Mushroom Gravy (Rich and flavorful vegan gravy) Yield About 5 cups Prep Time 15 minutes     Cook Time 20 to 30 minutes                     Tweet	Recipes are rated from 1 to 5 forks, with 1 fork being the easiest and 5 forks the most challenging.
This is a hearty gravy with a deep rich taste. You can use any type of mushroom, but I like to use a variety of mushrooms to increase the depth of flavor. Instructional images follow the recipe.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce dried mushrooms (any variety) (view here)
• 12 ounces fresh mushrooms (shitake, cremini, or a variety)
• 1/4 cup sweet yellow onion - finely diced
• 2 tsp garlic - finely minced
• 2 leaves fresh sage (substitute 1 tsp dry sage)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (substitute 1/2 tsp dry thyme)
• 1 tsp fresh or dry tarragon (substitute basil or marjoram)
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (homemade is best) (view our recipe for roasted vegetable broth here)
• 1/3 cup All purpose or whole wheat flour

Optional Additions:

• 1/2 cup non-dairy mil (homemade cashew milk works best)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Special Equipment:

No special equipment is required.

 

Preparation Method:

Notes:

Since we are not making a roux with oil and flour to thicken the gravy, we will use a slurry by whisking the flour into a liquid. If you are using dried mushrooms, after soaking the mushrooms make sure to save the liquid to make your slurry. Whole wheat flour will work, but it will make the finished product a little grainy. If you want “cream style” gravy, you can add about 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk near the end. Homemade cashew milk works the best because it will help thicken the gravy and give it a good mouthfeel.

Prep work:

Place the dried mushrooms in a heat proof cup or bowl that is large enough to hold 2 cups of water. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the mushrooms and let them hydrate for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean the fresh mushrooms by rinsing them under cold water or use a paper towel to wipe off any dirt. Slice the fresh mushrooms into 1/2 inch pieces and chop the fresh sage leaves and set aside. Dice the onion into 1/4 inch pieces, mince the garlic and set both aside. Strain the dried mushrooms that are soaking, making sure to save the soaking liquid. Chop the soaked mushrooms into smaller pieces if necessary.

To make the slurry which will be used to thicken the gravy, whisk the flour and the mushroom soaking liquid (or 1 cup of the vegetable broth if not using dried mushrooms) in a bowl or large measuring cup until there are no flour lumps. This will need to be whisked again just before we add it to the gravy.

Putting it together:

Place a 3 quart or slightly larger pot over medium-high heat. Add all of the mushrooms and the onions, along with 1/4 cup of water and sauté while stirring occasionally until the mushrooms wilt and lose most of their moisture, about 4 minutes. If the mushrooms or onions begin to stick during cooking, it may be necessary to add a couple of tablespoons of water while they are cooking. Stir in the garlic, all of the herbs and the tamari and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour the vegetable stock into the pan with the mushrooms. Whisk the flour slurry and add it to the pan while stirring. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, turning up the heat slightly if necessary while continuing to stir or whisk the gravy. Adjust the heat to a steady simmer and simmer for at least 20 minutes to cook out the flour taste. If the gravy is too thin, make a little more slurry using a ratio of 2 tablespoons of flour to 1/4 cup of water. If the gravy is too thick, add additional vegetable broth, water, or non-dairy milk. Taste the gravy and adjust seasonings as necessary by adding more soy sauce or salt or additional black pepper.

The gravy can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to 4 days in a sealed container.

Prep work:

Dice onions and mice garlic

Strain the soaked mushrooms

Chop soaked mushrooms if necessary and set aside, make sure to reserve the liquid!

Chop the fresh mushrooms

Combine the fresh and soaked mushrooms in a bowl and set aside.

Mix the flour into the mushroom soaking liquid

Whisk the slurry until there are no visible lumps, or only small lumps.

Strain the slurry through to remove any remaining lumps

Putting it all together:

Add the onions to a pan over medium-high heat

Add the mushrooms and a little water and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms have wilted and lost most of their moisture.

Once the mushrooms have cooked down and lost most of their moisture, add the vegetable broth

Add the herbs to the gravy

Add the slurry while whisking to prevent any lumps

Bring the gravy to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes to cook out the flour flavor from the slurry

Enjoy!