This easy vegan gravy recipe is delicious and simple to whip up in about 15 minutes. It's chunky with garlic and onions, and full of flavorful herbs and spices. Put it on mashed potatoes, over biscuits, on poutine, or serve on Thanksgiving.
I've never used a recipe for making gravy. I just sauté some onions and garlic, add some herbs and spices, and a splash of this and that. While it's never exactly the same, the foundation is always tons of savory umami and three herbs and spices: sage, thyme, and fennel. This recipe is the version I made the day I wrote down the ingredients.
🧅 Key Ingredients
Making a great vegan gravy is all about the herbs, spices, sauces, and flavors, most of which are pantry staples you're likely to have at home already.
Onions and Garlic
Sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil is the first step of every good recipe!
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast or "nooch" is an inactive yeast with a nutty, savory flavor. It is and has been used as a vegan cheese sauce for decades, but it's been having a moment in the spotlight lately (it even made the New York Times!). Now that we have more sophisticated vegan cheese options, I prefer to use it for building up flavor in sauces and soups, or sprinkling on pasta. It adds a depth of flavor to this vegan gravy.
Herbs and Spices
Now the we have the flavor foundation established, the herbs and spices accent the umami base. Sage and thyme are my go to spices for gravy, soups like French onion, and dishes like shepherd's pie when I want something comforting.
I also added ground fennel seeds, which I like to crush with a mortar and pestle, which has an earthy, intense flavor. It's one of the main flavors of Italian sausage, so it can add a flavor reminiscent of sausage gravy without the actual sausage. You can, of course, add some vegan sausage crumbles to the gravy if you'd like.
Vegan Chicken Broth
You can use vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth from a carton or can, but my preferred method is using a bouillon base like Vegan Chicken Base from BulkFoods, Better Than Bouillon, or vegan bouillon cubes.
Flour and Water
The flour and water are mixed together and poured into the gravy near the end to thicken the gravy.
🔪 Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and pan fry until golden, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
Add the nutritional yeast, sage, thyme, fennel, and pepper, and stir to coat the onions.
Add the vegan “chicken” broth to deglaze the pan. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, mix together the flour and ⅓ cup of the water in a cup and stir until completely smooth, adding the rest of the water if needed.
Pour the flour and water mixture into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens, 6-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
💭 Tips
- Make sure the flour and water are completely mixed before pouring the mixture into the gravy or you will have clumps of flour in the gravy.
- The gravy will keep for a week stored in a covered container in the fridge. It will thicken up when chilled, but will smooth out when stirred.
📋 Variations
- Add ½ cup vegan sausage with the onions for a sausage gravy.
- This recipe calls for no mushrooms, but you can add ½ cup mushrooms when you sauté the onions if you like.
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Gravy Recipe
This easy vegan gravy recipe is delicious and simple to whip up in about 15 minutes. It's chunky with garlic and onions, and full of flavorful herbs and spices. Put it on mashed potatoes, over biscuits, on poutine, or serve on Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon fennel, ground
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 cups vegan “chicken” broth
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼-1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and pan fry until golden, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add the nutritional yeast, sage, thyme, fennel, and pepper, and stir to coat the onions.
- Add the vegan “chicken” broth to deglaze the pan. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, mix together the flour and ⅓ cup of the water in a cup and stir until completely smooth, adding the rest of the water if needed.
- Pour the flour and water mixture into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens, 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- As is, this gravy is pretty thick and chunky. Increase or reduce the amount of broth if you prefer your gravy to be a different consistency. Taste and adjust the flavors if changing the recipe.
- Variation: Add ½ cup vegan sausage crumbles when cooking the onions for a sausage gravy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ⅓ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 48Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 343mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
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