How to Make Vegan Gravy (Mushroom Sauce)
Vegan gravy is a rich, savory sauce built from mushrooms, aromatics and broth instead of meat drippings, thickened until it coats the back of a spoon. This version uses dried wild porcini and fresh chanterelles for a deep, roasty flavor that pours beautifully over mashed potatoes, roasts and veggies — easy, delicious and, of course, healthy.
Today I want to teach you how to create the most delicious vegan gravy at home, using dried wild porcini mushrooms and chanterelle mushrooms. Classic gravy leans on the juices of cooked meat, mixed with stock and thickened with flour or cornstarch. The trick to a plant-based version that nobody misses the meat in is layering umami: porcini bring a concentrated, almost meaty depth, chanterelles add body and a delicate earthiness, and tomato paste plus caramelized onions round out the savory base. Get those right and you have a sauce that tastes like it simmered all day.
The Ingredients That Do the Heavy Lifting
Two mushrooms carry this sauce. Dried porcini are the secret weapon: drying concentrates their glutamates, so even half a cup delivers an intense, savory backbone, and the soaking water becomes a flavorful stock you should never throw away. Chanterelles bring texture and a soft, fruity earthiness that fresh button mushrooms can’t match, though cremini or a good mix will work if chanterelles are out of season. The tomato paste is small but mighty — one tablespoon adds color and a rounded umami that keeps the gravy from tasting flat.
For thickening, I reach for tapioca starch because it gives a glossy, clear finish, but cornstarch does the same job if that is what you have. A little goes a long way, so measure it rather than eyeballing. Fresh thyme, rosemary and a bay leaf round out the aromatics; dried herbs work too, but use about a third of the amount since they are more potent.
How to Get a Smooth, Deeply Savory Gravy
Give the porcini a full hour to soak. Rushing this step means tough, chewy pieces and a weaker stock, so start them first thing. When you sauté the onions, cook them until they are truly translucent and just starting to color — that gentle caramelization is where a lot of the savory sweetness comes from. Adding the garlic only for the last minute keeps it from scorching and turning bitter.
The most common mistake with any starch-thickened sauce is dumping the starch into hot liquid, where it clumps instantly. That is exactly why this recipe strains the cooked mixture into a separate bowl before you stir in the tapioca starch off the direct high heat, then returns it to low heat to thicken gradually. Keep stirring the whole time and stop as soon as it coats the back of a spoon — it will continue to set as it cools, so a gravy that looks slightly loose in the pan is often perfect on the plate.
Why This Method Works
Meat gravy gets its savoriness from browned drippings and gelatin. This recipe rebuilds that same satisfaction from plant sources: porcini and chanterelles are naturally high in glutamates and guanylates, the compounds behind umami, and the two together taste far more savory than either alone. Simmering everything before straining pulls that flavor into the liquid, and thickening off the boil with tapioca starch gives a silky, pourable texture without the raw-flour taste you sometimes get from a rushed roux.
What to Serve With Vegan Gravy
Gravy exists to make other things better. Ladle it over creamy mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables for a comforting plate, or pour it across a slice of vegan beef bourguignon or crispy vegan fried chicken for something heartier. It is also the sauce that ties a whole holiday spread together, so keep it in mind when you plan your vegan Thanksgiving menu. On a quiet night, even a bowl of chips smothered in gravy hits the spot.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This gravy is a great make-ahead sauce and arguably tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have settled. Cool it fully, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Starch-thickened sauces firm up when chilled, so reheat gently over low heat and whisk in a splash of vegetable broth or water to loosen it back to a pourable consistency. It freezes well too — keep it for up to three months, and know that it may need a good whisk after thawing to bring the texture back together. It pairs naturally with a comforting vegan red lentil soup or the rest of your cozy-weather cooking.
If you make this gravy, I would love to know how it turned out — did you go with tapioca or cornstarch, and what did you pour it over? Leave a star rating and drop a comment below with your favorite way to serve it.
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How to Make Vegan Gravy
Ingredients
- ½ cup wild porcini mushrooms dried
- 2 cups chanterelle mushrooms washed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch or corn starch
- 1 Tbsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 3-4 sprigs thyme and rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Add the dried porcini mushrooms to a bowl and cover with 3 cups of water.
- Soak for about an hour.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth into the pan and continue to cook.
- Add the bay leaf.
- Add the chanterelle mushrooms and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the porcini mushrooms and their soaking water to the pan, leaving any grit behind at the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the rest of the broth, the rosemary and the thyme, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Pour the cooked mixture through a strainer into another bowl.
- Add the tapioca starch and stir well until no lumps remain.
- Return the strained mixture to the pan over low heat.
- Keep stirring until the gravy begins to thicken, then add the salt and pepper and stir for another minute.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, vegetables, or any of your favourite dishes.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based: dried porcini and fresh chanterelle mushrooms, olive oil, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, tomato paste, tapioca or corn starch, herbs and seasoning. There is no meat, dairy, egg or honey, so the sauce is fully vegan.
The savory depth comes from mushrooms instead of meat. Dried porcini are packed with concentrated umami, and the water you soak them in becomes a flavorful stock. Combined with caramelized onions, garlic and a spoon of tomato paste, they build a rich base that tastes just as satisfying as a classic gravy.
Cornstarch works as a direct swap and gives a similarly glossy finish. Stir the starch into the strained liquid off the boil, then return it to low heat and keep stirring until it thickens. If you prefer, a flour-based roux also works, though it produces a slightly more opaque, matte gravy.
Absolutely, and many people find it tastes even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or freeze it for up to three months. Because starch-thickened sauces firm up when cold, reheat gently and whisk in a little broth or water to bring it back to a pourable consistency.
Starch-thickened gravy continues to set as it cools, so if it looks slightly loose in the pan it will often be perfect on the plate. If it turns out too thick, whisk in extra broth or water a splash at a time. If it is too thin, simmer it a little longer or stir in a small amount of starch slurry off the direct high heat.
Dried wild porcini give the deepest, meatiest flavor and are worth seeking out. Chanterelles add body and a delicate earthiness, but cremini, button mushrooms or a mixed wild blend work well if chanterelles are out of season. Using dried and fresh mushrooms together gives the most savory result.
This gravy is simply divine!! I never thought I could use something remotely similar to gravy after I became vegan… but this is life-changing! Thanks a lot for the recipe! 🙂
You’re welcome! So glad you liked the recipe!