This easy vegan gravy recipe comes together in 15 minutes and is luxuriously smooth and flavorful. Serve it for a vegan Thanksgiving feast or drizzle it over roast turkey - everyone will love it!
Make vegan gravy if you want to cover all the bases this holiday season! It will suit vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters and it's easy to make gluten-free as well. A smooth and savory blend of onions, garlic, vegetable broth, and soy sauce makes this sumptuous gravy stand out. Serve a savory pitcher of vegan gravy with mashed potatoes or drizzle it over gluten free sweet potato biscuits and roasted cauliflower. Try my vegetarian gravy recipe or gluten free gravy recipes, too.
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Why You'll Love This Vegan Gravy Recipe
- Everyone can eat it. Holiday meals should feel welcoming to everyone! This vegan gravy will allow everyone around the table to enjoy their meal without feeling deprived of anything.
- Keeps well. I love making this gravy a day or two in advance of serving it, which saves me time on Thanksgiving (or at dinner time) when I'm focused on all of the other dishes. The flavor deepens the longer it rests in the fridge, too.
- Easily made gluten-free. You can make this gravy gluten-free as well as vegetarian by using your favorite 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour or sweet white rice flour.
Ingredients Needed
Just a few easy staples are all you'll need to make this delicious gravy! The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions will be in the recipe card lower down.
- Olive oil - I always use extra-virgin olive oil, and vegetable oil or non-dairy butter works, too.
- Onion - A yellow or red onion is fine.
- Garlic - I like a lot of garlic for flavor! Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic depending on your taste.
- Flour - All-purpose flour forms the thick roux or base of the gravy. See my gluten-free gravy recipe for a gluten-free gravy option or use sweet white rice flour.
- Vegetable broth - Regular or low-sodium vegetable broth is fine.
- Soy sauce - I mostly use low-sodium soy sauce but regular is fine, too. Use tamari to keep it gluten free.
- Salt and pepper - To taste!
How to Make Vegan Gravy
Here's an overview in photos of how quickly this vegan gravy comes together:
- Cook onions and garlic: Heat the olive oil, then add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.
- Add flour: Stir in the flour and soy sauce and cook until thick.
- Whisk in broth: Now whisk in the broth until the gravy is smooth.
- Finish: Season with salt and pepper and simmer until thickened.
Gravy Tip: Don't Overcook the Roux
When you cook an equal amount of fat and flour together (in this case, olive oil and flour) it forms a roux that works as a thickening agent in recipes from souffle to gravy to stew.
Make sure not to overcook the roux. You want to cook the flour enough so that it doesn't taste raw, around 3 minutes of cooking time, and you should stir it constantly so that it doesn't burn. If your roux burns or gets very dark brown, discard it and start again.
Tips and Variation Suggestions
Here are a few tips and variations you can try when making vegan gravy:
- Use vegan butter. I love the richness of butter in gravies, and if you would like to capture a similar vibe in vegan gravy, use non-dairy/vegan butter! Use ½ cup of your favorite vegan butter for the olive oil.
- Make it gluten-free. Use ¼ cup (40 grams) of sweet rice flour or cornstarch instead of the flour to make vegan, gluten-free gravy.
- Make mushroom gravy. For vegan mushroom gravy, add 1 cup of chopped mushrooms to the pan when you are cooking the onions. You can use mushroom broth for the vegetable broth if you like.
- Add herbs. For a little earthy, herbal flavor stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried rosemary or sage.
- Make ahead: I love making this vegan gravy recipe ahead of time so that I have one less thing to deal with when I'm cooking dinner. Cool the gravy, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gravy will thicken as it rests in the fridge. When you reheat it, whisk in a little water or broth until it reaches your desired consistency again.
Serving Options
Vegan gravy is a necessary addition to a vegan or vegetarian Thanksgiving feast and it's also perfect when served with the traditional roast turkey. Add it to mashed or roasted potatoes, roasted veggies, and more. You can use vegan gravy in place of beef gravy when making roast beef, biscuits and gravy, or with any other meals where you'd include gravy.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Store - Store gravy in an airtight container - I like to use a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid - in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat - Place the gravy in a pot over medium-low heat. Add a little broth or water to thin it out if necessary. Then reheat unit the gravy is bubbling and hot.
More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes
If you tried vegan gravy or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below! And I always appreciate a star rating if you loved it ❤️
Vegan Gravy
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup chopped onion or shallots
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, or ½ cup sweet white rice flour for gluten-free (80 grams)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari, for gluten-free
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more, until soft.
- Stir in the flour and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth.
- Season with salt and pepper, then bring the gravy to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Miri says
Mmmmm that sweet potato soup sounds fabulous. And even more fab because it's easy. Love it!
Chucky says
Thanks for sharing these delicious recipes. May you and family have an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving.