The best vegetarian gravy recipe made with mushrooms, garlic and onion. This easy meatless gravy is so flavorful that everyone will love it! A must have for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Several years ago, I created the most delicious vegetarian gravy recipe that I have ever tasted.
This gravy is full of flavor, thick and smooth, and guaranteed to please an omnivore or vegetarian alike.
Trust me when I say this vegetarian gravy will be a hit with everyone!
It has become a must have Thanksgiving tradition in our home.
How to make vegetarian gravy
First, add the butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium heat.
If you want to make this gravy dairy free, simply use a vegan butter such as Earth Balance .
Add in the baby bella mushrooms, minced garlic and diced onion.
Cook mixture over medium heat until mushrooms cook down and onions are soft.
It should look like the picture below once cooked.
Remove mushroom mixture from pan and place in blender with 1 cup of vegetable broth.
I use my magic bullet for this, as the cleanup is less than a full sized blender, but any blender will do!
Watch the video of this recipe for a visual tutorial.
Blending up the mushrooms
Blend it all up until a thick sauce forms.
This is going to make the gravy super smooth, while getting tons of flavor!
Set aside and keep cooking.
Making a Roux for Vegetarian Gravy
Melt the remaining of butter in the sauce pan over medium heat.
Add flour and whisk for 1 minute constantly.
Be sure not to burn the butter flour mixture.
How to make vegetarian gravy gluten free
For a gluten free gravy, simply substitute the flour for cornstarch.
The gravy will be thicker overall, but the taste will be practically the same!
Last year I made one batch of regular gravy and one batch gluten free for my gluten free guest.
Be sure to whisk well to avoid burning.
Next, pour in the remaining vegetable broth and the tamari and keep stirring.
Add the blended mushroom mixture and continue to stir the pan on medium heat.
Continue whisking for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
It will thicken up a lot in those ten minutes.
Soon it will be able to coat the back of a spoon.
That is a good way to tell if it has gotten thick enough yet!
Add sage and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy!
I did not like gravy growing up, and always found it bland and tasteless.
This vegetarian gravy is LIFE CHANGING my friends.
Gravy is now one of my top favorite Thanksgiving foods to enjoy every year!
Last year was my first year hosting my own Thanksgiving and I look forward to many more years!
I served all meat eaters and they all loved every recipe I made.
No Thanksgiving table is complete without gravy and this vegetarian gravy is the BEST gravy that I have ever made or tasted.
If you’ve ever had runny flavorless gravy, you feel me.
I didn’t always love gravy growing up and could really take it or leave it.
Now that I make this recipe, it is an absolute Thanksgiving necessity!
“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
I never was one much for gravy before I started making it myself.
A good gravy is an absolute necessity at Thanksgiving, so I don’t settle for anything less than amazing.
This vegetarian gravy definitely delivered!
It’s the star of the show and you don’t have to be a vegetarian to love this gravy.
This also reheats well, so I always make it the day before Thanksgiving then simply reheat it once dinner is almost ready.
Every thing I can prep before the big day helps!
“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
Make this for your Thanksgiving table this year!
Looking for more delicious vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes?
Be sure to read our post on 17 best vegetarian thanksgiving recipes which includes all of our tips and tricks for making this the best vegetarian Thanksgiving yet!
Here are some to add to your menu!
- Easy Vegan Stuffing
- Cranberry Blueberry Crisp
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
- Creamed Corn
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Best Skillet Corn Recipe
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!
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The Best Vegetarian Gravy Recipe
The BEST vegetarian gravy recipe you'll ever eat! Learn how to make vegetarian gravy with this simple and delicious method. (easy to make vegan too)
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves of 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
- In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter
- Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms and sautee for 8-10 minutes, or until it cooks down
- Remove mixture from pan and place in blender
- Blend mushroom mixture with 1 cup of vegetable broth in a blender until smooth, set aside
- Melt remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in the sauce pan
- Add flour and whisk for 1 minute constantly
- Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and tamari, and continue stirring
- Add the blended mushroom mixture and continue to stir
- Continue whisking for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens
- Add sage and salt and pepper to taste (see amounts that I used above)
Notes
To make gluten free
To make gluten free, substitute the flour for cornstarch. This will make the gravy thicker but otherwise the taste stays the same. Also be sure that your tamari is gluten free.
To make vegan
Substitute the salted butter for vegan butter (I like earth balance brand)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 513mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
Momma Jo
Wednesday 25th of November 2020
Hello! Do I substitute exact measurement for the flour/cornstarch?
Joy Shull
Wednesday 25th of November 2020
yes!
Barb
Sunday 15th of November 2020
I’m super picky when it comes to food and this is really delicious! I’ve eaten a vegetarian diet for 3 1/2 years and have really missed truly tasty gravy, so much. I’m so glad I tried your recipe. Thank you, thank you!
Joy Shull
Monday 16th of November 2020
I'm so glad you enjoyed the gravy Barb, thanks so much for leaving a comment!
Mark
Thursday 28th of November 2019
Great many thanks My wife and daughter are anti-mushroom so I substituted more garlic and seasoned icelandic salt' also added Bells Seasoning We really like it
Route66Gal
Wednesday 27th of November 2019
Great recipe. Couple of suggestions: deglaze the pan with sherry after sauteeing the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Then a couple of minutes before serving, add a bit of heavy cream. I also added a few shallots to the onions.
Sue
Tuesday 26th of November 2019
The majority of my guests this year are vegetarian. So happy to find this recipe! My daughter is also GF-I’m wondering if I can sub 1:1 gf flour instead of cornstarch? Thank you!
Joy Shull
Tuesday 26th of November 2019
Hi Sue, I haven't tried it, but I think that would work too! Enjoy!