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This easy vegetarian gravy recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in just 15 minutes! It’s creamy and full of flavor. Use it over meatballs, with biscuits and gravy, and more.
If you eat a lot of vegetarian meals like we do, you might find yourself craving that silky, savory sauce that is gravy. Perhaps you eat it as a Thanksgiving side dish, or it’s a staple you love with biscuits and gravy.
Alex and I created a vegetarian meatballs recipe and needed a savory sauce to slather over those “meatballs.” We came up with this vegetarian gravy! It’s super savory and delicious, with an unexpected undertone of fennel that makes it tasty meaty. Here’s how to make a meatless gravy that tastes irresistibly satisfying!
Ingredients in this vegetarian gravy
Vegetarian gravy is a bit of a conundrum, because gravy is all about meat. The concept was born because someone saw those delicious juices that run out of cooked meat and said: “I could make a sauce out of that!” So a vegetarian gravy isn’t by definition gravy, but making a sauce with no meat can still be very satisfying if you put the right flavors together. Alex and I created this vegetarian gravy recipe to use common ingredients but still maintain an integrity of flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter and milk help bring in a rich, creamy flavor.
- Vegetable broth helps to form the base.
- Flour is used a thickener, to get the right consistency.
- Onion brings a savory undertone.
- Thyme and fennel seeds add intrigue to the flavor. Because fennel seeds are often used in sausage, your brain might associate a meaty flavor with this spice!
How to make vegetarian gravy
This white gravy recipe couldn’t be easier! Here are the main steps (or scroll down to the recipe):
- Sauté the diced onion in a little butter, then add in fennel, thyme, and cayenne and continue cooking until fragrant.
- Whisk in some flour and cook until the mixture turns a lovely golden brown color (to make a roux).
- Drizzle in some vegetable broth and milk and whisk constantly to avoid lumps in the gravy. Season with salt to your liking, and continue cooking until the gravy thickens. Once you remove the gravy from the stove, it will continue to thicken as it cools.
More about roux
A roux is flour and fat (usually butter) that are cooked together and used to thicken gravy and other sauces. When making gumbo, you cook the roux and watch as the color changes from white to golden to medium brown to a dark, reddish brown.
In this vegetarian gravy recipe, you’ll cook the roux until it is a medium brown color, then add milk and the gravy turns out as a light golden color.
Tips for reheating vegetarian gravy
Vegetarian gravy has a tendency to thicken up even further as it cools. If you have gravy leftovers that seem too thick to reheat properly, we recommend warming the gravy in a saucepan over low heat to loosen it up a bit. If the gravy is still too thick once it’s heated through, stir in a little milk or broth.
Variation: vegan gravy
This recipe is a vegetarian gravy recipe, so it contains dairy. If you prefer a fully vegan recipe, go to this Vegan Gravy recipe.
Dietary notes
This vegetarian gravy recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, go to Vegan Gravy. For gluten-free, use Gluten Free 1 for 1 Flour.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! While traditional gravy is often made with meat drippings, vegetarian gravy can be just as delicious and flavorful. Using a variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices creates a complex and satisfying flavor profile that complements a wide range of dishes.
Yes, vegetarian gravy can be made ahead of time and reheated before serving. This can be a great time-saver, especially for holiday meals. Simply store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Vegetarian gravy is a versatile condiment that complements many dishes, including mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, veggie burgers, or baked tofu. You can also use it to elevate your favorite plant-based comfort foods like vegan shepherd’s pie or vegan pot pie.
Vegetarian Gravy
This easy vegetarian gravy recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in just 15 minutes! Use it over meatballs or with biscuits and gravy.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (⅓ cup minced)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons whole fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup flour (for gluten-free, use 1 for 1 gluten free flour)
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Finely mince the onion.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then saute onion for 3 minutes until tender. Add the fennel, thyme, and cayenne and saute for 1 minute over medium heat until fragrant.
- Add the flour and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the color turns to golden and then to a medium brown (this is called a roux).
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the vegetable broth and stir until smooth and thickened. Drizzle in the milk, stirring constantly, making sure each bit is incorporated before adding more. Then stir in the salt. Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; the gravy will continue to thicken as it cools. Taste and add an additional pinch or two of salt as necessary. Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days refrigerated.
More vegetarian dinner recipes
To pair with this easy vegetarian gravy recipe, here are a few of our vegetarian dinner recipes:
- Norwegian Vegetarian Meatballs, which uses this vegetarian gravy recipe
- Vegetarian Meatloaf, a fan favorite
- Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Cozy Vegetarian Pot Pie
- Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
- Cheesy Vegetable Bake
This gravy was absolutely delicious!!!!! My daughter-in-law was cooking her first turkey and didn’t want to worry about gravy, so I made this recipe and served it with the turkey, and we just couldn’t get enough of it! I was scraping the pan to get every last bit into the serving bowl :) I will definitely be making this gravy again, and again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my favorite vegetarian gravy! I have used a variety of non dairy milks as well as dairy depending on what i have in the fridge or the dietary restrictions of my company. Earth balance butter and soymilk works great to veganize it. I’m trying to do some meal prep, and I’m wondering if this recipe freezes well?
We haven’t tried it, sorry! I think it would freeze fine. Let us know if you try it.
This is absolutely made vegan with Miyoko’s vegan butter and unsweetened almond milk! I am making the gravy to serve over mashed potatoes and I tweaked the seasonings a little to use 1/2 teaspoon fennel and a 1/2-1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus the thyme, dried red pepper, and salt. It’s very flavorful!
This was perfect! I’ve never made a gravy before and it came out way better than I thought it would. I used gluten free flour and used the 1:1 ratio and had no problems. Savin this recipe fasho!
So glad you enjoyed!
can you create vegan version?
Hi! You could replace the butter with olive oil, or try one of the vegan recipes linked above!
Hi this looks delicious!! Do you think it would be ok to sub out the butter for olive oil?
Yes, you could use olive oil! It might not taste quite as good, but you could definitely use it!
I like that this doesn’t have mushrooms in it – it sounds delicious! To make it vegan, could I substitute Earth butter and non-dairy milk?
Absolutely! That’s a great idea. Let us know how it turns out!