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This 9-ingredient, one-pot, easy vegan mushroom gravy is creamy, savory, umami-rich, and super simple to prepare! Perfect for serving as part of a mid-week meal, over a big bowl of creamy vegan mashed potatoes, or for impressing at Thanksgiving/ Christmas!
Rich and Flavorful Vegan Mushroom Onion Gravy
I’m not sure about all of you, but we here at PBOAB love serving two types of gravy at our Thanksgiving table (45 Vegan Thanksgiving recipes here)! So with the holidays fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to share this hearty, flavorful, easy vegan mushroom gravy recipe (perfect alongside easy vegan gravy)! This mushroom onion gravy requires just 9 simple ingredients (pepper included), around 40 minutes to prepare, and is loaded with rich mushroom flavor!
I mean, is a roast dinner plate even complete without a hearty serving of gravy? Or a big bowl of vegan mashed potatoes? Gravy is the ‘cherry on top’ of the savory world, and this mushroom onion gravy isn’t playing around. Not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s made with no ‘special’ or hard-to-find ingredients. In fact, we even used button mushrooms—which are one of the cheapest and easiest to source mushrooms available.
And we might be a little biased, but we also think this homemade mushroom gravy tastes so much better than store-bought vegan gravy we’ve tried in the past (and cheaper, too!). Even better, you can easily prepare it gluten-free, oil-free, with fresh or dried mushrooms, and flavored in various ways! Meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans alike will enjoy this one.
In fact, it’s so good you probably won’t have any leftovers (we don’t). However, if you do, it also stores and reheats well! Which means it’s also great to make in advance for the holidays (one less thing to worry about on the day!) We love it so much that we’ve pretty much been making this gravy since 1995! (inspired by The Globe in Seattle who sold a biscuits and gravy dish to make you swoon!)
The Ingredients
This easy vegan mushroom gravy recipe requires just 9 simple ingredients, including:
Other simple add-ins & Recipe Variations
We love the base vegan mushroom gravy recipe because it’s wonderfully budget-friendly while still tasty. However, if you want to mix things up a bit and/or have some of the extra ingredients listed below in your kitchen already—then feel free to experiment!
- Other herbs: Fresh herbs like fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage would all work well in this mushroom onion gravy. You could use one or all (to taste).
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce will provide a deeper color, extra saltiness, and umami depth to the vegan mushroom gravy recipe. For gluten-free mushroom gravy, use tamari instead.
- Spice: Not a typical addition to this mushroom onion gravy. However, if you like a bit of spice, add a pinch (or more) of red pepper flakes to the vegan mushroom sauce.
- Nutritional yeast: A bit of nutritional yeast (added to taste) will add a nutty, ‘cheesy’ layer of flavor to the homemade mushroom gravy.
- Miso: To further enhance the umami flavor, add a teaspoon of white Shiro miso to the mushroom sauce.
- Kitchen Bouquet: You can use just a little kitchen bouquet (which is naturally vegan) to give your vegan mushroom onion gravy a deeper brown color. As a general household alternative, some use a spoonful of instant coffee powder instead.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Gravy?
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: First, chop the ingredients. You’ll need to peel and dice the onion, finely chop the mushrooms (clean them first with a lightly damp paper towel but don’t ‘wash’ them), and mince the garlic.
Step 2: Then, heat the oil in a medium-large skillet/ saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent and tender. Then remove the bay leaves.
Step 3: Next, sprinkle the flour over the mixture and mix, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until it’s golden. Add the vegetable broth, stirring constantly, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Then season with ground pepper.
Step 4: Use a whisk and gently mix the gravy, cooking it until it reaches your desired consistency (For us, that’s around 20 minutes).
FAQs
Yes, absolutely. You’ll need to first rehydrate them. We recommend you do so in the heated vegetable broth. That way, even more mushroom flavor will infuse into the liquid. Using dried mushrooms will make a vegan mushroom gravy with a richer, more intense flavor.
We use a roux method to combine the oil and flour, so with the recipe as written, no. However, if you want to use cornstarch instead of flour (method below), then yes, you could skip the oil. Instead, use a little veg broth or water to sauté the onion for this healthy mushroom gravy.
Of course. You may simply need to cook it for longer. However, if that doesn’t have the desired effect, you could also add a little extra flour/cornstarch. Don’t add it directly to the mushroom onion gravy. Instead, first make a slurry with the flour and a little water, whisking until it’s lump-free. Then add that to the gravy and whisk well until the mixture thickens.
The general rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of liquid. However, this can be adjusted if you prefer a thicker homemade mushroom gravy.
We like to use button mushrooms because they’re so affordable and easy to find. However, our second favorite would be cremini (which are quite ‘meaty’ and hold their shape). You could also use baby Bella, portobello, porcini, or even shiitake mushrooms.
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you’re using cornstarch: While you can add it the same way as you would the flour (sprinkled into the pan). We like to create a cornstarch slurry by combining the powder with a few spoonsful of water and whisking well until it’s lump-free. Then add that to the gravy mixture. Stirring constantly, cook until the mushroom gravy has thickened, and then serve! This should only take minutes.
- To caramelize the mushrooms: For more depth of mushroom flavor, first pan-fry the mushrooms with no oil to allow them to release their excess liquid and start to brown. Don’t stir them too much during this time (this can take 10-15 minutes). Then continue with step 2 above.
- Adjust the texture: We love this chunky mushroom onion gravy as is. However, if you prefer smooth gravy, you could use a blender/immersion blender to blend it until it’s smooth (or your texture of choice). Add a little extra stock then, if preferred.
- The color will vary: Based on the vegetable broth you use and the color of the mushrooms used, too.
- To save time: You can purchase pre-chopped mushrooms. Unfortunately, though, they’ll cost more than buying them whole.
- For a thinner gravy: You can either reduce the flour slightly or add a few tablespoons of water to the prepared mushroom gravy.
How to Serve Vegan Mushroom Gravy?
We could probably pour this creamy vegan mushroom sauce/gravy over almost anything savory that you put in front of us. But here are some of our top favorite serving options!
- Serve the vegan mushroom gravy as part of a Thanksgiving (or Christmas) meal
- OR enjoy as part of your plant-based roast dinner—with classic sides like easy mushroom stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries
- With potatoes—like vegan mashed potatoes, rosemary roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, or even over crispy garlic baked potato wedges (like vegan poutine)
- Poured over sweet potato biscuits
- Enjoy with vegan sausages and vegan lentil meatballs
- Pour over vegan meatloaf
- Serve with pies (pastry and non-pastry options like mini vegan pot pies or vegan lentil shepherd’s pie)
How to Store?
Transfer any leftover homemade mushroom gravy to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 4-5 days. You should also be able to freeze it for up to two months, either in a container or Ziplock/Stasher bag.
When you want to use it once more, you can reheat the mushroom sauce either on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it has thickened (which it tends to do as it sits), add an extra splash of vegetable broth or water to the gravy to bring it to your desired consistency.
Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- ¾ cup button mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups rich vegetable broth
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Saute onions for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they become translucent and tender. Remove the bay leaves.
- Add the flour and mix to form a thick paste. Allow to cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes until golden.
- Add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season ground pepper.
- Use a whisk to gently mix the gravy until it thickens to your desired consistency, about 20 minutes. If you prefer a thinner gravy, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Notes
- If you’re using cornstarch: While you can add it the same way as you would the flour (sprinkled into the pan). We like to create a cornstarch slurry by combining the powder with a few spoonsful of water and whisking well until it’s lump-free. Then add that to the gravy mixture. Stirring constantly, cook until the mushroom gravy has thickened, and then serve! This should only take minutes.
- To caramelize the mushrooms: For more depth of mushroom flavor, first pan-fry the mushrooms with no oil to allow them to release their excess liquid and start to brown. Don’t stir them too much during this time (this can take 10-15 minutes). Then continue with step 2 above.
- Adjust the texture: We love this chunky mushroom onion gravy as is. However, if you prefer smooth gravy, you could use a blender/immersion blender to blend it until it’s smooth (or your texture of choice). Add a little extra stock then, if preferred.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although journeytowellnesspath.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. journeytowellnesspath.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
