Mushrooms are one of those love-or-hate kind of foods. Growing up, I hated them. Now that I’ve been vegan for almost ten years, mushrooms have become one of my favorite foods. It’s funny how our palates change as we age and as our eating habits evolve. Raw mushrooms, sauteed mushrooms, mushroom ‘bacon,’ you name it, I love it. Mushrooms have one of those unique flavors and textures that just can’t be replicated. This creamy vegan mushroom gravy takes all of that uniqueness and amplifies it with the right spices. The result is out-of-this-world good!
I’m using shiitakes here but you can definitely substitute whatever mushrooms you have on hand or like the best. I like to slice them thin enough so you don’t have big chunks in the final product, but not too thin that they burn while sauteeing them. Sauteeing the mushrooms to a nice golden brown really brings out their flavor, along with the onions. This caramelized flavor is truly the base of the sauce!
After the initial saute, we will add in the flour, nutritional yeast, miso, and thyme. Toasting these with the mushrooms and onions adds more depth of flavor that would otherwise be lost if you mixed it all in with the liquid first. Flavorwise, I prefer this method over the more traditional “roux” method. Plus, in my opinion, it’s way easier! This is truly a one-pot dish. No need for extra mixing bowls; just throw it all in, in the right order of course!
Now, the secret ingredient to this gravy: almondmilk! Most people use a veggie or meat stock as the liquid in their gravy, but subbing with the almondmilk creates a creamy mouthfeel that you just won’t get with anything else! The trick here is to add the almondmilk in slowly, whisking as you go. You’ll notice the color change right before your eyes. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll just have to steal a taste right then and there. The first time I nailed this recipe, I probably ate almost half of the gravy straight from the pan, it’s that good! And once I poured the rest over mashed potatoes, it was over. Mashed potatoes with gravy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you’ve read my blog before, you know how much I love New Barn’s unsweetened almondmilk. It’s my go-to for smoothies, lattes, oatmeal, and just straight-up drinking, and it’s as close to homemade as you can find in the store! I love it for cooking applications too, because it doesn’t have any additives like sugar or vanilla, or funny gums and chemicals that are at risk of messing with a recipe’s consistency. In this vegan mushroom gravy, New Barn’s almondmilk adds a delicious creaminess without watering down the flavor profile that we so carefully created. Check out New Barn’s store locator here so you can find it near you!
This recipe is easy, quick, and you are going to just love the depth of flavor. Forget flavorless gravies, this one you can just eat with a spoon, I promise!
As always, let me know if you try this recipe by tagging me @hashtagvegan and using #hashtagvegan on Instagram so I can see your creations!
For the animals,
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped (about half a large onion)
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 8 oz)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons tamari, or sub with soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
- Add onions and mushrooms and saute until browned, about ten minutes.
- Add all-purpose flour, nutritional yeast, miso, and thyme; stir well and saute for another 3 minutes.
- Add water and tamari; stir well.
- Add almondmilk slowly, whisking as your pour it in little by little.
- Reduce heat to low and continue to stir while it cooks for another 3 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drop me a comment!