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You are going to love my easy 4-ingredient vegan onion gravy! It's so simple to make, but packed with caramelized onion flavor and the perfect creamy texture. It's the perfect substitute for regular gravy for anyone following a plant-based diet, and makes a great topping or dip for so many meals beyond classic mashed potatoes. Bonus, it's gluten free too!
I generally live in my kitchen, but when it comes to the holidays I may as well pull up a sleeping bag. So when I figured out a secret trick to making the perfect foolproof gravy without having to sit and stir until the darn thing thickened, I was hooked.
My special ingredient? Potatoes! Yep, no need to add other thickeners like flour or starch and stir and stir and stir. Plus, we are all likely making mashed potatoes during the holidays anyway, right?!
I have used potatoes in my vegan cheese sauces for that perfectly thick texture, so it got me thinking.
And I was right. No more flour. No more being mad that I have to stand there and tire out my wrists while waiting to see the fate of my gravy's thickness. Now I just throw it all into a blender and mix everything up! I'm telling you, this really is the BEST vegan onion gravy recipe ever!
🥘 Ingredients
My vegan caramelized onion gravy recipe only calls for a few simple ingredients, which you likely already have on hand! Here is what I use:
Onion: I prefer to use sweet onion or yellow onion in this recipe since they caramelize really well and have a milder "spice" to them.
Sea Salt: A dash of salt helps to bring out the flavors of the onions as they caramelize. There is likely some salt in the veggie broth, so no need to go overboard! You can also try a little soy sauce or tamari instead of salt for an additional umami boost here.
Veggie Broth: I like to use a vegetable broth with no added sugar or natural flavors, to make this heart healthy caramelized onion gravy as nourishing as possible.
Potato: For my onion gravy no flour recipe the secret ingredient is cooked potato. With its mild flavor and creamy texture, it just makes sense! I know you will love this easy hack as much as I do!
🔪 How To Make Vegan Onion Gravy
Making vegan gluten free onion gravy is a breeze! All I do is saute the onions and blend everything up into a creamy sauce. Try to avoid eating it all up when taste testing, but it really is so dang good! Here are my easy steps:
Caramelize Onions: First, I sauté my 3 cups of sliced onions (measured loosely packed) with a sprinkle of salt over medium low heat until brown, sticky and caramelized. This took me about 30 minutes for the perfect flavor, but taste and judge for yourself. My onions cooked down to about a ½ cup.
Blend: Next, I put the onions along with the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and thick. Add more broth for a less pronounced flavor or to reach your desired consistency, and add more potatoes for a thicker gravy.
Serve: Finally, I pour over mashed potatoes but feel free to serve with anything else you prefer!
📖 Variations
My gluten-free vegetarian gravy is intentionally kept super simple so that you can make it with ease! It is already so flavorful, but it's also a great base for adding in even more flavors! Here are some of my favorite variations for switching up the taste of the sauce and accommodating other diets:
Garlic Gravy: Once the onions are nearly caramelized I add in some minced or chopped garlic, allowing it to saute for about 5 minutes. Then, I just follow the instructions and blend everything up!
Mushroom Gravy: If you love that mushroom gravy flavor as much as I do, feel free to saute some mushrooms to blend into the sauce. Alternatively, I've also tried this gravy with mushroom broth and it is very yummy!
Herbs & Spices: For more flavor in this quick onion gravy I like to add in different herbs and spices like garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, sage, rosemary, and parsley.
Oil-Free: When I need to accommodate oil-free dietary preferences, I use a little vegetable broth to sauté instead of oil.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Try to resist slurping up this vegan french onion gravy with a spoon and serve it with some of my favorite sides and main dishes instead:
Pour Over Top: Gravy is obviously a classic side dish for some healthy mashed potatoes, vegan turkey, a vegan roast dinner, cornbread gluten free stuffing, vegan shepherd's pie, or vegan poutine. You can also try it out with my healthy baked potatoes for something different!
Serve As A Dip: I love using this vegan gravy recipe in fun, unique ways! My family enjoys it as a dipping sauce for mashed potato fritters, air fryer jicama fries, mushroom fritters, or really any type of fry!
And while I LOVE gravy year round, be sure to include it in your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner spread alongside all of these tasty recipes:
🫙 Storage Instructions
Fridge: Once cooled, I store leftover vegan gluten free gravy in an airtight container (I like to use a mason jar). This gravy will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: Since I love using gravy throughout the year for various recipes like poutine, I often make a batch to freeze! It can be stored frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Since potatoes are the base, this veggie onion gravy will thicken as it cools. When I'm ready to eat, all I do is put it in a pan and reheat it so that it thins back out. Sometimes I'll lightly whisk in some veggie broth as it heats if I need to thin it out further. You can also microwave to save time.
❓Recipe FAQs
Do I need to peel my potatoes for vegan onion gravy?
It really just depends on your preference, since you will be blending it all up anyways. The skins may change the flavor of the sauce though, so I recommend peeling them first if you are looking for the most traditional gravy taste.
Why is my vegan gravy so thick?
If your gravy sauce is too thick, you may have added too much potato or not enough broth. Regardless, it is an easy fix! All you need to do is add in some more veggie broth to thin it out to your preference. If stored in the refrigerator it may have naturally thickened due to the starch in the potatoes. No need to add extra liquid in this case, just warm it up over stove top and it will thin out again to the original consistency.
📋 Recipe Card
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