When I was growing up, gravy was always one of my favorite parts of holiday meals. I was one of those people who would cover their entire plate in gravy if they could. I didn’t even care if it touched the cranberry sauce.
Once I went vegetarian and then vegan, gravy was one of the things that I missed most at the holidays. Until, of course, I discovered that you can make a fabulous gravy with mushrooms that (dare I say it?) tastes even better than the original.
With Christmas quickly approaching, I have been experimenting with different mushroom gravy recipes and have come to love this one the best. It’s gluten-free and vegan, which means it can be enjoyed by everyone at your table this holiday season.
This gravy gets its rich flavor and color from sautéed button mushrooms along with hearty spices like sage, thyme, and rosemary. I wanted this gravy to be really satisfying so I added some healthy fats by blending in some raw cashews. If you have nut allergies, simply omit the cashews and decrease the vegetable broth by about a half cup. If you desire a smooth gravy (or perhaps want to hide the fact that this was made with mushrooms), simply blend the gravy when it is done cooking.
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Gluten-Free and Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Makes about 5 cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz button mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
5 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
Freshly-ground sea salt and pepper to taste
Add olive oil to a pot over low-medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Stir in mushrooms, sage, thyme, rosemary, and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to become tender.
While mushrooms are cooking, add vegetable broth and cashews to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the liquid to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and arrowroot powder to form a thick paste. Add mixture to pot slowly, whisking constantly to ensure that paste dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Note: if making ahead of time and reheating, you might need to add a little water during the reheating if the gravy is too thick.
