Easy Vegan Gravy

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Close up of gravy spooned over mashed potatoes and garnished with chives.

This simple vegan gravy is rich, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make.

It's the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table, pairing beautifully with a vegan roast, almond milk mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roasted vegetables.

It comes together quickly, and the best part is you can make it a day ahead or freeze it to save time on the big day.

Once you try it, this savory gravy will quickly become a staple on your holiday table!

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Ingredients
Helpful Equipment
How to Make This Recipe
Substitutions & Variations
Serving Ideas
Tips & Tricks
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Recipe
Reviews

Ingredients

With just a few simple ingredients like vegetable broth, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, flour, and fresh herbs, this vegan gravy is rich, savory, and is perfect for cozy dinners or holiday gatherings!

Vegan butter: Adds a rich, buttery flavor. I prefer it over oil, but olive oil will also work.

Onion and garlic: Adds a lot of flavor! They are simmered and then strained out for a smooth and flavorful gravy.

Flour: Acts as a thickener!

Nutritional Yeast: Brings a savory umami note that really elevates the flavor. It can be left out but it's better with it!

Fresh Herbs: My favorite herbs for this gravy are the classic holiday trio: rosemary, sage, and thyme. You can use any combination, two or all three, to add extra flavor.

Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: Umami and a deeper color. If gluten-free, use tamari!

Vegetable Broth: The base of our gravy! Make sure you pick a broth that you enjoy. I use the reduced sodium vegetable base from Better than Bouillon.

See recipe card for quantities.

Helpful Equipment

You'll need a slotted spoon for removing herbs, onion, and garlic while keeping the gravy smooth.

How to Make This Recipe

This brown vegan gravy is a must-have for any holiday table!

The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.

Wedged onion and whole garlic cloves in a pan with melted butter.

Step 1: Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the thick-sliced onion and whole garlic cloves and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Flour mixed into the onions and garlic, and herbs and nutritional yeast being added.

Step 2: Sprinkle in the flour and stir until fully incorporated and no raw flour remains. Then, add the fresh herbs, nutritional yeast, and black pepper.

Vegetable broth poured over onions and herbs in pan.

Step 3: Slowly pour in the vegetable broth and soy sauce while whisking to prevent lumps, then continue whisking until fully combined.

Step 4: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened.

Whole garlic and onion wedges removed from gravy.

Step 5: Use a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer to remove the herbs, onion, and garlic from the gravy.

Note: Adjust seasoning gradually to avoid over-salting.

Substitutions & Variations

Make it gluten-free: Use cornstarch in place of flour. Stir 2 tablespoons into a bit of broth to make a slurry, whisk it into the pot, and finish the recipe as written. Be sure to use tamari instead of soy sauce too.

If you love mushrooms, toss in some sliced ones to turn this into a cozy mushroom gravy.

Don't be shy with the herbs! Use as much rosemary, sage, and thyme as you enjoy.

Serving Ideas

You can use this vegetarian gravy anywhere you'd use traditional gravy.

Mashed potatoes simply aren't complete without gravy! Pour this vegan gravy over a big scoop of mashed potatoes and serve it as part of your Thanksgiving spread or any classic comfort-food dinner.

Serve over your Holiday main! It's delicious over vegan turkey (my favorite is the Gardein roast!) or a meatless lentil loaf.

More sides that pair beautifully with this gravy include roasted vegetables, vegan stuffing, biscuits, and roasted potatoes.

Gravy spooned over mashed potatoes and garnished with chives.

Tips & Tricks

To keep your gravy lump-free, pour in the broth a little at a time, whisking well after each addition. And stirring occasionally while it simmers will help maintain a smooth texture!

Want a chunkier gravy? No worries! Dice the onion and garlic and leave them in there.

Taste before adding extra salt. Depending on the vegetable broth and soy sauce you use, you may not need any additional salt. I used low-sodium broth and added just a touch of kosher salt to enhance the flavor.

Nutritional yeast can sometimes leave a slightly flaky appearance in your gravy, but it won't affect the texture once cooked and stirred in. Use an immersion blender to pulse the gravy a few times until smooth, keeping all the savory flavor without any visible flakes.

Storage

Thanksgiving Day is busy enough, so take one thing off your plate by making this gravy ahead of time!

Store: After it cools, store it in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for up to 3 days.

Reheat: Simply reheat it on the stovetop until hot.

Freeze: The gravy freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this vegan gravy ahead of time?

Yes! You can make it a day ahead and store it in the fridge, or freeze it for later. Simply thaw and reheat before serving!

What can I serve it with?

This gravy is perfect over mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, vegan roast, lentil loaf, stuffing, or any of your favorite holiday sides.

Can I skip the onions and garlic?

You can, but the gravy will have a slightly milder flavor. You could also add garlic or onion powder as a substitute.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Almond Milk Mashed Potatoes
Vegan Green Bean Casserole without Mushrooms
Classic Vegan Stuffing
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating down below if you try this recipe! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram for more recipes and updates.

Recipe

Vegan Gravy

This Vegan Gravy is the perfect plant-based version of the classic holiday sauce! Made with just a few simple ingredients, it's rich, savory, and easy to make. It's delicious over mashed potatoes or a vegan roast and a must-have for any holiday spread! 5 from 5 votes Print Pin Rate Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 Author: Liv King

Ingredients 1x2x3x

2 tablespoons Vegan Butter
½ medium Yellow Onion cut into large chunks
3-5 whole Garlic Cloves
¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Sprig Rosemary
2-3 Fresh Sage Leaves
1 Sprig Thyme optional
2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast see note
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper to taste
3 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 tablespoon Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
Pinch Kosher Salt if needed

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Instructions

Slice the yellow onion into thick wedges and peel the garlic cloves.
Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir until fully incorporated and no raw flour remains.
Add the fresh herbs, nutritional yeast, and black pepper.
Slowly pour in the vegetable broth and soy sauce while whisking to prevent lumps, then continue whisking until fully combined.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened.
Use a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer to remove the herbs, onion, and garlic from the gravy.
Taste before adding extra salt. Depending on the vegetable broth and soy sauce you use, you may not need any additional salt. I used low-sodium broth and added just a touch of kosher salt to enhance the flavor.
Serve over mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Notes

Nutritional yeast can sometimes leave a slightly flaky appearance in your gravy, but it won't affect the texture once cooked and stirred in. Use an immersion blender to pulse the gravy a few times until smooth, keeping all the savory flavor without any visible flakes. Important Note about Salt: Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1:1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half. Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!

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