This Quick Tasty Vegan Gravy is fantastic on mashed potatoes, great with rice dishes and even good with pasta. Serving a generous drizzle over a slice of Hearty Vegetable Pot Pie is incredible! An easy 30-minute sauce recipe with simple ingredients to transform plant-based meals.
Is Vegan Gravy Good?
Firstly, let me begin by saying that enjoying tasty homemade gravy with your plant-focused recipes should make you happier and keep you satiated for longer. Vegan gravy recipes can taste as good—if not better—than meat-based sauces. Plus, it transforms your meals to be much more interesting, warm and comforting.
Homemade Vegan Gravy Ingredients
A short list of ingredients is all you need to create a gorgeous creamy sauce to enjoy with your favourite meals.
- Organic vegetable broth
- Raw sunflower seeds
- Olive oil
- Onions (white, yellow or sweet)
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh thyme
- Freshly milled ground pepper
- Fine sea salt
- Balsamic vinegar
- GF Tamari
- Nutritional yeast
- Starch or GF flour; see recipe card notes
Below you’ll find a detailed list of ingredient substitutions.
Ingredient Substitutions & Notes
You can leave out some of the ingredients in the gravy, such as garlic, thyme or even nutritional yeast. But if you have the ingredients on hand, including them will make your vegan gravy even tastier.
Vegetable Broth or Vegetable Stock
Homemade vegetable broth is perfect, or you can buy veggie broth to save time. Find a brand that includes ingredients you can have and like.
I tested Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth (Low Sodium) for this recipe. Ingredients: water, carrot juice, celery juice, sugars, garlic, leek juice, onion juice, tomato paste, sea salt, mushroom juice, spices, and apple cider vinegar.
If allergic to mushrooms or don’t like mushrooms, purchase vegetable broth that does not contain mushrooms. You could also make broth with some vegetable bouillon. Fresh is Real did not test this variation.
Oil-Free Version
Omit olive oil and add a touch of broth or a little water when cooking the onions and garlic.
Sunflower Seeds
You can replace the raw sunflower seeds with hemp seeds or even organic raw cashew nuts (if you don’t have a nut allergy). TIP: If using gorgeous hemp seeds to add creaminess to the gravy, consider mixing the hemp seeds and liquid first, then strain for a smooth texture. Blend again with the other ingredients.
Mushroom-Free
If you must avoid mushrooms, ensure the store-bought broth you buy does not contain mushrooms in the list of ingredients.
If you are a fan of mushrooms, you can add a cup or two with the onions or try making The Best Gluten-Free Vegan Gravy recipe. That sauce includes tomato purée and other ingredients to create an insanely delicious depth of flavor.
Balsamic Vinegar
A good quality balsamic vinegar can add so much flavour to a sauce. Try it! You could also try the brine (juice) of pickles, capers, or even GF miso paste as an alternative to vinegar. Great umami flavor options.
GF Tamari
If your broth is low sodium, consider adding up to 3 tablespoons of GF Tamari. Some brands of Tamari might be saltier. Always start with a little to begin and taste. Adjust the saltiness of the gravy to your preference.
Substitute GF Tamari with GF Coconut Aminos or regular soy sauce if you’re not gluten-free.
Fresh is Real did not test this variation, but GF and vegan Worcestershire sauce could also add some exciting flavor as an alternative to GF Tamari.
Nutritional Yeast
If you’ve never used nutritional yeast before, it’s an ingredient that can add a ton of flavor.
If you don’t have any but have meltable vegan cheese, consider adding some to your sauce. You could blend the cheese in the small blender with the starch and broth.
Another alternative to elevate the flavor would be to add vegetable bouillon powder (in a smaller quantity).
Starch
Add 2 tablespoons of starch to start. Some starches could add a slimy texture which is why you don’t want too much. If your gravy is too thin, with 2 tablespoons and after 15 minutes of simmering, you can whisk or blend some more starch with a little bit of liquid from the gravy.
For a thick gravy, you can try substituting the starch with gluten-free oat flour, rice flour or a little all-purpose gluten-free flour blend but make sure to blitz (with a small blender) it well with some water or liquid from the simmering gravy.
Alternatively, adding cooked potatoes (about 1/2 cup or so) works well if you’re also boiling potatoes to make a mash. The soft cooked potatoes add a nice touch that won’t make the sauce slimy or gritty. To prevent a lumpy gravy, you can purée (in a small blender or immersion blender) the cooked potatoes with some of the gravy liquid.
Extra Seasoning
Once your gravy is ready, stir and taste it. Adjust the salt and pepper to your preference. Taste again. You can also add organic garlic powder, onion powder or poultry seasoning (ingredients: thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg, etc.) for more flavour. Gravy recipes should be flavorful, especially if your other plant-based dishes are less seasoned.
Herbs
If you love and enjoy a variety of fresh herbs, go ahead and add some to your gravy. Great examples would be rosemary, marjoram, sage, parsley, cilantro, more thyme, and chives.
Dry herbs can also be excellent for adding traditional gravy flavor to your sauce. You could even place a bay leaf in the sauce pot while the gravy is simmering, but remove it once it’s ready.
Black Coffee
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (on Jamie Olivers’s YouTube channel) adds a touch of black coffee to his vegan gravy. It contributes to the flavour and the darker colour of his recipe. He strains his sauce at the end, leaving out the veggies.
Best Vegan Gravy-Making Tip
Once your gravy is ready, you can purée the sauce with an immersion blender if your family prefers a smoother and silkier gravy without onion bits. You can also use a high-speed blender but make sure that it can handle hot liquids.
How to Store Leftover Vegan Gravy
You can store any gravy leftovers in a glass jar or sealed container for up to five days. Reheat portions as needed.
The Best Gluten-Free Vegan Gravy
This allergen-friendly gravy is another wonderful Top 9 Free sauce to consider if you love mushrooms.
The ingredient list is similar to this one, with lots of add-in options to make the sauce even more delicious. It’s crazy good! Makes 2 cups.
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Quick Tasty Vegan Gravy (GF, No Mushrooms)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free, Allergen-Friendly
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan gravy is amazing on mashed potatoes, great with rice dishes and even good with pasta. Serving a generous drizzle over a slice of Hearty Vegetable Pot Pie is incredible! An easy 30-minute sauce recipe with simple ingredients to transform plant-based meals.
Ingredients
- 1L organic vegetable broth, divided
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onions (white, yellow or sweet), finely chopped
- 1–2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, stem removed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1–3 tablespoons GF Tamari; see notes
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons starch (arrowroot, tapioca, potato, corn); see notes
Instructions
- Soak the sunflower seeds with a portion (1 cup) of vegetable broth in a small bowl or the small blender cup and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan with olive oil, combine and cook the onions, garlic and thyme on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Mix a few times.
- Add remaining broth (approx. 3 cups) to the pot with ground pepper, sea salt, balsamic vinegar, and Tamari and stir. Increase heat to medium until the mixture starts to bubble. Then reduce heat to low, and for now, leave the pot uncovered.
- In a small blender, blend the soaked seeds with broth, nutritional yeast and starch (GF flour or potatoes) until smooth (1-2 minutes)—no need to strain.
- Pour the blended seed mixture into your sauce pot. Stir and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, partially covered. If you find your gravy too thin, you can add more starch. See notes below.
- Taste your sauce, add more seasoning if necessary and taste again. Enjoy right away, or keep the sauce warm until ready to serve. Tip: If you love a silkier and smooth gravy, purée the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth or blend in a high-speed blender that can handle hot liquids.
Notes
You can leave out some of the ingredients in the gravy, such as garlic, thyme or even nutritional yeast. But if you have the ingredients on hand, including them will make your vegan gravy even tastier.
➡ Vegetable Broth or Vegetable Stock: Homemade vegetable broth is perfect, or you can buy veggie broth to save time. Find a brand that includes ingredients you can have and like. I tested Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth (Low Sodium) for this recipe. Ingredients: water, carrot juice, celery juice, sugars, garlic, leek juice, onion juice, tomato paste, sea salt, mushroom juice, spices, and apple cider vinegar. If allergic to mushrooms or don’t like mushrooms, purchase vegetable broth that does not contain mushrooms. You could also make broth with some vegetable bouillon. Fresh is Real did not test this variation.
➡ Oil-Free Version: Omit olive oil and add a touch of broth or a little water when cooking the onions and garlic.
➡ Sunflower Seeds: You can replace the raw sunflower seeds with hemp seeds or even organic raw cashew nuts (if you don’t have a nut allergy). TIP: If using gorgeous hemp seeds to add creaminess to the gravy, consider mixing the hemp seeds and liquid first, then strain for a smooth texture. Blend again with the other ingredients.
➡ Mushroom-Free: If you must avoid mushrooms, ensure the store-bought broth you buy does not contain mushrooms in the list of ingredients. If you are a fan of mushrooms, you can add a cup or two with the onions or try making The Best Gluten-Free Vegan Gravy recipe. That recipe also includes tomato paste or tomato purée and other ingredients to create an insanely delicious depth of flavor.
➡ Balsamic Vinegar: A good quality balsamic vinegar can add so much flavour to a sauce. Try it! You could try the brine (juice) of pickles, capers, or even GF miso paste as an alternative to vinegar. Great umami flavor options.
➡ GF Tamari: If your broth is low sodium, consider adding up to 3 tablespoons of GF Tamari. Some brands of Tamari might be saltier. Always start with a little to begin and taste. Adjust the saltiness of the gravy to your preference. Substitute GF Tamari with GF Coconut Aminos or regular soy sauce if you’re not gluten-free. Fresh is Real did not test it, but GF and vegan Worcestershire sauce could also add some exciting flavour as an alternative to GF Tamari.
➡ Nutritional Yeast: If you’ve never used nutritional yeast before, it’s an ingredient that can add a ton of flavour. If you don’t have any but have meltable vegan cheese, consider adding some to your sauce. You could blend the cheese in the small blender with the starch and broth. Another alternative to elevate the flavor would be to add vegetable bouillon powder (in a smaller quantity).
➡ Starch: Add 2 tablespoons of starch to start. Some starches could add a slimy texture which is why you don’t want too much. If your gravy is too thin, with 2 tablespoons and after 15 minutes of simmering, you can whisk or blend some more starch with a little bit of liquid from the gravy. For a thick gravy, you can try substituting the starch with gluten-free oat flour, rice flour or a little all-purpose gluten-free flour blend but make sure to blitz (with a small blender) it well with some water or liquid from the simmering gravy. Alternatively, adding cooked potatoes (about 1/2 cup) works well if you’re also boiling potatoes to make a mash. The soft cooked potatoes add a nice touch that won’t make the sauce slimy or gritty. To prevent a lumpy gravy, you can purée (in a small blender or immersion blender) the cooked potatoes with some of the gravy liquid.
➡ Extra Seasoning: Once your gravy is ready, stir and taste it. Adjust the salt and pepper to your preference. Taste again. You can also add organic garlic powder, onion powder or poultry seasoning (ingredients: thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg, etc.) for more flavour. Gravy recipes should be flavorful, especially if your other plant-based dishes are less seasoned.
➡ Herbs: If you love and enjoy a variety of fresh herbs, go ahead and add some to your gravy. Great examples would be rosemary, marjoram, sage, parsley, cilantro, more thyme, and chives. Dry herbs can also be excellent for adding traditional gravy flavor to your sauce. You could even place a bay leaf in the sauce pot while the gravy is simmering, but remove it once it’s ready.
➡ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (on Jamie Olivers’s YouTube channel) adds a touch of black coffee to his vegan gravy. It contributes to the flavour and the darker colour of his recipe. He strains his sauce at the end, leaving out the veggies. 🤷
Best Gravy Tip: Once ready, you can purée the sauce with an immersion blender if your family prefers a smoother and silkier gravy.
Storage: You can store any gravy leftovers in a glass jar or sealed container for up to five days. Reheat portions as needed.
