Description
Rich, creamy, and brimming with flavors, this Fast and Easy Vegan Gravy is everything you could want in a gravy and so much more. Vegan bold red wine, earthy mushrooms, and aromatic herbs and spices come together to create this beautiful and healthy gravy that is sure to have everyone coming back for seconds. This fabulous side dish is perfect for holidays and family dinners making it this week’s awesome Whip It Up Wednesday recipe. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, chopped or sliced
- 2 Tablespoons tamari *
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons flour (or flour of choice)
- ½ cup red wine *
- 3 cups mushroom broth *
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant yogurt
Herb/Spices Ingredients:
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
- ½ teaspoon dried ground mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onions
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Instructions
- Clean and slice or chop all the mushrooms, then placed them ina large ceramic/enamel lined skillet or Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot with 2 Tablespoons of tamari. Sauté them for approx. 5 minutes over medium-high heat to get the mushrooms to release some of their water. Then move the mushrooms AND any left-over liquid to a bowl, set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped onions, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 minutes until slightly golden. Add a splash of water to prevent sticking, if needed. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to one minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed onions and garlic; cook the flour for a few minutes. The cooked onions/garlic and the flour will be very lumpy, then add the red wine and stir. Cook for several more minutes. The alcohol from the wine will sizzle, and then evaporate and you will only be left with this beautiful wine flavor which enhances the flavor. The mixture will be gooey.
- Add the mushroom broth and plant milk, and bring to a boil, then lower the temperature. Stir well to incorporate the flour and to thicken the sauce. Then add the Herb/Spice mix and sautéed mushrooms. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and transfer the mixture into a high-speed blender and pulse until completely smooth, about one minute. You may have to do this in several batches. Please be very careful. Cover the high-speed blender with a thick tea towel to prevent burns when unscrewing the lid as the steam builds, creates pressure, and can squirt out when you unscrew the lid. Transfer the mixture back to the pot, add the plant yogurt. Cook for several minutes.
- Taste test the flavor. This is the time you can adjust the flavors; increase seasonings, if desired, to suit your personal preferences.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
*Mushroom Broth: We use Pacific Organic Mushroom Broth. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. This brand of mushroom broth has a beautiful mellow flavor. If you use another brand of mushroom broth, you may need to adjust the seasonings accordingly if you are not using Pacific Organic Mushroom Broth.
*Vegan Red Wine: We used Honoro Vera Vegan Red Wine, but any vegan red wine will work equally well. The red wine flavor makes a difference. It totally makes this recipe by adding dimension. The alcohol burns off and you are left with this beautiful bold flavor. You do not have to add the red wine. We tried it with and without the wine and the flavor is very good without it, but the red wine just takes this dish to the next level of deliciousness.
*Flour: We use a WFPB gluten free flour. Largely dependent upon the moisture level of the mushrooms, you may find that you need to make a “slurry” to thicken the gravy. You can add this near the end by mixing 2 Tablespoons of flour with 2 Tablespoons of water in a small bowl, whisk well. Increase the heat of the gravy, then stir in the slurry a little at a time until the gravy thickness reaches the desired level.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: Makes 4 cups of gravy.