Before I started my path to becoming a vegan, I hardly ever read the ingredients label on my food 🙁 , sad I know, but I just didn’t. Once I become a vegetarian, I started to read more and more labels, but still missed the “obviously vegetarian” items, like mushroom gravy. However, once I went vegan, I started to read all the labels and imagine my surprise when I found out that most store bought mushroom gravies aren’t even vegetarian, they have BEEF FAT or BEEF STOCK, and NATURAL FLAVORS (which contains MILK). And that is when I started to come up with my own gravy recipes. And so far, this Vegan Mushroom Gravy is my favorite, so I hope you enjoy it as well.
My favorite vegan butter is by Earth Balance, the Soy Free one, in the red container. They have so many to choose from, Original, Olive Oil, Coconut, Whipped, and Omega-3. They used to have a Garlic and Herb flavor, that was my go to, when making mashed potatoes, but they don’t make it anymore.
The best way to get the most flavor out of your mushrooms is to saute them until they reach a nice warm brown color, it’ll take you about five minutes at medium heat, before you add the seasonings and herbs.
Make sure and have a whisk handy when adding the corn starch mixture, so that it doesn’t clump up and you can end up with a silky and thick gravy. For thinner gravy only use 1 tablespoon of corn starch.
By now I hope you have tasted your gravy, at this point you can add more salt or lemon pepper, or water if you feel it’s too thick or salty.
This gravy is sure to elevate any dish you put it on. Happy Thanksgiving!
- 1 – 8oz. tray of button mushrooms, sliced*
- 2 tbsp. vegan butter, I use Earth Balance Soy Free Spread, or your favorite oil
- 2 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth or mushroom broth*
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp. corn starch plus 2 tbsp. cold water, mix well
- In a large sauce pan, melt the vegan butter and saute the mushrooms at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the lemon pepper, sage, thyme, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt. Continue to saute it for about 3 more minutes, or until golden brown.
- Add the broth and the water, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, and cover it for 30 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms (set them aside), either by using a slotted spoon or you can use a mesh colander and return the sauce to the pan.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in the 2 tablespoons of cold water, (use 1 tablespoon corn starch for a thinner gravy). Pour the corn starch mixture into the sauce, stirring it constantly with a whisk. Bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat and cook for 2 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute.
- Serve*
- *TIPS- During the holidays I buy the already sliced mushroom and the vegetable broth, to save time, you can make this sauce up to 3 days ahead of time, keep it refrigerated in an airtight container, and on thanksgiving day, heat it up in a sauce pan, bring it to a boil and you’re ready to serve it.
