Want to add a little extra flavor to your holiday meal this year? If so, you’ve got to make my favorite Vegetarian Gravy recipe. It’s loaded with veggies, fresh herbs, and broth, and perfectly creamy in texture. Make this veggie-based gravy ahead of time and warm it up in minutes just before serving. Enjoy it on potatoes, tofu, vegetables, biscuits, and so much more.
I feel like gravy is one of those polarizing foods, where some people can’t live without it, while others want nothing to do with it. I personally love it and think it adds so much flavor to the holiday meal while also helping tie it all together. Gravy is traditionally made from turkey juices, but in this vegetarian version, we use a mixture of cooked veggies, vegetable broth, and spices. It’s packed with flavor and the perfect accompaniment to your mashed potatoes this holiday season.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Gravy Recipe
- Can be made in advance – Gravy is always that one Thanksgiving dinner side that I rush to make last-minute. This year, I decided to come up with a gravy recipe that can be made in advance and heated quickly on the stove or in the microwave.
- Packed with flavor – This vegetarian gravy is rich and buttery, earthy, and full of cozy, savory flavors. The blended caramelized veggies add a deep flavor that easily replaces the turkey broth.
- Versatile – Gravy is commonly used at Thanksgiving dinner, but it can also be used in regular dinner recipes. It goes well on potatoes, tofu, and veggies, and can be used as a base for soup or pot pie. Leftovers can be frozen for easy use in future recipes.
Tips For Making Creamy Gravy
- Use a roux as a thickener – A roux is made by cooking butter and flour together until it forms a paste. Then, once additional liquids like milk and veggie broth are added, the roux helps thicken everything up. Make sure to use an equal ratio of butter to flour.
- Strain gravy if needed – Sometimes it’s hard to avoid lumps when making gravy, so if needed, run it through a fine-mesh strainer to make it extra smooth and creamy.
- Add some milk – Gravy can be made with just a roux and veggie broth, but I like adding milk, or even heavy cream, to add rich flavor and texture to this vegetarian gravy recipe.
Vegetarian Gravy Recipe Ingredients
- Vegetables – I make the main flavor base of this recipe by cooking down some carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until caramelized, and then blending them with milk until smooth. It adds so much flavor to this vegetarian gravy.
- Milk – I used regular, whole milk, but unsweetened dairy-free dairy can also be used. Use cream for a super-rich gravy.
- Broth – I like to use a vegetable broth concentrate, but any broth can be used. Just make sure you enjoy the taste.
- Flour + Butter – Cooking flour and butter together creates a rue that helps to thicken the gravy and gives it a nice texture. Vegan butter can be used, if needed.
- Herbs – I like to add some fresh thyme to this gravy recipe because it adds a seasonal flavor I always associate with Thanksgiving. Rosemary or parsley can also be added.
How To Make Flavorful Vegetarian Gravy
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Next, add in the finely chopped celery, carrot, and onion, along with a pinch of salt. Cook the veggies together until all the excess moisture has cooked out and the vegetables are caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes, until the garlic is cooked through. Carefully add the cooked vegetables and milk to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. (Optional) Run the mixture through a cooking sieve to remove any chunks of vegetables that didn’t mix thoroughly. Set aside until ready to use.
- Reheat the pan over medium heat, then add the butter. Once the butter has started to melt, add the flour and whisk until you have a paste-like consistency. Cook for a minute or two until the rue has slightly darkened, then pour in the milk mixture. Mix well, then cook until the milk has thoroughly mixed in and the gravy starts to thicken, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and whisk the gravy until combined. Bring gravy to a low simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until thoroughly heated through and the desired thickness is reached. You can add more broth to thin it out. Give the gravy a taste and add salt and black pepper to taste.
- This vegetarian gravy is best served warm. It can be made up to 3 days in advance and reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave just before serving. Enjoy gravy over potatoes, tofu, veggies, and more.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Make this recipe vegan by using non-dairy milk and butter.
- How should this gravy be used? This gravy is versatile and can be enjoyed over potatoes or your favorite protein. It can also be used as a base for making thick and creamy soup or pot pie filling.
- Can vegetarian gravy be made ahead of time? Yes, you can easily make this gravy ahead of time and reheat it quickly minutes before it is needed. It is also freezer-friendly.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, leftovers should last about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
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Flavor Packed Vegetarian Gravy Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Want to add a little extra flavor to your holiday meal this year? If so, you’ve got to make my favorite Vegetarian Gravy recipe. It’s packed with veggies, fresh herbs and broth and perfectly creamy in texture. Make this veggie based gravy ahead of time and warm up in minutes, just before serving. Enjoy it on potatoes, tofu, vegetables, biscuits and so much more.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup small diced yellow onion
- 1/3 cup small diced carrot
- 1/3 cup small diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (loosely packed)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth*, or more if needed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add in one tablespoon olive oil. Next, add in the finely chopped celery, carrot and onion, along with a pinch of salt. Cook veggies together until all of the extra moisture has cooked out and the vegetables are caramelized, about 8-10 minutes minutes.
- Add in the garlic and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes, until garlic is cooked through. Carefully add the cooked vegetables along with the milk into a high speed blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. (Optional) Run the mixture through a cooking sieve to remove any chunks of vegetables that didn’t blend all the way. Set aside until ready to use.
- Re-heat the pan over medium heat and add in the butter. Once butter has started to melt, add in the flour and whisk together until you have a paste like consistency. Cook for a minute or two until the rue has slightly darkened in color, and then pour in the milk mixture. Mix together well and cook until milk has completely mixed in and the gravy is starting to thicken, 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the vegetable broth and use the whisk to mix gravy again, until combined. Bring gravy to a low simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until completely heated through and desired thickness is reached. You can add extra broth, if you want to thin it out. Give the gravy a taste and add salt and black pepper, to taste.
- This vegetarian gravy is best served warm. It can be made up to 3 days in advance and re-heated on the stovetop, or in the microwave, just before serving. Enjoy gravy over potatoes, tofu, veggies and more.
Notes
*For maximum flavor, I like to use the vegetarian broth concentrate (pictured in post) to make my vegetable broth and then I sometimes add in a little extra of just the concentrate if I think the gravy needs any extra flavor.
This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups gravy.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Side, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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