Pour it on your mashed potatoes. Pour it on everything! This vegan gravy is super simple, super delicious, and requires only seven ingredients to make.
I've made vegan gravy for this site before. In fact, I've made a lot of vegan gravy. I'm a big fan of the stuff. But I can get a little carried away.
I made vegan gravy with whiskey and mushrooms. It was awesome. But I know lots of you aren't down with one or both of those ingredients. And I've got other versions of vegan gravy involving other stuff like caramelized onions or homemade vegan sausage. So if you're into fancy stuff in your gravy, check out those recipes.
But I thought just maybe a few of you would want a super simple gravy recipe that tastes just like the stuff you grew up eating on your mashed potatoes, but also happens to be free of animal products.
Well folks, here it is. And it's delicious.
This gravy is perfect for Thanksgiving. It's probably as close to Turkey gravy as you can get without the actual Turkey. It's also super easy.
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Why this Recipe Works
Regular old Turkey gravy isn't much more than a bunch of fat, flour and broth. So that's what I used in here, but in vegan form.
To make it taste like turkey gravy I added a few seasonings. Soy sauce and vegan Worcestershire sauce make this gravy nice and savory. Onions turn up the flavor even more.
And my then there's my secret ingredient: poultry seasoning.
Poultry seasoning is a blend of spices that you'd normally use to season poultry. What I discovered is that because we associate these flavors with poultry, they're great for making things taste like poultry.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan butter. This can be found near the regular butter in most supermarkets. Earth Balance and Miyoko's are a couple of popular brands.
- Onion.
- Flour. I've only personally tested this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, though I've heard from readers who substituted a gluten-free flour blend with success. Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur both make blends that would be great to try!
- Vegetable broth. If you can find a no-chicken style vegan broth, use it. Otherwise, regular old vegetable broth is just fine!
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Most Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovy sauce, so be careful here. Annie's, Edward & Sons and Whole Foods brands are all vegan. You can also use homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce if you'd like.
- Poultry seasoning. Look for this in the spice aisle of your supermarket.
- Salt & black pepper.
Tip: For a flavor variation, add a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary while your vegan gravy simmers. Be sure to remove it when it's done! This will add some depth of flavor to your gravy!
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by melting your vegan butter in a pot over medium heat. Once it's melted and starting to bubble, add diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes, giving it a stir from time to time, until it softens and becomes translucent.
Now start whisking in flour, just a bit at a time. You want to create a paste that coats the onion, also known as a roux. Once all of the flour is added and the paste is fully blended, start whisking in vegetable broth, a bit at a time. Keep whisking to work out any lumps, then add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and poultry seasoning.
Bring the gravy to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken up.
We all have different preferences as far as gravy thickness is concerned, so adjust if needed.
If the gravy seems too thick, add some water. If it seems too thin, remove a little from the pot, then whisk it together with some flour in a small cup. Return the mixture to the pot and whisk everything back together.
Tip: I like to keep a quick mixing variety of flour such as Wondra on hand when I'm making vegan gravy. It dissolves easier so it works better for thickening the gravy towards the end of cooking.
Also be sure to taste-test and adjust any of the seasonings as you see fit!
Tip: If the little bits of onion in your gravy bother you, feel free to strain them out or blend them in using a regular or immersion blender. Personally, I don't even find them noticeable, but you do you!
Serving ideas! This gravy is delicious over mashed potatoes, stuffing, or as an alternative to the glaze to top my chickpea meatloaf.
Leftovers & Storage
Vegan gravy will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. It will become thick and gelatinous during storage, so I recommend reheating it in a saucepan on the stovetop while whisking like crazy. You can also add a splash of extra water during reheating if needed.
If you choose to reheat your gravy in the microwave, do so in short increments of 30 seconds or so, whisking in between zaps and adding water as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can, but it's best on the day it's made, and since it's so simple, I normally just make it right before serving. If you're short on time, I get it! Just follow the storage and reheating instructions above and be aware that it will thicken.
It is! Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs normally used to season poultry. It typically contains thyme, sage, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg, though the specific ingredients will vary by brand.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
Super Simple Vegan Gravy
Pour it on your mashed potatoes. Pour it on everything! This vegan gravy is super simple, super delicious, and requires only seven ingredients to make.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Place the vegan butter into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat.
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When the butter has melted and begins to bubble, add the onion.
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Sweat the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
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Begin whisking in the flour, a bit at a time, to form a thick paste coating the onions.
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Slowly whisk in the broth, a bit at a time, then the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and poultry seasoning.
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Whisk until smooth, raise the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, until nicely thickened.
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Add water if you'd like a thinner gravy. If you'd like a thicker gravy, ladle out some of the gravy into a small bowl or cup and whisk in a bit of flour to form a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the pot.
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Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to blend the gravy using a blender or immersion blender, or strain out the onions if you'd like a perfectly smooth gravy.
- Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted for the soy sauce.
- You can substitute cooking oil (such as canola) for the butter, though the flavor won't be as rich. I haven't tested an oil-free version of the recipe, but I think if you start by whisking the flour together with about a half cup of vegetable broth and then adding it to the pot with all of the other ingredients it would work.
This looks delicious. What brand of poultry seasoning do you use?
Also, as a side note, I tried subscribing to your blog but Microsoft 365 red flagged it as "Malicious"; any idea why? Thanks.
Thank you! I used McCormick poultry seasoning. And I had no idea that was happening with the newsletter - sorry about that and thank you for letting me know!
You have poultry seasoning listed in your vegan gravy. Vegan's do not eat meat or fish and certainly would not have poultry seasoning in their gravy.
Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs that's normally used to season poultry. It's something you'd buy in the spice aisle and is totally vegan.
Poultry seasoning is a medley of spices used to season poultry; there is no poultry in it. Vegans do use it.
How is this vegan when you use poultry seasoning?
Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section above the recipe.
I dont know how to create my own comment but just wanted to let ya know most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies!!!
Not all Worcestershire sauce does. Annie's, Edward & Sons and Whole Foods Brands are all vegan. :)
Kosher parve does not contain any animal/fish. Try Gefen brand
Can you freeze this gravy? We made a lot, it’s delicious and wondering if we can freeze and use at thanksgiving (a little over a week away)
I think so! It thickens up when you store it in the fridge, so you might need to thin it a bit after thawing.
Thank you. I wondered if I could freeze. :-)
I loved that this could be made with all ingredients I keep at home in my pantry + an onion. That said, I didn't think this was particularly easy or fast since it still involves making a roux and simmering to thicken.
I felt that the Worcestershire sauce completely overpowered the flavor of my gravy, making it far Tangier than what I imagine traditional gravy to be like. If I made this again I'd start with 1tsp of Worcestershire and taste from there...
This tastes great and was easy! Thanks!
Glad to hear it! Thank Alison!
This was way to make and delicious!!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks Lorrie!
I'm so glad I tried this! My sister is a vegetarian and I decided that I wanted to find a recipe for gravy so she could have some at the holidays. We grew up on a lot of mashed potatoes and gravy, so I knew she was missing it. I actually like it, too. We often cook some wide noodles in it and eat them over mashed potatoes. It's now our favorite quick meal!
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks Veronica!
Yum!! This is deliciously amazing! And easy to make Thanks!!!
I'm so glad you like it!! Thanks Natasha!
I'm so glad to have found this recipe! I simmered canelli beans in this gravy, and eat it over brown rice! I added a little nutritional yeast as well. Delicious, and my husband approves!!!
That sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it!
So good and oh so easy!
Thanks! I'm glad you think so!
For those who don't want to purchase any poultry seasoning, due to the often questionable "other spices" listing in the ingredients, you can make your own! Just remember Simon & Garfunkel!
♫♩ Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...♩♫
Add a little marjoram, black pepper, and maybe some nutmeg, and you've just made your OWN poultry seasoning.
Google "what is poultry seasoning made from" and adjust measurements according to taste..then convert it to a nice bulk measurement to keep on hand!
That sounds perfect! Thank you for the tip!
Hi! I promise I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but I'm confused. You mention poultry seasoning as one of the ingredients, but the recipe is for a vegan gravy. You said above that you use McCormick. Do they make a vegan poultry seasoning? Are they all vegan anyway? I've never bought it, that's why I ask. Sorry if these are stupid questions, I should just go to the store and look. Thanks.
Not stupid at all! I've actually had a bunch of people ask this. Poultry seasoning is just an herb blend for seasoning poultry. The McCormick one contains thyme, sage, marjoram and a couple other herbs - it's totally vegan. :) There may be some other brands that aren't, but I've never come across one.
Thanks! You rock!
What type of flour would you use to make it also gluten free?
I'd actually recommend using cornstarch or arrowroot as a gluten-free thickener. Instead of adding it to the melted butter, make a slurry by mixing it with an equal amount of water and add it towards the end. Then let it simmer for a few more minutes to thicken up. I think 2 or 3 tablespoons should be plenty, but you might want to add a bit at a time just to make sure you get the amount right.
Another option would be glutenous rice flour. In spite of the name it is gluten free and thickens gravy and soups beautifully.
I was out of poultry seasoning so I made a trip to the grocery store only to discover that I had left my glasses at home. I ended up with 'kicked up chicken grill seasoning'. I thought 'oh well, if it doesn't turn out well, I'll go back to the store. I did add a tiny bit of cinnamon and ginger to the grill seasoning. This is the best vegan gravy I've ever made! Thanks for the recipe~ lol..
Yay!! I'm so glad it worked out! Thanks Kathie!
Hi Alissa, I am a big fan of your recipes. I'm still learning to be vegan and I learn a lot from your website. What I want to ask is what is vegan butter? I heard margarine is bad for you. Is vegan butter the same with margarine? Thank you for your help.
I'm glad you're enjoying the recipes! You can find vegan butter in stores - look for brands like Earth Balance or Melt. These are basically dairy-free margarines (I believe most margarines have some diary-based additives). You could also try making your own from a recipe like this one: https://avirtualvegan.com/easy-vegan-butter/ or substitute your favorite cooking oil.
Just made this and it's fabulous! I included a little white wine after sautéing the onions and reduced that before proceeding. Delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.
I bet the wine added some delicious flavor!! I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks Morgan!
Recipe was delicious! Will never use store bought gravy again. Thank you for sharing!
Yay!! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent Gravy......made it last night to go with the Vegan Shepherds Pie and it was wonderful. Did not have poultry seasoning and it was very good. I am saving this recipe ! Thank you Alissa
Sounds like a delicious meal!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Ellen!
Super easy yet, so goooood!!! Thank you!
I'm glad you like it!!
This gravy recipe is so good, I've been vegetarian for 7 years and I never even knew vegan gravy existed. Even my non vegetarian parents said they really liked it.
That's awesome! I'm so glad it's a hit!
Hi, am very excited to make this for a dinner tomorrow night with my veg Shepard's pie, but the only ingredient I am missing is the vegan Worcestershire sauce... And I won't be able to find it anywhere in town. Was wondering if I could possibly replace it with another sauce or spice?? Thanks!!
I'm afraid I can't say for sure without some experimentation, but I'm thinking some extra soy sauce and maybe a tiny bit of brown sugar might work!
Hi! I really like this recipe! Two days ago I made it and it was amazing! Can't wait to try it again!
I'm so glad you like it!
Yummy! I've been trying different recipes over the years and this is the best. I am throwing away all the others and never looking back!
I'm so glad you like it! Thanks Patricia!
I doctored this up because I didn't have all the ingredients in the house but your instructions made for a great base. I used sage, thyme, and rosemary instead of poultry seasoning. Also didn't have vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. But I increased the soy sauce, used a little sherry, nutritional yeast, some dried mushrooms. Delicious!
Sooo good!
Great gravy! Made it for Tater Tot Casserole, awesome!
Very good gravy!! My husband, who is not vegan or vegetarian liked it too. I am going to try making it with various veggie broths and see which one I like the best, but I think they will all be great. I did use cornstarch as a thickener because I'm experimenting with making recipes gluten and dairy free for my sister in law, who can't have either. It turned out fine! Thanks!
Hi there! I know that vegan Worcestershire sauce exists, but I'm not able to get my hands on any. What would you recommend as a substitute? Just more soy sauce? I have no idea what Worcestershire sauce tastes like 🙂 Thanks!
For anyone else having this issue, I Googled it and came up with 1/4 tsp granulated sugar dissolved in 2 tsp soy sauce, plus 1/4 tsp lemon juice and a dash of hot sauce, equals one Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Turned out to be a great gravy!
Very easy to make and absolutely delicious! This is now my Thanksgiving gravy! Thank you!
I made it yesterday. It was delicious!
After a not so great gravy last year, I did some further research and decided to try this one for Thanksgiving. It got rave reviews! It will be our go to from now on. Thank you!
This was delicious! I substituted poultry seasoning with beau monde and it turned out great!
Thank you!
Just came across your website today, and the recipes look delicious
; can’t wait to try the vegan butter recipe to use in lieu of coconut oil in recipes. If you haven’t tried it, sweet rice flour ( that’s flour made from sushi rice) is the best sub for regular flour as a thickener; use it with the same proportions and procedure; you will get the exact same result in thickness and texture as regular flour with no gluten. Thank you for your great work and recipes!
Simple and delicious. This is now my go-to recipe.
Can this be made a day ahead and reheated?
It can! It will congeal a bit in the fridge during storage - just whisk it really well when reheating, and add a bit of water or broth if it seems like it needs it.
This gravy recipe is to.die.for! I have lost track how many times I have made this in the last 3 years since I went vegan. None of my carnivore friends notice a difference. I make a double batch and then freeze it in individual servings so it is always 45-60 seconds away when I have a craving for fries and gravy or mashed potatoes and gravy. I sometimes add sliced mushrooms to it but keep in mind that mushrooms do absorb liquid. Upon thawing I put it in the microwave and give it a really good stir and there is no need to thin it out.
My wife and I made some of this gravy for poutine, and it did not disappoint! Thank you so much for sharing.
This is my "go to" gravy recipe. So delicious! I use it for mashed potatoes, veggie pot pie, veggie "chicken" with dumplings. I am never disappointed (family loves it too)!
I'm so glad it's a hit!!
Poultry seasoning does not have any animal products in it. I've been vegan for years and use it in many vegan chkn and trky recipes for flavouring.
This has become my go to vegan gravy recipe. So easy and tasty ! Thank you :)
excellent recipe, thank you so much! I have it saved and will for sure make this again. delish!
Awesome
Delicious! A new favorite!
My favorite gravy recipe!!! I’ve made this more times than I can count and it’s delicious every time. Even my omni family members love this gravy. It’s super easy to make as well :)