veggies and straining them, so there won't be a trace of the mushrooms here except the amazing flavor.
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar adds so much flavor to this gravy, so use it if you can. A decent substitute would be apple cider vinegar, but the balsamic is really preferred.
• 1 tbsp tomato paste. More umami and deliciousness.
• 3 cups water. Or use vegetable stock, which would be even better.
• 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp liquid aminos. You can substitute with soy sauce or tamari.
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

How to make vegan gravy

• Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the onions, celery and carrots with some salt and pepper and saute until the veggies begin to caramelize, about five minutes. You don't want everything to turn brown, you just need some caramelization at the bottom of the pan and on the veggies, which will really help build up flavor.
• Add garlic and saute for a minute more. Stir in the mushrooms and the balsamic vinegar. Stir and saute, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the mushrooms are soft, 3-4 minutes.

• Stir in the herbs and then the tomato paste.

• Add the tapioca starch and saute for a minute until the flour is absorbed.
• Stir in the water or vegetable broth. It might seem like a lot of water but you are going to let some of it cook out and also the gravy will thicken when you puree the veggies.

• Once the water boils, turn down the heat and simmer five more minutes or until the carrots are soft. Turn off the heat and carefully transfer everything to the blender. Blend into a smooth puree. Be very careful when blending hot liquids and make sure you follow your blender manufacturer instructions--keeping the vent tube on top of the blender open and covered with a kitchen towel can help, but watch your hand in case some of the hot liquid jumps as you start the blender.
• Next, strain the gravy. This is an optional step but it produces a really silky and smooth gravy, so I recommend it.Pour the strained gravy back into the skillet. If it appears too thick, add up to another cup of water or stock. Mix well, then stir in the vegan worcestershire sauce and liquid aminos.
• Bring to a boil, check salt and pepper and add more if needed, and turn off heat. Serve.

Storage and freezing instructions

This gravy can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to three days. Warm before serving.

For longer storage, place in the freezer in an airtight container or in an ice cube tray. Thaw and reheat.

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