Vegan Cooking Tips
Quick and Easy Ideas to Make Gravy
by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
A splash of gravy livens up a meal! A classic sauce in international cooking, try creating flour-based gravy. Once you've had practice, it should take no more than 15 minutes to prepare.
To make flour-based gravy, you'll need:
- All-purpose flour and vegan margarine or oil: You can experiment with different flours and oils until you find the combination that yields flavor and texture you like. If you haven't prepared gravy before, all- purpose flour and vegan margarine are very reliable.
- Warm stock or broth: The liquid you select determines your gravy's flavor. You can use mushroom or vegetable stock or broth, or vegetable juice blends (excluding tomato juice as it interferes with attaining thickness).
- Seasonings: Salt and black pepper are traditional. Create your signature gravy with lite soy sauce, seaweed or mushroom powder, miso, dried parsley, rosemary, sage, poultry seasoning (it's vegan!), thyme, or garlic or onion powder.
When you have gathered your ingredients, this is how to proceed. In a medium pot, melt margarine or heat oil over medium heat. When the fat is melted/hot, lower heat and quickly whisk in flour with a fork or whisk. Keep whisking until a smooth paste is formed. This is called a "roux" (pronounced like "roo" in "kangaroo"). A rule of thumb for roux ingredient amounts is 1:1. For example, four Tablespoons of margarine/oil to four Tablespoons of flour. The darker in color you like your gravy, the longer you would "toast" your roux; this rarely takes more than one to two minutes.
Once the roux is toasted, slowly whisk in the heated liquid of your choice. A rule of thumb for a medium-thick sauce is 4 Tablespoons of roux (2 Tablespoons of fat, 2 Tablespoons of flour) to 8 ounces (1 cup) of liquid. As you whisk and stir, the gravy will heat and thicken. Keep on stirring until you have attained the thickness you want. This should take only two or three minutes, unless you are preparing a quart or more. Lower the heat, stir in your seasonings, allow to simmer for a minute or two for the flavors to develop, and you have gravy! This gravy can be cooled and refrigerated for about five days. Avoid freezing, as the gravy will lose its texture if frozen and reheated.
An alternative to flour-based gravy: Purée. Drain canned or cooked beans of your choice and place in blender canister. Add a small amount of cooked or frozen, thawed veggies (carrots, peas, butternut squash, or mixed veggies work well). Blend to purée. Thin out to the consistency you would like with mushroom or vegetable stock, vegetable juice (carrot or veggie blends work well), or hot water and then season with dried herbs or spices. Heat on top of the stove, stirring occasionally, or heat in a microwave, stirring at least once.
For creamy gravy, place a 12-ounce package soft, silken tofu in a blender. Add a small amount of canned creamed corn (the "cream" comes from cornstarch, so it's vegan!) and blend to form a base for the gravy. You can then add cooked or drained, canned mushrooms and a small amount of minced onions, with a sprinkle of garlic powder, thyme, and white pepper for a creamy mushroom gravy. Purée to the smoothness and texture you prefer. For creamy vegetable gravy, use cooked vegetables and an herb blend of your choice. For creamy tomato gravy, add a small amount of canned tomatoes (with the liquid), a spoonful of tomato paste, dried oregano, and dried basil.
These creamy sauces can be served heated or cold. If you prepare overly creamy gravy, thin it out with vegan milk of your choice. Add cooked, diced potatoes or cooked pasta; and serve it as a soup instead.
