Seriously Good Vegan Gravy
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- white miso 1 tbsp
- vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
- diced yellow onion or shallots 1 cup
- Kosher
- cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms 16 oz
- low-sodium vegetable broth 2 ¼ cup
- dry red wine such as Pinot Noir, Malbec, or Merlot ½ cup
- soy sauce or tamari 2 tbsp
- nutritional yeast 2 tbsp
- cornstarch or arrowroot powder 2 tbsp
- garlic cloves 5
- fresh thyme leaves 1 tsp
- finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1 tsp
- aged balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 0.25-0.5 tsp
If using shiitake mushrooms, remove any tough stems first. The wine adds a complex, rich depth of flavor, but if you don’t consume alcohol, skip the wine, use ~1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar. If you want a smooth gravy, you can blend all of the gravy. It will thicken quite a lot, so you will want to thin it out a bit with some broth (or water). If you want lots of mushroom pieces, skip the blending. You can make this gravy 1 to 3 days ahead of time (no need to wait until the turkey is being cooked). It tastes just as good as on the day it was made. Storage: Store cooled gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat, thinning out with a bit of vegetable broth until you reach your desired consistency. Storage: This gravy is freezer-friendly! To avoid the mushrooms turning a weird texture, I recommend completely pureeing the gravy in the blender before freezing. Once the gravy is cooled, you can transfer it to a freezer-safe container, or to save space, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag and lay it flat in the freezer. Freeze for 2 to 3 months and be sure to thaw in the fridge. Gently reheat the gravy in a saucepan over low or medium-low heat. If it’s too thick, add vegetable broth to thin.
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1Gather: white miso , vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil , diced yellow onion or shallots , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms , low-sodium vegetable broth , dry red wine such as Pinot Noir, Malbec, or Merlot , soy sauce or tamari , nutritional yeast , cornstarch or arrowroot powder , garlic cloves , fresh thyme leaves , finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves , aged balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar .
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2Measure out the miso and let sit at room temperature.
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3Heat a wide, large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of the butter (or olive oil). Once melted or hot, add the diced onions (or shallots) with a pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent and golden, about 5 minutes.
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4Cook the mushrooms: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms, spreading them out as much as you can. Cook for 5 minutes , stirring occasionally, or until they release their liquid and soften (stir more frequently if not using a non-stick pan). Add the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp butter (or olive oil) and stir well to coat the mushrooms. Stir frequently until the mushrooms are somewhat browned, about 3 minutes. Multitasking: While the mushrooms cook: (a) in a large measuring cup or bowl, combine 2 cup of the broth, the red wine, and soy sauce; (b) make the “roux”: in a separate glass, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup broth, the nutritional yeast, and cornstarch.
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5To the pan, add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper. Cook for 1 minutes , stirring almost constantly, or until very fragrant.
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6Pour in some of the red wine mixture and scrape up any browned bits, then pour the entire mixture in. Bring to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes to cook off the wine, stirring occasionally.
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7Re-whisk the “roux” to combine, then add to the pan. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes to dissolve and thicken, lowering the heat if it bubbles vigorously.
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8Reduce the heat to medium and add in the miso. Stir very well to incorporate, breaking it up with your spatula. Simmer for 3-4 minutes , stirring very frequently, until the gravy has thickened.
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9Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar, then taste, adding more as needed. Season with black pepper to taste. NOTE: For a smoother consistency, scoop out 2 ladles of gravy into a blender or food processor (see Note 3). Blend until smooth. Add the blended gravy back to the pan and mix together.