Non-meat-eaters rejoice! Finally, a Vegan-Friendly Hearty Mushroom Gravy that boasts tons of flavor and can compete with any meat-based gravy. Pour over biscuits, mashed potatoes, veggies, fish—you name it!
That earthy umami taste is what keeps me coming back for more of this liquid gold. And the addition of garlic, shallots, and red wine vinegar gives this stuff that extra burst of flavor that honestly, kinda makes me miss this gravy when it’s not on my plate.
As an environmental scientist, I’m always looking for ways to make eco-friendly produce shine! Mushrooms are not only delicious but considered sustainable food.
They have a relatively small ecological footprint as they take little water and energy to grow and emit little CO2.
Green tip: Organic farms rely on biodiversity to generate rich soil, avoiding the use of pesticides and fertilizers, which means no toxic runoff. Consider organic mushrooms for this recipe!
Vegan Friendly Mushroom Gravy Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Butter. You can absolutely use oil in place of butter, but I highly recommend using butter for the extra flavor it adds to this gravy.
- Mushrooms. I used baby bella, but white button and cremini mushrooms work too!
- Shallots. Shallots add a lot of flavor to this gravy, making them my preference, but if you want to substitute a yellow, white, sweet, Vidalia, or even red onion, you can!
- Garlic. Using fresh garlic goes a long way. If you want to use pre-minced garlic, you can. In this case, use a full tablespoon.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt and pepper.
- Vegetable broth. You can buy it or make your own from veggie scraps. You can also use mushroom broth in place of veggie broth to intensify the flavor.
- Red wine vinegar. You can substitute apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or even rice vinegar if you have that on hand, but red wine vinegar is by far my favorite in this recipe.
- Instant gravy granules. I use Original Bisto Gravy Granules. My husband is English and introduced it to me! You can usually find it in the international section with the other British imports. But you can also use any instant gravy of your choice!
Gravy with Mushrooms Tips and Tricks
Cook Down Your Veggies First
Start by cooking the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in the butter, salt, and pepper.
Cook over medium heat until the shallots soften and most of the liquid has released from the mushrooms (about 5-7 minutes). At this point, it should be really fragrant.
This first step will season your vegetables, but most importantly, cook off excess liquid.
How to Make a Roux for Gravy
Making a roux is key to a hearty gravy. A roux is formed when you combine flour with fat (in this case, butter!) to create a thick paste.
The roux acts as a base to your gravy, giving it a thicker texture. With your mushrooms, shallots, and garlic still over medium heat, add the flour.
Use a wooden spoon to mix the flour with the vegetables and butter, combining until there are no visible lumps.
Add Your Liquids Next
Add your vegetable broth and red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Use your spoon to make sure the roux is combined with the recently added liquids.
Simmer on low, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes. Allowing time for all your flavors to meld together is what really makes this gravy shine.
While 20 minutes is enough time to make a delicious gravy, if you have more time, let it simmer for a while. Low and slow is the name of the game for infusing deep flavor.
The longer you allow for the ingredients to dance around in the pot together, the cozier they’ll get with each other.
Add Your Instant Gravy Mix Last
Once you’ve allowed all your flavors to mingle, add your instant gravy mix. This will thicken and season your Vegan-Friendly Mushroom Gravy.
I use the Bisto instant gravy granules that you can find in the International Section at your grocery store.
Even though it’s marketed to use as beef or chicken gravy, the ingredients are actually vegan. My husband always has this on hand, and it works really well in this recipe.
How to Properly Store and Reheat Leftover Mushroom Gravy
This Hearty Mushroom Gravy will last 3-5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. You can also opt to freeze it for up to 5 months.
To reheat, simply add it back to a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally until it’s heated through.
You can also microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl covered on high in 45-second intervals, stirring in between.
If the gravy gets too thick upon reheating, add vegetable broth as needed to loosen it.
Green tip: Did you know that of the billions of pounds of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of it happens in our homes? It’s always best to avoid food waste as much as you can!
Serving Mushroom Gravy
You can enjoy this delicious meatless gravy on such a wide variety of different dishes! Here are some of my favorites:
- Sheet Pan Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus
- Portobello Mushroom Steaks
- Boursin Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Why You Should Make This Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- It’s flavorful. Bewtween the fresh vegetables, vermouth, red wine vinegar, and veggie broth, this mushroom gravy is absolutely brimming with flavor.
- The consistency! Nice and thick with chunks of mushrooms.
- It will lower your ecological footprint. Compared to meaty gravy, mushroom gravy has a much lower environmental impact.
If you’re loving this Vegan-Friendly Mushroom Gravy and want more mushroom recipes, check out these Crispy Fried Oyster Mushrooms and Mushroom Stew with Potatoes.
Hearty Mushroom Gravy (Vegan Friendly!)
Print Save RateIngredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (vegan butter works here!)
- 8 oz mushrooms (baby bella, white button, or cremini)
- 2 large shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon instant gravy granules
Instructions
- Chop your mushrooms, dice your shallots, and mince you garlic. Add all three to a small pot or saucepan over medium heat with the butter, salt, and pepper. Cook until the juices of the mushrooms release (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the flour and stir to form a roux, ensuring there are no lumps of flour left behind.
- Still over medium heat, add the broth and red wine vinegar. Stir, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Add instant gravy mix and stir for about 1 minute. It should be a nice, thick consistency. If it’s thinner than you would like, let it simmer a little longer. Taste and add extra salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve hot over veggies, fish, mashed potatoes, biscuits—whatever you fancy!
Pro Tips
- I use the Bisto instant gravy granules that you can find in the International Section at your grocery store. Even though it’s marketed to use as beef or chicken gravy, the ingredients are actually vegan. My husband always has this on hand, and it works really well in this recipe!
- I generally use a low sodium veggie broth, but if you’re using homemade or a broth that may have a little more salt, you may need to adjust the amount of salt you use.
- This dish is a classic holiday recipe. For more like this, check out my comprehensive list of the best Thanksgiving recipes.
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The Inspiration Behind This Hearty Mushroom Gravy
My husband LOVES his gravy! Is that a British thing or a Rob thing? Anyway, he always made it for his meat and vegetables, and I would get jealous because it wasn’t something I could eat – at least not the way he made it.
Last Holiday season, I decided enough is enough! Meat eaters aren’t the only ones who can enjoy gravy! That’s when I started researching what makes gravy so delicious and trying to emulate it in a pescatarian-safe version.
I literally felt like a witch over a cauldron making a potion when I was thinking this up! 😂 A little bit of this, a little bit of that, tasting and smelling every step of the way. And after testing this recipe several times and with several different meals… voila! This Hearty Mushroom Gravy was born!
Even Rob admits this recipe is just as good if not better than meaty versions! Enjoy it on biscuits, mashed potatoes, vegetables, fish, or even meat! Whatever you fancy, this is sure to add flavor and moisture and bring your meal to the next level.
Cheers!
