Best Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Vegan Mushroom Gravy! If you need a healthy, vegan gravy for Thanksgiving– try this one! Made with dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms and so much umami flavor. Delicious on everything!
Is it appropriate to want to drink gravy? Because, that’s how I feel every time I make this vegan mushroom gravy recipe. The perfect excuse to whip up a pot of mashed potatoes, stuffing, noodles– if you can put gravy on it, I want to do it with this.
This is the gravy that I make just about every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since BL and I are usually the only vegetarians at the table, I take it upon myself to make sure we have a gravy just for us.
In fact, I made this vegan mushroom gravy last year and pretty much everyone at the table choose this over the turkey one. My father-in-law didn’t even realize he was eating the mushroom gravy until after the meal when he kept talking about how good the gravy was.
See below for tips and tricks for making this mushroom gravy, or scroll to the full recipe below.
Ingredient Notes for Vegan Mushroom Gravy
You’ll need both fresh and dried mushrooms for this gravy. I used a mix of dried wild mushrooms along with fresh cremini or baby bell mushrooms. The liquid from the dried mushrooms also gives this gravy a delicious umami boost. White button or shiitake mushrooms can be used instead if you’d like.
I use olive oil, but for a richer flavor, you can substitute vegan butter. I like shallots because I prefer their flavor over onion in gravy, but you can use white or yellow onion.
Cornstarch helps to thicken the gravy, and if you don’t want to use cornstarch or don’t have it, arrowroot starch or even all-purpose flour can work.
Lastly, thyme adds a nice flavor, and while I think fresh is best, dried can also be used. The balsamic adds acid and helps to cut through the richness; don’t skip it!
How to Make This Mushroom Gravy
Rehydrate the Mushrooms
Add the dry mushrooms to the base of a glass measuring cup or bowl and cover with water. let sit for 20 minutes, or until softened. Don’t throw away the mushroom soaking liquid as you’ll use that later.
Saute the Shallots
Saute the shallots, fresh mushrooms, garlic and thyme in olive oil until very tender and golden brown. This will take 15-20 minutes. Stir often, so they don’t burn.
Chop the Dried Mushrooms
Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop.
Whisk Together the Starch
Whisk together the reserved mushroom liquid and cornstarch until dissolved.
Whisk together
Add the broth to the mushroom mixture and stir until thickened.
Finish with Vinegar
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. The balsamic acid is key here to help balance the richness of the mushrooms. Enjoy or puree until creamy.
You can choose to leave this gravy with the chunks of mushrooms or puree it for a silky sauce. I prefer to add it to the blender and puree until silky.
If you have an immersion blender, then you can pulse it a few times for a nice mix of creamy and chunky.It’s really up to you. The splash of balsamic vinegar at the end brightens the gravy and helps cut through the richness- don’t skip it!
How to store leftovers
If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for two to three days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to four months.
To freeze, place the gravy in an airtight container or even ice cube trays if you plan to use a small amount at a time (these cubes freeze 1/2 cup portions at a time) Thaw, then reheat and use as desired.
Mushroom Gravy Serving Suggestions
While this vegan mushroom gravy is fantastic on any mashed potato recipe, I love my Instant Pot mashed potatoes to keep the stove open during a heavy cooking day, like Thanksgiving. This vegan mushroom gravy is also fantastic in my Roasted Thanksgiving Bowl, on my Mushroom Wellington, with my lentil Thanksgiving meatballs or just with crusty french bread.
If you’re looking for ideas to round-out your holiday feast, you’ve gotta try my healthy creamed spinach, my Hasselback sweet potatoes and my fresh green bean casserole.
If you try this mushroom gravy recipe, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Video
Best Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 3/4 ounce dried mushrooms, I used a mix of wild mushrooms
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cups chopped fresh cremini or baby bella mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt/ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- First, place the dried mushrooms in the base of a glass measuring cup or bowl and pour 2 cups hot water over them. Let sit for 20 minutes.
- Next, warm a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shallots, fresh mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms are very tender and browned, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Next, drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid for later, then finely chop the dried mushrooms. Add them to the pot with the fresh mushrooms.
- Then, add the cornstarch to the reserved dried mushroom liquid and whisk until dissolved. Add in the mushroom slurry along with the 2 cups of vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste, as needed, with salt and pepper.
- And, at this point- you decide. If you want a chunky gravy then enjoy as is! Or, use an immersion blender or add to a blender and pulse until desired texture is achieved.
This recipe was first posted in 2018 and post updated in 2024.
Steadfast Omni-opportunitarian (raised in a hardcore meat-consuming environment—meat on every plate) and this is one of recipes that could easily help convert me to vegetarianism. Always a hit. Thank you!
This recipe is a yearly staple, always a hit! The only substitution I make is using Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base for my stock. Very delicious, highly recommend!
Thanks for this delicious sounding recipe! Does it matter what type of balsamic vinegar you use? I only have variations from “The Olive Tap” on-hand and am wondering if they will do. Also, can this be made ahead and stored in fridge or freezer?
Hi Kathryn, the vinegar helps to enhance the richness of the mushrooms, but you can use another type of vinegar! Start with a few drops to make sure you like the taste.
Delicious!! Thank you! I couldn’t find dried mushrooms at my local store so, I just upped the cremini mushrooms by a 1/2 cup and added 1 cup water mixed with 1 tsp of Veggie Better than Bouillon for the slurry. Also, switched the balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar. SO SO GOOD.
So glad you liked it!!
can you make this ahead?
Yes! I make it ahead and freeze it.
The soy sauce is added in when?
You will deglaze the pan with it after sauteeing the mushrooms. Thanks!
I cannot get enough of your blog, it is vegan heaven, there is an endless supply of delicious, do-able recipes without too many foreign ingredients, and as a fitness girl so many of your recipes fit the bill! This one is so perfect as we are going into winter, and who doesn’t love gravy! Please keep up the incredible work, I am so glad I found this blog!
Thank you Erin! That comment totally made my day. Glad you are here. 🙂
I made this as 2nd gravy for my couple friends with food intolerances for a Thanksgiving pre-game party, it turned out better than the classic turkey gravy. It was so delicious & simple. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you liked it Rebecca! xo
Logically step 1 refers to the dried mushrooms, but on first reading through it is slightly confusing. So the fresh mushrooms are getting cooked with the garlic, shallots etc while the dried are soaking?
Just want to be sure I am understanding this clearly before I start – still on my first cup of coffee so maybe I shouldn’t even post, but if anyone else is confused your answer will save them my embarrassment 😉
As it is , this is making my mouth water, and I am not even vegan or vegetarian, just a lost soul with a major dairy allergy looking for good recipes to fit my truncated diet. This looks so good I wouldn’t bother telling my guests it is vegan – it is just what I was looking for!
Yes, that’s it though I’ve updated the recipe instructions to make it more clear.
Thank you 🙂
My husband and I changed our eating habits which included switching from white potatoes to sweet potatoes. Now when we even try white at friends on holidays and such it is as if they have no flavor. We are hooked on the sweet but have yet to find a good gravy. This was perfect. It was so good. Like you we wanted to drink it. And a perfect compliment to the sweets. I am sure it would be good on the whites too.
So glad you liked it!