Easy Vegan Gravy | Best Homemade Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good gravy? ›

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

For gravy you need, at a minimum: a small amount of some form of fat; flour; and a flavorful liquid. (Meat drippings + a little wine + good broth, ideally, but I've done it with water + a mixture of minced carrots, celery, onions, and garlic sauteed in oil.)

Here's all you need to make a really great gravy from scratch: chicken and beef stock cubes, butter and flour. Chicken AND beef stock cubes (aka bouillon cubes) – for flavour and colour. Chicken is the base flavour, beef gives it oomph and gives it a nice deep brown colour rather than an unappetising pale brown.

Gravy can indeed be vegan and in our opinion, all the best ones are! If you're plant-based and looking for a suitable shop-bought gravy then always check the ingredients and avoid any containing meat or animal products.

Bonus: Seasoning for Tasty Gravy

I only season my homemade gravy with salt and pepper, and it's delicious! If you want to add more spices, avoid anything with large pieces (such as dried rosemary) to keep gravy smooth. Thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and oregano all taste great.

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Meanwhile, to make the gravy, place the roasting tray over a low heat on the hob, add the onions to the juices in the tray and cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until really soft and caramelised. Stir in the flour until combined, then whisk in the red wine, making sure there are no lumps.

Similar to flour, cornstarch is another ingredient that can be used to make gravy thicker. With cornstarch, making a slurry is also an option, but with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water. Again, you'll want to add the slurry in increments so you don't over-thicken the gravy.

What ingredient in the gravy is the thickener? ›

Flour or a starch ( corn/potato/arrowroot/tapioca ) is mixed with cold water in a 1 part starch, 2 parts water ratio. The mix needs to be stirred right before adding since the starch settles quickly. Drizzle in the slurry while whisking. Heat to bubbling, it will thicken quickly to a gravy.

Water, broth, or milk: Any of the three will work here. I actually like gravy made with water best, but experiment and see what works for you. Broth will give you a really flavor-packed gravy and gravy made with milk will be richer (but a little sweet for my taste).

A slurry is just flour and water (or milk) in equal parts added to a greasy sausage dish to make milk gravy or biscuits and gravy, bu that is not what you are asking about. It's just a gravy base. sprinkle flour in the skim of a dish , just enough to thicken and pour over your chicken fried steak.

Gravy is typically made with beef drippings or beef stock, and sometimes butter, to achieve a rich flavour so it's not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

Is KFC Gravy vegetarian? KFC Gravy is not vegetarian. We don't want any of our delicious chicken to go to waste, so we make our gravy using the pure concentrated flavours left over from cooking the chicken.

Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Vegan Gravy 300g (Serves 2) | Sainsbury's.