A rich and savory vegan gravy recipe with onion, herbs, and hearty mushrooms. Easy to prepare and so delicious over mashed potatoes! Plus it is made healthier with no butter or oil.
This oil-free & vegan mushroom gravy recipe is one of my favorites. It's perfect spooned over a warm bed of mashed potatoes or vegan biscuits.
It is so rich with umami flavor, and made with healthier ingredients. (And no butter or oil!)
Plus it is easy to prepare, and a great option for Thanksgiving or holiday dinner.
I actually like to prepare two gravies for Thanksgiving. This recipe along with the 10-minute Easy Vegan Gravy. We find they are so delicious together!
Ingredients for Mushroom Gravy
For this recipe you will need:
- Yellow onion: You could also use shallot if preferred.
- Mushrooms: Most often I use cremini mushrooms, but shiitake, portobello mushrooms, white button, etc. will work.
- Garlic powder: Or fresh minced garlic cloves.
- All-purpose flour: This is used to thicken the gravy. I use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour blend.
- Vegetable broth: Or you can also use mushroom broth.
- Dried oregano
- Fresh thyme: I like the flavor of fresh thyme best, but you can substitute dried thyme or other herbs such as fresh rosemary.
- Tamari: Or soy sauce, but I use tamari for gluten-free. Just 1-2 tablespoons will add a rich, savory, salty flavor.
- Salt and black pepper: Add to taste if desired.
Customizing & Serving
A few ideas for customizing:
- Herbs: Use your own favorite herbs such as dried or fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage. They add such a bright, aromatic delight to this recipe.
- Red wine vinegar: Add 1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (with the broth) for a little more depth and slight tanginess.
- Vegan butter: For extra richness, add 1 Tbsp. vegan butter to the pan at the end of cooking. Simply stir into the warm gravy until dissolved. I find this isn't necessary, but it can add some extra richness.
This gravy tends to thicken as it sits. So if preparing it in advance, simply stir in an extra splash of vegetable broth when reheating if desired.
Making Mashed Potatoes
I like Yukon gold potatoes best for mashed potatoes. They have a rich, smooth texture and buttery flavor.
To make easy mashed potatoes:
- Simply peel, dice, and steam potatoes for about 10 minutes or until very soft. (You can also boil them for 10 minutes if you'd prefer.)
- Then immediately transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add a splash of vegetable broth (or plain & unsweetened milk). Mash to desired consistency.
- Chives, vegan butter, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt are optional additions as well.
For a pressure cooker version, I've had pretty good results with this Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipe from Minimalist Baker. (However I reduce/omit the vegan butter, and also very slightly decrease the cooking liquid called for.)
For us, this vegan gravy recipe yields enough for about 3 to 4 pounds of potatoes.
For more inspiration, also browse all sauce and seasoning.
Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion
- 12 oz. mushrooms (I use cremini)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (GF if desired*)
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1-2 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
Instructions
- Finely dice onion. Slice mushrooms.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion for 2-3 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method.)
- Add mushrooms. Sauté for 8 minutes or until softened.
- Meanwhile, finely chop fresh thyme and set aside.
- When onions are translucent, add garlic powder and dried oregano. Stir.
- Then sprinkle flour on top. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in 2 1/2 cups broth (a little at a time) whisking well until flour clumps are gone. Add fresh thyme and tamari.
- Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Adjust flavors if desired (more herbs, tamari, salt/pepper, etc.)
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
If you are enjoying this oil-free vegan mushroom gravy recipe, also check out:
- Lentil Quinoa Fall Salad with Maple Dressing
- Maple-Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Butternut Squash & Kale Salad
- Maple-Cinnamon Butternut Squash
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Anne Barclay
Very delicious. Had some left over, made a batch of cashew cream, cooked up some spaghetti, and made it into vegan stroganoff.
Kaitlin
What a fantastic idea, Anne! Stroganoff sounds amazing. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing!
Monica
This was perfect! The whole family enjoyed. Thank you.
Kaitlin
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing.
Lily
The finished result was delicious! In the future I might add more water to my flour mixture, because it congealed when I added it to the sauce and I had to pick out all the flour clumps. It went very well with a delicious nut loaf I made as well.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Lily! So glad you gave this a try and enjoyed! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Tammy Felter
This stuff is amazing! I made it a few years ago. I also added Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. The key I have found is take your time.
Kaitlin McGinn
So great! Thanks for the feedback, Tammy!
DIY Mogul
I just want to say, I LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Glad you love it too! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Rose
Wow! What a fantastic recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi Rose! Great to hear - thank you!
Diane
Have you tried thickening this gravy with something other than flour to make it gluten-free? As a brand-newly diagnosed celiac, I am STARVING for things like your mushroom gravy. Having to teach myself to cook all over again has been a challenge, but I'm enjoying this new world. By the way, your quinoa salads made me so hungry I could have licked the screen. I will be making them as soon as I lay in a supply of veggies. Your photos are gorgeous.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi Diane! Thanks so much for your message and kind words! I make this gluten-free with Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten free flour. (Although you could also use a cornstarch slurry to thicken as well!)
Harold Reichert
Just blend it all when done cooking. Works for me, no flour whatsoever.
Liz
First, this gravy looks delicious. Second, do you make your own vegetable broth? If you do, I would love a post with tips about how to store it, and what you do with the vegetables after straining them out (if they can be used in soup afterwards or something). Love your blog!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi Liz! Thank you! And I haven't made my own vegetable broth before, but here's a helpful link on how to do that.