Vegan gravy

What it is¶

Vegan gravy is vegetarian gravy with two extra constraints: no dairy, and closer label reading. The technique is identical — brown everything hard, build umami deliberately, reduce properly — but butter is replaced by oil or vegan spread, and cream, if used, comes from oats or soya.

The traps are hidden rather than obvious. Many stock cubes contain milk powder. Classic Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. Some gravy granules contain dairy. Vegan alternatives to all three are widely available.

History¶

Plant-based gravies have existed in British cookery since long before the word vegan (coined in 1944), particularly in the Quaker and Seventh-day Adventist vegetarian traditions of the nineteenth century.

Their modern prominence follows the rapid growth of veganism from the 2010s and the reformulation of supermarket own-brand gravy granules — many of which are now accidentally or deliberately vegan, making a decent vegan gravy easier than at any point in history.

Typical ingredients¶

Flavour profile¶

When it goes wrong it is thin and salty; when it goes right it is deep, glossy and slightly sweet with a long savoury finish. Oat cream at the end gives it a roundness that closes most of the remaining gap to a dairy gravy.

What to serve it with¶

Nut roast, vegan sausages and mash, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings made with plant milk, chips, and vegan pies. See gravy for a nut roast.

The traditional recipe¶

Serves 4–6 · 35 minutes

You need

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 200 g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 150 ml red wine
• 700 ml hot vegan vegetable stock
• 10 g dried mushrooms, soaked
• ½ tsp yeast extract
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 150 ml hot water for 20 minutes; keep the liquid.
2. Heat the oil and cook the onions, carrot and a pinch of salt over medium heat for 20 minutes until deeply caramelised.
3. Add the fresh mushrooms, garlic and thyme; cook hard for 8 minutes until browned.
4. Stir in the tomato purée for 2 minutes, then the flour for 2 more.
5. Pour in the wine and reduce by half, then add the stock, the chopped soaked mushrooms and their strained liquid.
6. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the yeast extract, soy sauce and balsamic.
7. Strain, pressing hard, or blend. Season and serve.

The quick version¶

Serves 4 · 10 minutes

You need

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 500 ml hot vegan stock
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp yeast extract

Method

1. Fry the onion hard in the oil for 8 minutes.
2. Add the flour, cook 1 minute, whisk in the stock.
3. Stir in the soy and yeast extract, simmer 4 minutes, season.

Vegetarian and vegan versions¶

This page is the vegan version. To make it richer for a celebration meal, stir 3 tbsp of oat cream or cashew cream in at the end, off the heat.

Common mistakes¶

Assuming the stock cube is vegan — many contain milk powder. Check the label, especially for beef- and chicken-style cubes.

Using standard Worcestershire sauce — it contains anchovies. Vegan versions exist and taste close enough.

Under-browning — without meat, browning is your only source of roasted flavour. Go darker.

Forgetting the fat — fat carries flavour. A fat-free vegan gravy tastes thin no matter what else you do.

See also¶

• vegetarian gravy
• mushroom gravy
• yeast extract
• gravy for a nut roast
• umami in gravy