With Thanksgiving coming up, I'm planning out my menu, thinking about what I want to do differently this year, and what I'd like to do exactly the same. One dish I will be keeping from last year is the delicious vegetarian mushroom gravy. There are always a number of vegetarians at my Thanksgiving, and so I usually make one vegetarian gravy and one from the meat drippings, but last year, this vegetarian gravy turned out to be SO GOOD, it's the only gravy I'll be making this year.
I wanted to include the "recipe" here, but as I typed it out I realized, there is no real "recipe" at least not in the sense that I used specific amounts of anything, just however much seemed right. So here's what I put in, and sort of how I did it and that's about as close as it gets.
Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy
- onion
- garlic
- celery
- mushrooms
- pepper & salt
- thyme
- marjoram
- sage
- tarragon
- olive oil
- red wine (or white if you prefer)
- flour
- Imagine Vegetable Broth
- soy sauce (if desired)
- half & half or milk (if desired)
The Mushroom Mixture
Saute together the onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms in a little
olive oil with pepper and salt to taste. Remove from heat and stir in
fresh chopped thyme, marjoram, sage and tarragon. (or whatever herbs
you prefer.) This can be done a day or two ahead of time and set aside in sealed ziplock bag or container in the fridge.
You can make this part as smooth or as chunky as you want. Last year I shredded the mushrooms in the food processor, but if smooth gravy is important to you, you can blend this mixture into nothing but flavor.
The Roux
For the roux, heat olive oil (or butter/fat of you choice) and flour over high heat, stirring constantly (I like using a wooden spoon or a whisk). This usually takes 2-4 minutes of constant stirring, as the mixture darkens.
You can make the roux Thanksgiving morning, and set aside at room temperature. Just before making the gravy, whisk together to recombine.
The Secret Ingredient
I'm sure you could use any vegetable broth, but I really think the
Imagine Vegetable Broth I used last year is what REALLY made this gravy. It comes in regular and low sodium varieties and I've tried both their chicken and vegetable broths for various meals with excellent results. I buy it at the regular grocery store, but they carry it in their "organic" aisle.
Making the Gravy
Even though you're not using any meat drippings for this gravy, make this just before serving dinner so its hot and fresh. Combine in a sauce pan: the mushroom mixture, about half the container of the broth, a a little bit of wine if desired. Bring to a simmer and whisk in roux slowly, a little at a time until desired thickness is reached. Add soy sauce and/or half and half if desired for the look and taste you want.
A teapot is a perfect way to serve the gravy while keeping it nice and toasty warm. (My gravy boat is now used for cranberry sauce :)
