Vegan Gravy

Thanksgiving is all about gathering with the individuals you’re keen on—nevertheless it additionally means navigating a tangle of dietary wants. I developed this meat- and dairy-free gravy under final 12 months for my niece Alice, who’s a vegan, as a result of everybody deserves a gravy they’ll slather over their Thanksgiving plate. Alice additionally follows a gluten-free weight-reduction plan, so I’ve provided a gluten-free choice of the recipe, as nicely. (If you need the gravy to be gluten-free, select a gluten-free tamari over conventional soy sauce, and examine the labels rigorously on the broth and Dijon mustard—gluten can disguise in some stunning locations.)

Does it style precisely like gravy comprised of pan drippings and roasted turkey bones? Not likely. However this gravy is savory and wealthy in its personal proper, with the acquainted Thanksgiving trio of rosemary, thyme, and sage, and a deep umami spine from dried mushrooms slightly than meat.

The Energy of Dried Mushrooms

Simply because a gravy is meatless does not imply it’s a must to sacrifice depth or richness. Dried mushrooms present the savory basis of this recipe, because of glutamate—one of many similar compounds that give cooked meats their satisfying umami notes. As a result of they’re dried, their taste is already concentrated, and toasting them deepens it even additional, including a heat, roasted complexity. They’re additionally one among my favourite pantry shortcuts past Thanksgiving. I toss dried mushrooms into soups and shares for immediate complexity, or rehydrate and chop them once I need concentrated mushroom taste in risotto, pasta, and sauces.

Why You Ought to Grind and Toast the Mushrooms

As a substitute of merely steeping the dried mushrooms in water to make the bottom, I freeze them, grind them right into a fantastic powder, then toast that powder on the range. I borrow this method from Mandy Lee’s mushroom-steak sauce: Freezing makes mushrooms brittle and simpler to pulverize, yielding a superfine powder that toasts rapidly and evenly, which implies no flour or added starch is required to thicken the gravy. Toasting the mushroom powder till it darkens and smells nutty does two key issues. First, it concentrates the pure glutamate—the amino acids that drive umami—so that you get richer, extra intense savoriness. Second, it provides roasted, nutty, fragrant notes that deepen the flavour past “mushroomy” into one thing extra layered.

Constructing the Fragrant Base

From there, the gravy is enhanced with sage, rosemary, and thyme, for a woodsy depth that is synonymous with the vacations. Because the herbs sizzle in coconut oil, their important oils bloom, creating an fragrant base. Shallots and garlic spherical out the flavour, softening and turning candy as they prepare dinner. Collectively, they carry the acquainted consolation of traditional gravy to this plant-based model.

Coconut Milk for Richness

Full-fat coconut milk provides richness and physique to the gravy. Don’t be concerned about it tasting tropical— the coconut taste mellows because the gravy cooks, and its faint sweetness is balanced by the herbs, garlic, shallots, and toasted mushrooms. You possibly can use oat or cashew milk for a subtler consequence, however full-fat coconut milk delivers the richest, most satisfying texture. 

The Ultimate Layer of Depth

To deepen the gravy additional, I name for 2 sorts of soy sauce. Common soy sauce (or tamari, in the event you’re maintaining issues gluten-free) provides saltiness and umami that amplifies the mushroom base. Darkish soy sauce, utilized in a a lot smaller quantity, brings a deeper coloration and a touch of molasses-like sweetness that rounds out the flavors and makes the gravy look richer and extra like conventional turkey gravy. If you do not have darkish soy sauce—or want to skip it—the gravy will nonetheless be savory and well-balanced, only a contact lighter in each coloration and taste.

In the long run, the flavors come collectively right into a gravy that is savory, fragrant, and absolutely layered—no meat or different animal merchandise wanted.