4 ingredients is all you need to make this easy vegan onion gravy! It's so simple, but packed with flavor and the perfect topping for any meal. Bonus, it's gluten free too!
I use a secret ingredient that gives this vegan gravy the perfect texture without having to spend time at the stove stirring and stirring.
This post was originally published on November 17, 2018.
This easy vegan gravy is perfect smothered on top of my creamy vegan mashed potatoes. But it's amazing on so many other things! I love it over baked oven fries for a healthier poutine like treat!
Ingredients
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 fool proof gravy without having to sit and stir until the darn thing thickened (or didn't depending on how I screwed it up), I was hooked.
A few simple ingredients is all you need:
- Sweet or yellow onion
- Sea salt
- Veggie broth
- Cooked potato
How To Make Easy Vegan Gravy
It really is the easiest! Not to mention so dang good, I can't even stand it!
- Caramelize onions in a pan.
- Throw everything in a blender and blend.
- Serve over all the things!
Ways to Use Gravy
Try to resist slurping this gravy up with a spoon and serve it with one of these recipes instead:
- Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Gluten Free Vegan Stuffing
- Loaded Baked Potato
- Oven Baked Fries (try poutine style!)
- Homemade Hashbrowns or Breakfast Potatoes
- Biscuits
- Vegan Meatloaf
- Vegan Meatballs
- Rice - learn How to Cook the Perfect Rice!
- As a dip for Vegan Sausage Balls, Onion Rings, or Eggplant Fries
Preparation Tips
Follow these suggestions for the best creamy vegan gravy:
- Just grab the potatoes from the cooked batch you have going for those mashed potatoes, so no extra work needed!
- I measured my sliced onions loosely packed.
- To make this really hands off, try cooking the onions in a slow cooker on low for 10 hours. I did not try this but a reader did and said it worked great.
- You can adjust the thickness of the gravy by using more or less potato.
- Make this recipe oil free by using vegetable broth to sauté instead of oil.
Storage Suggestions
- You can make this ahead of time, just seal in an airtight container.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can also easily freeze this vegan gravy for 3 months.
- Note that because potatoes are the base, this gravy will thicken as it cools.
- When you are ready to eat, all you need to do is put it in a pan and reheat it so that it thins back out. You can also microwave to save time.
Common Questions
Traditionally, you add a thickener, usually some sort of flour or starch, and you sit and stir and stir and stir. Until it gets thick. But I have another trick.
Potatoes. Say what?! Yep, I mean we are all making mashed potatoes anyway right (see my new incredibly easy and creamy vegan mashed potatoes here)?
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 you have to stand there and stir until the darn gravy thickens or doesn't thicken right. Just throw it all into a blender and blend! This also makes this vegan gravy naturally gluten free.
Absolutely. As long as it isn't gravy made from meat drippings or broth, like the usual recipe, and as long as it doesn't use butter or dairy.
In this gravy, I get the flavor from caramelized onions. No meat or butter needed.
More Easy Vegan Recipes
Whether you need a dip, topping, or pasta sauce I've got you covered with these simple plant based recipes!
- Tahini Sauce
- Gluten Free Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
- Vegan Buffalo Sauce
- The Best Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Healthy BBQ Sauce
- Sharp White Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Easy Vegan Onion Gravy (Gluten Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups thinly sliced sweet or yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- more veggie broth to sauté or your favorite oil
- 1 ½ cups veggie broth , low sodium if needed
- ½ cup cooked potato , adjust for desired gravy thickness
- Serve with Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Instructions
- Sauté the onions with the salt and broth or oil 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.
- 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 if you prefer, and add more potatoes for a thicker gravy.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or anything else you prefer!
Notes
- Use the cooked potatoes from the batch you are using to make mashed potatoes.
- I measured my sliced onions loosely packed.
- You can make this ahead of time, or even freeze.
- To make this really hands off, try cooking the onions in a slow cooker on low for 10 hours. I did not try this but a reader did and said it worked great.
- Makes about 2 cups, serving size is ¼ cup
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Theresa Perry
I have made this several times now. I added poultry seasoning and some spicy brown mustard. It had always been delicious and so easy!
veggiesdontbite
That sounds delicious Theresa! So happy you like it!
Chris Zachos
Any suggestions of other spices to add to make it have a more “thanksgiving” flavor?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Chris! You can add thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage or a bay leaf. Those are the more thanksgiving like flavors.
Michelle
Truly wonderful!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Michelle!
Susan Harrie
Very good but a tad too sweet for my taste. To conteract the sweetness, I added a bit of porcini mushroom powder, which also made it a bit richer. It would depend on what I was using it for, however. It's great on its own.
Nice, easy recipe and one I'll go back to again and again. Thanks!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Susan! Yes, caramelized onions can be a little sweet for sure. You can try not allowing them to fully caramelize next time, just sauté normally. But I love that you added the porcini mushroom powder! That sounds amazing.
Lue
Blown away with this recipe! The taste is beyond amazing! I had a hard time not drinking it all right from the blender. My only change was to put the sliced onions in a slow cooker on low for 10 hours. This eliminated me having to stand over the stove to caramelize the onions since the crock pot did it for me. Simple combination of real ingredients, and yet packed with flavor and perfect texture. Thanks for another winner, Sophia!
veggiesdontbite
Wow Lue! Thanks so much for the great review! I love that idea of slow cooking the onions. A perfect way to make it even easier. I’ll add it to my notes!
Julie Madsen
And just in the knick of time! I'll be making this tomorrow and eliminating stove-stirring time...thanks!