Basic Vegan Gravy

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 11/18/22
Basic vegan gravy

The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
53 Calories
3g Fat
5g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 53
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 576mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 45mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This is a basic homemade vegetarian and vegan gravy recipe. What exactly is gravy, and why isn't it vegetarian? Gravy is traditionally made from the fat which drips off of meat when cooking with little more than a thickener added. Vegetarian gravy, however, adds flavor with a few seasonings and uses vegan margarine or a non-dairy vegan butter substitute as a fat. Along with margarine (or, use butter if you prefer and you aren't cooking for vegans), this vegetarian gravy recipe calls for onion, flour, garlic salt, and soy sauce.

Many vegetarian gravy recipes call for mushrooms, which add a great "meaty" flavor, but this one does not, so it's perfect for people who hate mushrooms, Want to add a little more flavor? Add a touch of liquid smoke while you stir it all up.

1:14

Click Play to See This Basic Vegan Gravy Recipe Come Together

Making a vegetarian gravy can be a bit more of an art than an exact science, since timing, stirring, and heat are everything, just like when making a meat-based gravy. You'll need to stir plenty in order to avoid those pesky lumps, just like when using the fat drippings from the meat. So, stay close to your gravy while it's stove-top, and don't be afraid to stir quite a bit. Feel free to add more or less liquid as needed, but remember, your vegetarian gravy will thicken slightly as it cools just like a non-vegetarian gravy.

Use your homemade vegetarian and vegan to top off a homemade vegetarian lentil loaf, a pile of mashed potatoes, or to accompany your vegan turkey at a vegetarian Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegan margarine, or vegan butter substitute

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Basic Vegan Gravy Ingredients
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  2. First, heat the vegan margarine or butter substitute over medium heat in a large skillet, and sauté the onion for 2 minutes.

    Onions cooking in a pan.
    The Spruce

  3. Next, add in the flour and the garlic salt and sauté together for about 5 more minutes, stirring often to prevent the flour from burning.

    Garlic salt and flour added to onions in a pan.
    The Spruce

  4. Add in the cornstarch and vegetable broth, stirring to mix the cornstarch well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer over low or medium-low heat, stirring frequently to make sure no clumps are formed. Continue to stir as the gravy begins to thicken.

    Vegetable broth added to the pan.
    The Spruce

  5. Add in the nutritional yeast, if desired, and the soy sauce or tamari and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring. You can now add a little bit more liquid if needed, but do keep in mind that your vegetarian gravy will thicken up a bit as it cools.

    Nutritional yeast added to the mixture.
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  6. Serve as you would regular gravy.

    Vegetarian gravy in a gravy boat.
    The Spruce

Recipe Variation

  • Need this gravy to be gluten free? Use a little extra cornstarch instead of the flour, or, swap out the flour for gluten-free flour, and be sure to omit the soy sauce and use tamari instead.