Vegan Gravy Supper

There’s something very soothing about gravy.  It’s warm and thick and familiar, and it’s compatible with almost anything savory. A good gravy can not only jazz up the classic potatoes and biscuits and make the most of various mock meats, but it well known for its ability to rescue recipes gone slightly awry. A dish that turns out a bit bland or homely can be well disguised with a puddle of gravy.

This particular gravy recipe was inspired by a gravy recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance. I liked the idea of using mashed beans to thicken and add texture as well as protein.  However, I wanted to use a different mix of herbs and incorporate some mushrooms that were in my fridge. Also, the recipe in the book seemed to my eye to be slightly off in its dry-to-wet ingredient ratio, as well as a little overly generous with the soy sauce and nutritional yeast, so I decided to take the gravy filling from my Seitan Pot Pie and combine the two recipes. The result was very nice (and southerner-approved!).

Gravy simmering away

 

Golden Mushroom Gravy

8 oz sliced mushrooms

½ of a large onion, diced

2-3 tsp garlic, minced

2-3 Tbsp oil

1 tsp dried parsley

1/8 tsp dried marjoram

1/8 tsp dried rosemary (crunched in hand)

1/8 tsp dried savory

1/8 tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp ground cumin (optional)

3 Tbsp flour

3 cups veggie broth or water (I used water + 3 tsp broth powder)

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed

1 tsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast. (optional)

Salt, pepper or lemon pepper to taste

Sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic using a little bit of the oil (save the rest for the roux). Add the herbs and spices. When the veggies look done (cooked through and lightly browned), push them over to one side of your pan. Make a roux in the space you’ve cleared by mixing the remaining oil with the flour in your pan and browning very lightly.

Add water or broth to your pan and stir everything together.  Simmer the mixture for three minutes.

Add mashed beans, cornstarch slurry, and remaining ingredients. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until thickened, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Gravy will continue to thicken as it cools.

Mashed potatoes, a split biscuit, and vegan meatballs all drenched in gravy.

I served this warm over biscuits, store-bought vegan meatballs, and mashed potatoes with some white beans mixed in. It would also be good over vegan meatloaf, hash browns or fries, toast, rice, cooked vegetables, grits/polenta, or a tofurkey-style roast.

Variations:

 Creamy: Replace some or all of the water or broth with non-dairy milk for a creamy southern-style gravy—particularly traditional with biscuits.

Smooth:  Puree the mixture using a standard or immersion blender before serving.

Using different beans could change the color and flavor in interesting ways.  Black beans would make it darker, navy lighter.