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This one-pot easy vegan mushroom gravy is creamy, savory, umami-rich, and super simple to prepare! Perfect for serving as part of a mid-week meal, over a big bowl of creamy vegan mashed potatoes, or for impressing at Thanksgiving/ Christmas!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy Recipe
This rich, creamy gravy made with roasted mushrooms and other aromatics may just steal the show at the Thanksgiving table (45 Vegan Thanksgiving recipes here). And really, why should it stay only at Thanksgiving? This hearty vegan mushroom gravy requires just 9 simple ingredients and 40 minutes to prepare. So whether you’re making a vegan roast dinner, or a big bowl of vegan mashed potatoes, don’t skip this mushroom onion gravy.
Not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s made with easy-to-find, inexpensive ingredients like button mushrooms! And it’s soo much more flavorful than store-bought vegan gravy we’ve tried in the past (and cheaper, too!). Even better, you can easily prepare it gluten-free, oil-free, with fresh or dried mushrooms, and flavored in various ways! Plus, on the off chance that you have any leftovers, it also stores and reheats well! Which means it’s also great to make in advance for the holidays (one less thing to worry about on the day!)
Make everyone happy, with options, by also making this easy vegan gravy.
The Ingredients
This easy vegan mushroom gravy recipe requires just 9 simple ingredients, including:
Add-ins & Recipe Variations
We love the base vegan mushroom gravy recipe because it’s wonderfully budget-friendly while still tasty. However, if you want to mix things up a bit and/or you have some of the extra ingredients listed below in your kitchen already, then feel free to experiment!
- Other herbs: Fresh herbs like fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage would all work well in this mushroom onion gravy. You could use one or all (to taste).
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce will provide a deeper color, extra saltiness, and umami depth to the vegan mushroom gravy recipe. For gluten-free mushroom gravy, use tamari instead.
- Spice: Not a typical addition to this mushroom onion gravy. However, if you like a bit of spice, add a pinch (or more) of red pepper flakes to the vegan mushroom sauce.
- Nutritional yeast: A bit of nutritional yeast (added to taste) will add a nutty, ‘cheesy’ layer of flavor to the homemade mushroom gravy.
- Miso: To further enhance the umami flavor, add a teaspoon of white Shiro miso to the mushroom sauce.
- Kitchen bouquet: You can use just a little kitchen bouquet (which is naturally vegan) to give your vegan mushroom onion gravy a deeper brown color. As a general household alternative, some use a spoonful of instant coffee powder instead.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: First, chop the ingredients. You’ll need to peel and dice the onion, finely chop the mushrooms (clean them first with a lightly damp paper towel but don’t ‘wash’ them), and mince the garlic.
Step 2: Next, heat the oil in a medium-large skillet/ saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Then, sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent and tender. After that, remove the bay leaves.
Step 3: Next, sprinkle the flour over the mixture and mix, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until it’s golden. Then, add the vegetable broth, stirring constantly, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. After that, season with ground pepper.
Step 4: Finally, use a whisk and gently mix the gravy, cooking it until it reaches your desired consistency. It took me around 20 minutes.
FAQs
Yes, absolutely. You’ll need to first rehydrate them. We recommend you do so in the heated vegetable broth. That way, even more mushroom flavor will infuse into the liquid. Using dried mushrooms will make a vegan mushroom gravy with a richer, more intense flavor.
We use a roux method to combine the oil and flour, so with the recipe as written, no. However, if you want to use cornstarch instead of flour (method below), then yes, you could skip the oil. Instead, use a little veg broth or water to sauté the onion for this healthy mushroom gravy.
Of course. You may simply need to cook it for longer. However, if that doesn’t have the desired effect, you could also add a little extra flour/cornstarch. Don’t add it directly to the mushroom onion gravy. Instead, first make a slurry with the flour and a little water, whisking until it’s lump-free. Then add that to the gravy and whisk well until the mixture thickens.
Yes, you can! Just be sure to either use a gluten-free flour blend for the roux or use the cornstarch method (in the answer above), instead. Also, be sure if you use any add-ins, like soy sauce or miso, that they are either labeled gluten-free or substituted with something that is gluten-free.
The general rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of liquid. However, this can be adjusted if you prefer a thicker homemade mushroom gravy.
We like to use button mushrooms because they’re so affordable and easy to find. However, our second favorite would be cremini (which are quite ‘meaty’ and hold their shape). You could also use baby Bella, portobello, porcini, or even shiitake mushrooms.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- If you’re using cornstarch: While you can add it the same way as you would the flour (sprinkled into the pan), I like to create a cornstarch slurry by combining the powder with a few spoonsful of water and whisking well until it’s lump-free. Then add that to the gravy mixture. Stirring constantly, cook until the mushroom gravy has thickened, and then serve! This should only take minutes.
- To caramelize the mushrooms: For more depth of mushroom flavor, first pan-fry the mushrooms with no oil to allow them to release their excess liquid and start to brown. Don’t stir them too much during this time (this can take 10-15 minutes). Then continue with step 2 above.
- Adjust the texture: We love this chunky mushroom onion gravy as is. However, if you prefer smooth gravy, you could use a blender/immersion blender to blend it until it’s smooth (or your texture of choice). Add a little extra stock then, if preferred.
- The color will vary: Based on the vegetable broth you use and the color of the mushrooms used, too.
- To save time: You can purchase pre-chopped mushrooms. Unfortunately, though, they’ll cost more than buying them whole.
- For a thinner gravy: You can either reduce the flour slightly or add a few tablespoons of water to the prepared mushroom gravy.
Serving Suggestions
I could pour this delicious vegan mushroom sauce/gravy over almost anything savory. But here are some of my favorite serving options!
- Holiday: Serve the vegan mushroom gravy as part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.
- Roast: Enjoy as part of your plant-based roast dinner, with classic sides like easy mushroom stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries.
- Potatoes: There’s no wrong way to have gravy and potatoes, from the classic vegan mashed potatoes, rosemary roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, or even over crispy garlic baked potato wedges (like vegan poutine).
- Biscuits: Switch up the traditional biscuits and gravy with this mushroom gravy and even sweet potato biscuits or butternut squash sage biscuits.
- Other mains: Enjoy with vegan sausages and vegan lentil meatballs or pour over vegan meatloaf.
- Savory pies: Serve with pastry and non-pastry pies like mini vegan pot pies or vegan lentil shepherd’s pie.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Transfer any leftover homemade mushroom gravy to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freeze: You should also be able to freeze it for up to two months, either in a container or Ziplock/Stasher bag.
Reheat: You can reheat the mushroom sauce either on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it has thickened (which it tends to do as it sits), add an extra splash of vegetable broth or water to the gravy to bring it to your desired consistency.
More Delicious Vegan Sauces
Vegan Dinners
Vegan Mole Sauce
Vegan Dinners
Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce
Vegan Dinners
Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce with Kale and Peas
Vegan Breakfasts
Easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
If you tried this vegan mushroom gravy recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Easy Vegan Mushroom Gravy
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Video
Ingredients
- 3 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- ¾ cup button mushrooms finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups rich vegetable broth
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Saute onions for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they become translucent and tender. Remove the bay leaves.
- Add the flour and mix to form a thick paste. Allow to cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes until golden.
- Add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season ground pepper.
- Use a whisk to gently mix the gravy until it thickens to your desired consistency, about 20 minutes. If you prefer a thinner gravy, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Notes
- If you’re using cornstarch: While you can add it the same way as you would the flour (sprinkled into the pan). We like to create a cornstarch slurry by combining the powder with a few spoonsful of water and whisking well until it’s lump-free. Then add that to the gravy mixture. Stirring constantly, cook until the mushroom gravy has thickened, and then serve! This should only take minutes.
- To caramelize the mushrooms: For more depth of mushroom flavor, first pan-fry the mushrooms with no oil to allow them to release their excess liquid and start to brown. Don’t stir them too much during this time (this can take 10-15 minutes). Then continue with step 2 above.
- Adjust the texture: We love this chunky mushroom onion gravy as is. However, if you prefer smooth gravy, you could use a blender/immersion blender to blend it until it’s smooth (or your texture of choice). Add a little extra stock then, if preferred.
