Gravy has been around for centuries and takes many forms. As a kid, I remember my mom cooking a pot roast and just before serving the roast, she whisked flour into the fatty juice to make a quick gravy. But what do you do if you don’t eat meat? How do you make a tasty gravy without meat juices? Just keep reading!

This is an excellent vegan gravy that tastes good on mashed potatoes, biscuits or on your favorite vegetarian “loaf”. It is much tastier than the vegan gravy packets found at the local grocery store and is a healthy alternative to fatty gravies as it has very little cholesterol content. The key ingredient in this recipe is nutritional yeast. It provides a robust flavor and can be found in bulk at most health stores.

If you like mushrooms in your gravy, sauté 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms in a tablespoon of margarine until the mushrooms are almost crispy. Mix them into the gravy just before serving.

Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup onion (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
½ cup flour (whole wheat works well but unbleached is good too)
4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons Tamari sauce
3 ½ cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in flour, nutritional yeast and Tamari sauce. Form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth. Season with sage, salt and pepper. Go light on the salt, as the Tamari and nutritional yeast are naturally salty. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to simmer, stirring constantly until thickened.

This recipe makes a boatload of savory gravory!