Vegetarian Gravy
on Nov 22, 2022, Updated Oct 23, 2024
This is the most delicious Vegetarian Gravy recipe for Thanksgiving and the holidays! The whole family will love this easy mushroom gravy.
This is the best vegetarian gravy!
10 years ago, I created the most delicious vegetable gravy recipe that I have ever tasted. This veggie gravy is full of flavor and guaranteed to please an omnivore or vegetarian alike!
This gravy has become a staple in our home and a must have for the holidays.
I’ve had people who rarely eat vegetarian food say this is is the best gravy they have ever tasted. Trust me when I say this gravy will be a hit with everyone!
You can find the full recipe and instructions at the bottom of this post, but here is what you will need to make this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: substitute vegan butter to make this dairy free
- Onion and Garlic: these add a delicious depth of flavor
- Baby Bella Mushrooms
- Tamari: or soy sauce
- Vegetable Broth
- All-purpose Flour: to thicken the gravy
- Salt and Pepper
- Ground Sage: sage is one of my favorite holiday seasonings and really makes this gravy taste incredible!
How to make vegetarian gravy
Step 1: Add the butter to a sauce pan and melt it over medium heat.
Add the baby bella mushrooms, minced garlic and diced onion to the sauce pan. Cook the mushroom mixture over medium heat until the mushrooms cook down and the onions are soft.
Step 2: Remove the cooked mushroom mixture from pan and place in blender with 1 cup of vegetable broth.
Blending up the mushrooms
Blend it all up until a thick sauce forms. This is going to make the gravy super smooth, while adding tons of flavor. Set this aside and keep cooking.
Making a Roux
Step 3: Melt the remaining butter in the sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute constantly.
Step 4: Pour in the remaining vegetable broth and the tamari and keep stirring.
Step 5: Add the blended mushroom mixture and continue to stir the pan over medium heat. Continue whisking for 5-10 minutes, or until the gravy 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 the sage, then salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Making it 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 and you can barely tell the difference.
Can I make this gravy vegan?
Yes! You can easily make this into a vegan gravy. Just substitute a non dairy butter (like earth balance) and the recipe will be vegan.
I did not like gravy growing up, and always found it bland and tasteless. This veggie gravy was life changing for me. 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 serving this delicious gravy on my table!
Storing & Reheating
- Storing: This gravy will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This is a great recipe to make the day before Thanksgiving and reheat when it’s time to serve to save you time on the big day.
- Reheating: Reheat the gravy in a sauce pan over low to medium heat until heated through. If you are reheating a leftover Thanksgiving plate, you can simply add the gravy over your mashed potatoes or stuffing and microwave it until heated through.
“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
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!
More Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
- Vegan Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
- Pumpkin Cream Pie
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Green Bean Casserole
- Pecan Cream Pie
- Creamed Corn
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Best Skillet Corn Recipe
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
A good gravy is an absolute necessity at Thanksgiving, so don’t settle for anything less than amazing!
“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
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
- In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter
- Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms and sautee for 8-10 minutes, or until it cooks down and the mushrooms release their liquid
- Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and place it into a blender or food processor
- Blend the mushroom mixture with 1 cup of the vegetable broth until smooth, then set aside
- Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in the sauce pan
- Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute
- Add 2 cups of the vegetable broth and the tamari, and continue stirring
- Add the blended mushroom mixture and continue to stir
- Continue whisking the vegetarian gravy for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon
- Add the sage, then salt and pepper to taste before serving
Video
Notes
To make gluten free gravy
To make gluten free, substitute the flour for cornstarch. This will make the gravy thicker but otherwise the taste stays the same. Also make sure that your tamari is gluten free.To make vegan gravy
Substitute the salted butter for vegan butter (I like earth balance brand)Nutrition
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!
You are such a great mom! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Just tried this as a trial run for Thanksgiving. It turned out delicious!! I’m trying to make everything vegan (besides the turkey) this year (for my vegan sister) without everyone knowing. Lol! Your recipes are helping immensely:-) Thank you!!
That’s awesome! What a kind sister you are. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and hope your Thanksgiving planning goes well!! 🙂
For an alternative to cream of mushroom soup I used a cream sauce using 1cup raw cashews 2 cups cold water 1 TBS corn starch salt and pepper to taste. Put in high powered blender mix well. Cook in skillet and whisk continuously. It will thicken to a creamy sauce. This can be used for your wonderful gravy recipe and also as a base for any cream sauce you want by adding other ingredients. ie…parmesan and Italian seasoning for Alfredo or any combination for any sauce you like. I use the mushroom gravy recipe for mushroom Stroganoff and Swedish meatballs. I love the versatility. Thank you.
Great idea!
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!
This made my day! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Alex!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I was wondering if you tried shiitake mushrooms or both?
– thank you.
I haven’t but I bet they would be great! Happy Thanksgiving!
just made it with 1/2 bella and 1/2 shiitake mushrooms. Taste great! Thank you so much for sharing this recipes. Will be a go to always.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hey there! Can you make day ahead and rewarm on Thanksgiving?
Yes you can! That’s what I’m doing today as well 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
I added a one TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar to enhance the flavor and give a little zip.
My husband loved it and he is totally carnivore. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Can it be frozen ?
I haven’t tried it so I cannot guarantee results. Sorry!
Hi!
I’m curious about how many people you served this recipe to.
I’m hosting a pretty big Thanksgiving this year (and I’m not cooking alone:D) and I wondered if I should double the serving size… We’re about 16 people, though we’ll probably have a non-vegetarian gravy as well…
Thanks in advance!
It easily serves 6-8 people, so perhaps a double batch would be just about right for your family! Enjoy the recipe!
Have you tried substituting the butter for Earth Balance as a vegan option? I’m wondering since there’s so much of it if it would end up tasting like Earth Balance or if the aromatics and herbs are strong enough to over power it. I like Earth Balance but non-vegans may be able to tell it’s not dairy butter.
I have used earth balance for years in place of butter and no one can tell the difference. I think you would be ok doing the same for this recipe as it gets so much flavor from the herbs and fresh mushrooms, garlic, and onion. Let me know how it turns out!
yes, I used Earth Balance instead of butter in this recipe and all recipes that calls for butter, including pie crust, dumpling, etc and everything turns out fine (a necessity at our house since me, my son, his girlfriend are all lactose intolerant. This gravy recipe is awesome!
Just made this as a vegan version using earth balance. OMFG it’s the best vegan gravy I’ve EVER had!!! My go-to recipe from now on. I’m pretty sure the non-vegans will be begging for some of this it’s so tasty. (Ps: I added 1-2tsp of chopped fresh ginger to the onion/mush/garlic mixture – yum).
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for sharing!!