Flavorful vegetarian gravy recipe (mushroom gravy) - Rhubarbarians (2024)

Published: Nov 17, 2021 · Modified: May 2, 2022 by Trish Bozeman · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

This is my favorite vegetarian gravy recipe! This creamy herb mushroom gravy is easy, flavorful, and perfect for drizzling on everything at your Thanksgiving feast.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Hi, Rhubarbarians! Here's your recipe for perfect, flavorful, you'll-never-know-it's-vegetarian gravy!

Being the only vegetarian in my household, I have tested MANY MANY vegetarian gravy recipes that will please the non-veg folks in my family. Some were great, some not so much.

But THIS gravy. This vegetarian gravy is the best. It's creamy, herby, perfectly seasoned, and loaded with flavor. Yum.

Give this one a try at your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast this year!

Check out our top 10 vegetarian Thanksgiving main dishes!

Why you'll love this

You'll love this gravy because it has so much flavor! Buttery shallots, mushrooms, herbs, rich broth, and milk all get blended together to make the perfect creamy vegetarian gravy. No one at your Thanksgiving table will guess it's vegetarian.

I only use simple ingredients that everyone has access to or already has in their kitchen.

Go ahead, smother it on EVERYTHING on your Thanksgiving plate.

Need more vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes? Here's the list of my favorites!

Ingredients and equipment

Here's what you need to make creamy mushroom gravy! Full ingredients and instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

Ingredients:

• Butter. Unsalted if you have it.
• Shallot. Finely minced.
• Mushrooms. I like sliced cremini mushrooms.
• Herbs. Fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme.
• Flour. All-purpose white flour.
• Broth. I love the no-chicken base from Better Than Bouillon, but the seasoned vegetable base is amazing too (recipe has been tested with both).
• Milk. Whole milk or half and half.
• Salt and pepper.

Equipment:

• Cooktop or stove top
• Large non stick skillet. My favorite is our Deep Green Pan!
• Measuring spoons.
• Measuring cups.
• Stirring utensil. I like the OXO spoonula, but a wooden spoon works well too.
• Cutting board.
• Chef's knife.
• Silicone whisk. This OXO whisk is my favorite!
• High speed blender. I use a Ninja blender.
• Gravy boat or medium sized serving bowl.
• Ladle. For serving the gravy if you don't have a gravy boat.

Step by step instructions

Here's how to make creamy vegetarian gravy! Full instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

• Start by melting the butter in a large non-stick skillet.
• Add the shallot and the mushrooms. (See photos below)

• Cook the mushrooms, stirring often, until they are fully browned and all the liquid has evaporated. The mushrooms will release a lot of liquid and then start to brown when that cooks out. This process takes about 15 minutes.

• Add the flour and herbs and stir together.
• Add the broth and whisk constantly.

• Whisk until all of the flour clumps are dissolved.

• Puree the mixture in a blender.
• Add the gravy back to the skillet.
• Whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper.e

• Taste the gravy and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
• Reheat the gravy in the skillet if needed.

Serving suggestions

This is my favorite gravy to serve at Thanksgiving! I like to serve the gravy in a gravy boat or in a medium sized serving bowl with a ladle.

I leave the gravy on the Thanksgiving table so that everyone can smother their Thanksgiving plate in it as much as they choose.

Perfect served over mashed potatoes, but also delicious over roasted veggies, meatless roast, stuffing, or even biscuits and gravy.

Recipes to serve with vegetarian gravy:

• Lentil stuffed delicata squash
• Roasted butternut squash
• Butternut squash rolls

Recipe tips and substitutions

• This mushroom gravy is creamy and thick, but you can make it thinner if you'd like by adding water or more broth to the mixture after whisking in the milk. Whisk in a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
• Make sure to brown the mushrooms completely. They will release a lot of liquid before they brown, but the best flavor will be achieved when the mushrooms are fully browned and the liquid has evaporated.
• I don't recommend an immersion blender, as it won't puree the gravy completely. It's worth using your high speed blender!
• If you can't find cremini mushrooms, feel free to use 10 ounces of white button mushrooms or portobello mushrooms.
• I love the Better Than Bouillon no chicken base as the broth in this gravy. The seasoned vegetable base is a close second and I tested the recipe with both. If you don't have these, use your favorite vegetarian broth.
• To make this vegan, substitute the butter for vegan butter, and the milk for unflavored cashew milk or water.
• To make this gluten free, substitute the all purpose flour for 1:1 gluten free flour or arrowroot flour. Arrowroot flour does have a strong flavor, so I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour.

Want to make the gravy ahead of time? You can make this recipe up to 4 days ahead and store in the refrigerator! Simply reheat on the stove top or in the microwave before serving.

Storing and freezing

Storing:

Store any leftover gravy in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave before re-serving.

Freezing:

This gravy freezes very well! Store the gravy in a freezer safe air tight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Heat on the stove top from frozen to serve.

FAQs

Check out this list of my top ten favorite vegetarian Thanksgiving main dishes!

You must use the category slug, not a URL, in the category field.

Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.

Recipe

Recipes to try next:

• Warm brussels sprout salad with apples and pecans
• Quick and easy cranberry orange hand pies
• Vegan cranberry portobello pot roast

If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us onInstagramwith #Rhubarbarians

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? GET FREE WEEKLY RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX!SIGN UP HERE!