The Best Easy Vegetarian Gravy Recipe for Thanksgiving & Holiday Meals
Searching for the ultimate Vegetarian Gravy recipe that will impress everyone at your Thanksgiving or holiday table? Look no further! This incredibly delicious and easy mushroom gravy is guaranteed to be a family favorite, pleasing both vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Why This is the Best Vegetarian Gravy You’ll Ever Make!
Ten years ago, I embarked on a mission to create a vegetable gravy recipe that transcended expectations – something truly spectacular that could rival traditional meat-based gravies. The result? This phenomenal veggie gravy, packed with an incredible depth of flavor that has since become a cherished staple in our home, especially during the festive holiday season.
I’ve personally witnessed countless guests, many of whom rarely opt for vegetarian dishes, declare this the best gravy they’ve ever tasted. This isn’t just a “good for a vegetarian” gravy; it’s genuinely an outstanding gravy, period. Its rich, umami notes and smooth texture make it an irresistible addition to any plate. Prepare for it to be an absolute hit with everyone at your table!
The full, detailed recipe and step-by-step instructions are provided at the bottom of this post, but let’s first take a look at the essential ingredients you’ll need to create this culinary masterpiece.
Essential Ingredients for the Perfect Vegetarian Gravy
- Butter: This forms the rich base of our gravy. For a dairy-free or vegan option, simply substitute with your favorite high-quality vegan butter.
- Onion & Garlic: These aromatic powerhouses are critical for building a deep, savory foundation of flavor. Don’t skip them!
- Baby Bella Mushrooms: The star of our gravy! Baby bellas (cremini mushrooms) provide an incredible umami boost and a hearty texture once blended, mimicking the richness often found in meat gravies.
- Tamari or Soy Sauce: An essential ingredient for adding a salty, complex, and savory umami flavor that elevates the gravy. If you’re gluten-free, ensure you use tamari, which is naturally gluten-free.
- Vegetable Broth: The liquid base. Opt for a good quality, flavorful vegetable broth as it contributes significantly to the gravy’s overall taste.
- All-purpose Flour: Our thickening agent. When combined with butter, it creates a roux, giving the gravy its classic smooth consistency.
- Salt & Pepper: Basic seasonings to enhance all the other flavors. Adjust to your personal preference.
- Ground Sage: This spice is a game-changer! Sage is one of my absolute favorite holiday seasonings, and it truly makes this gravy taste incredibly festive and comforting. It adds that quintessential “holiday” flavor profile.
How to Make the Ultimate Vegetarian Gravy: Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this rich and savory vegetarian gravy is surprisingly simple, and I’ll walk you through each step to ensure you get a perfectly smooth and flavorful result every time. The key is building layers of flavor, starting with perfectly sautéed aromatics and mushrooms.
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics and Mushrooms for Deep Flavor
Begin by adding about 2 tablespoons of butter to a saucepan. Melt it over medium heat, allowing it to shimmer gently before adding your vegetables. This initial butter ensures our aromatics cook beautifully and add richness.
Once the butter is melted and slightly foaming, add the sliced baby bella mushrooms, finely minced garlic, and diced onion to the saucepan. Sauté this mixture over medium heat. It’s crucial to let the mushrooms cook down thoroughly; they will release their moisture and then start to caramelize slightly, concentrating their umami flavor. Continue cooking until the onions are soft and translucent, usually about 8-10 minutes. This step is vital for developing the gravy’s foundational taste.
Step 2: Blend for Unbeatable Smoothness and Flavor
Carefully remove the cooked mushroom, onion, and garlic mixture from the pan and transfer it to a blender or food processor. Add 1 cup of the vegetable broth to the blender. This liquid will help achieve a perfectly smooth consistency.
Blending the Mushrooms for a Silky Texture
Blend the mixture until it is completely smooth and forms a thick, rich sauce. This step is the secret to achieving a gravy that is not only incredibly flavorful but also wonderfully silky without any chunky bits. It thoroughly incorporates the earthy goodness of the mushrooms into every drop. Set this blended mixture aside as we move on to creating our roux.
Mastering the Roux: The Key to Thickening
Step 3: Prepare the Roux
In the same saucepan (no need to clean it, those bits of flavor add to the gravy!), melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle in the all-purpose flour. Immediately whisk constantly for at least 1 minute. This process cooks the flour, removing any raw taste, and creates the roux, which will be the primary thickener for our gravy. Keep whisking to prevent lumps.
Step 4: Whisk in Liquids for a Smooth Base
Gradually pour in the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth and the tamari into the roux, whisking continuously. It’s important to add the liquid slowly and whisk vigorously to prevent any lumps from forming. The mixture will start to come together, forming a smooth, slightly thickened base.
Step 5: Combine and Thicken to Perfection
Now, pour the reserved blended mushroom mixture into the saucepan with your roux and liquid base. Continue to stir the pan over medium heat. This is where the magic happens! Whisk continuously for another 5-10 minutes. During this time, the gravy will gradually thicken to a luscious, spoon-coating consistency. The continuous whisking is key to achieving a perfectly smooth gravy without any lumps.
You’ll notice it thicken considerably within those ten minutes. A good indicator that it’s ready is when it can easily coat the back of a spoon without running off too quickly. Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, stir in the ground sage, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Give it a final stir, and your incredible homemade vegetarian gravy is ready to serve and enjoy!
Making it Gluten-Free: A Delicious Alternative
Adapting this recipe for a gluten-free diet is incredibly easy! To achieve a fantastic gluten-free gravy, simply substitute the all-purpose flour with cornstarch. You’ll want to create a cornstarch slurry first by mixing the cornstarch with a small amount of cold vegetable broth or water before adding it to the simmering gravy. This prevents lumps. The resulting gravy will be wonderfully thick, perhaps even a bit thicker than the flour-based version, but the rich, savory taste will remain virtually identical.
Last year, I prepared two batches for Thanksgiving – one traditional and one gluten-free for my guests with dietary restrictions. Everyone commented on how difficult it was to tell the difference! Just ensure your tamari is certified gluten-free, and you’re all set.
Can I Make This Gravy Vegan? Absolutely!
Transforming this into a delicious vegan gravy is incredibly simple, requiring just one minor substitution. Instead of traditional butter, use a high-quality non-dairy butter alternative. Brands like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s Kitchen work wonderfully, offering a rich, creamy texture and flavor that seamlessly integrates into the recipe. With this simple swap, your gravy will be 100% plant-based and ready to delight all your vegan guests!
Growing up, gravy was never a highlight for me. I often found it bland, watery, and lacking in any real flavor. This vegetarian gravy, however, completely changed my perception. It was a life-changing culinary discovery for me, transforming gravy into one of my most anticipated Thanksgiving foods each year!
Last year marked my very first time hosting Thanksgiving, and I relished the opportunity to serve this magnificent gravy. I’m already looking forward to many more years of sharing this delicious homemade gravy with loved ones around my holiday table.
Storing & Reheating Your Homemade Gravy
Planning ahead for a busy holiday? This vegetarian gravy is an excellent make-ahead option!
- Storing: Once completely cooled, transfer your gravy to an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This makes it a perfect recipe to prepare the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas, saving you precious time on the main event.
- Reheating: To reheat, gently warm the gravy in a saucepan over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. If it seems too thick, you can add a splash of vegetable broth or water to achieve your desired consistency. For quick individual servings, simply add the gravy over leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, or your favorite holiday sides and microwave until warm.
“I was a little skeptical on this because so many recipes say they are the best and they turn out to be just okay. Well, I just made this for my Thanksgiving meal and it is seriously the BEST gravy I have ever had. Going to use this every year. It is so good. Thank you for posting this, I am so happy I found this recipe!” – Alex
For more inspiration and tips to make your holiday feast extra special, be sure to explore our post on 17 Best Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes. It includes a wealth of ideas and helpful tricks to ensure your vegetarian Thanksgiving is the most delicious one yet!
More Delicious Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
Planning a full vegetarian spread for the holidays? Here are some other fantastic recipes from our collection that pair perfectly with this incredible gravy:
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
- Easy Vegan Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- 3-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
- Pumpkin Cream Pie
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Classic Green Bean Casserole
- Pecan Cream Pie
- Creamed Corn
- Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Best Skillet Corn Recipe
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
A truly exceptional gravy is an absolute non-negotiable for any memorable holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving. With this recipe, you don’t have to settle for anything less than amazing! This vegetarian gravy delivers on flavor, texture, and universal appeal, making it a must-have for your festive table.
“This gravy is amazing!! My daughter recently became a vegetarian so I am trialing some new recipes for Thanksgiving. I used from-scratch veggie broth and followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect! I will have both regular turkey gravy and this one on Thanksgiving and I will be eating this one!” – Jen
Easy Vegetarian Gravy
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Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 3 teaspoons tamari
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Instructions
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In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until shimmering.
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Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and sliced mushrooms to the saucepan. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have cooked down and released their liquid, and the onions are soft and translucent.
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Remove the cooked mushroom mixture from the pan and carefully transfer it into a blender or food processor.
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Add 1 cup of the vegetable broth to the blender with the mushroom mixture. Blend until completely smooth and a thick sauce forms. Set this aside.
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Return to the same saucepan. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
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Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute to create a smooth roux, ensuring no raw flour taste remains.
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Gradually pour in the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth and the tamari into the roux, continuing to whisk vigorously to prevent lumps.
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Stir in the blended mushroom mixture.
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Continue whisking the vegetarian gravy over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency and coats the back of a spoon.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the ground sage, then season with salt and pepper to taste before serving immediately. Enjoy your homemade vegetarian gravy!
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Notes
To make gluten-free gravy
To make this gravy gluten-free, simply substitute the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of cornstarch. For best results, create a cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with a small amount of cold water or broth) before adding it to the simmering gravy to avoid lumps. This will make the gravy slightly thicker but the incredible taste remains the same. Also, be sure to use certified gluten-free tamari.
To make vegan gravy
To easily convert this to a vegan gravy, simply substitute the unsalted butter for your favorite plant-based or vegan butter. I highly recommend Earth Balance or Miyoko’s Kitchen for a rich, creamy texture and flavor.
Nutrition
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