There’s nothing that most people like more in England, than a roast dinner or plate of roast potatoes, smothered in gravy. And the good news is that it’s super-simple to make your own vegan gravy. Not just kinder to animals, but free from cholesterol, so you can pour on more!
Most gravy in supermarkets is made with meat (usually from factory-farms). And even the vegan versions likely contain palm oil. So learn to make your own, and you’ll never go back. Cheaper, and with no plastic packaging.
Read up on food safety for people & pets (don’t feed gravy to pets, due to onion, garlic and salt). Just bin onion, garlic, shallot and leek scraps, as acids could harm compost creatures.
Many vegan gravy recipes online call for vegetable stock. Again, most store-bought brands contain palm oil. If you can’t find one without, learn to make a simple homemade stock that can be used for many other recipes.
The secret of good gravy is ‘umami’ (using cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast or miso (not for pregnancy/nursing or weak immune systems, as it’s unpasteurised). Soy sauce (or tamari) is also often used, to dark the colour and enrich the flavour.
Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.
Simple Steps to Vegan Gravy
If you want to have a got at making an ‘eyeball’ gravy (measuring ingredients as you see fit), this gravy is ready in under 30 minutes.
Dice some onion and mince some garlic, then warm your veggie stock. Heat up some vegan butter (Flora has no palm oil) in a pan on medium heat, then add your onion with a pinch of salt. Cook for around 10 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute, don’t let it brown or it will become bitter.
Then sprinkle in enough flour to make a paste, cook until the ‘raw flour taste’ has gone. Don’t overcook and add a little oil, if the mix gets too dry. Then build your flavour with tomato puree, nutritional yeast, and optional herbs.
Then slowly start whisking in your warm stock, until it thickens. Repeat until all the stock is used up, season to taste and simmer for 10 minutes until thick and glossy. It will thicken as it cools. If you have used a bay leaf, remember to remove it before serving!
If your gravy is lumpy, you are adding the stock too quickly. In a pinch, use a hand blender to smooth your gravy, then try slower next time!
Serve and Store Your Vegan Gravy
Serving ideas that make plates sing:
- Pile it over roast potatoes, parsnips, and squash.
- Spoon onto mashed potatoes for a cosy bowl.
- Flood a slice of nut roast or a mushroom wellington.
- Drizzle on steamed greens or a vegan sausage bake.
- Use as a sandwich dip the next day, it works a treat!
Storage and reheating:
- Fridge: Cool, then store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Pour into silicone Souper Cubes (sold in Lakeland), then you can just pop a serving out of this ‘giant ice cube tray’ whenever you need a gravy fix. Thaw in the fridge overnight, before heating the next day.
