This mushroom gravy is rich, savory, and easy to make from scratch, giving you a comforting, flavorful sauce without drippings using simple pantry ingredients.
This serves well with creamy polenta, cauliflower mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and potatoes, and garlic mashed potatoes.
An Easy Sauce That Makes Every Meal Better
This mushroom gravy is rich, savory, and deeply comforting, yet simple enough for any home cook. Made without drippings, it delivers big, cozy flavor using everyday pantry ingredients ๐
Itโs a vegan mushroom gravy that pairs beautifully with almost any roasted main. Louise and I love serving it with our mushroom Wellington, lentil loaf, and stuffed butternut squash, especially when we want a meal that’s generous and satisfying without feeling heavy.
Easy to make and full of umami, this gravy proves you can skip meat and drippings and still bring bold flavor to the table โจ
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Mushrooms: Button, cremini, baby bella, portobello, or porcini all work and build deep flavor for a homemade mushroom gravy. Substitute frozen mushrooms; cook them well until their liquid evaporates and they turn golden.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds richness and helps brown the mushrooms evenly. Substitute butter, vegan butter, avocado oil, or another neutral vegetable oil.
- Garlic: Freshly minced or grated garlic gives the best aroma in a mushroom gravy from scratch. Substitute a pinch of garlic powder or onion powder in a pinch.
- Flour: Thickens the gravy and creates a smooth texture. Substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour, rice flour, or 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with the broth.
- Butter or Vegan Butter: Adds classic gravy richnessโboth dairy and non-dairy butter work. You can substitute olive oil.
- Vegetable broth: Forms the savory base of the sauce. Substitute chicken broth or mushroom broth for deeper flavor.
- Soy sauce: Boosts umami and color. Substitute tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce.
- Rosemary: Adds warmth and aroma. Substitute fresh thyme, sage, or a bay leaf.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley or chives brighten the finished gravy, especially when serving as gravy for mashed potatoes.
How To Make Mushroom Gravy
Step 1: Clean and Chop the Mushrooms
Clean the mushrooms by brushing them with a damp paper towel or rinsing quickly if theyโre very dirty. Slice them thin and evenly so they cook at the same rate and brown properly.
Step 2: Cook the Mushrooms
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and the pan dries out.
Keep cooking until the mushrooms turn golden and flavorful. Add the grated garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, then transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
Step 3: Make the Gravy Base
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let it bubble gently. Slowly pour in the broth, soy sauce, and rosemary, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens into a smooth gravy.
Step 4: Finish and Serve
Return the mushrooms to the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer briefly, then taste and adjust seasoning or thickness. Serve warm. You can top it with chopped parsley.
Tips
- Take your time browning the mushrooms: Let them release their water and keep cooking until the pan is dry and the mushrooms turn golden. This is where most of the flavor comes from in a good homemade mushroom gravy.
- Use a wide skillet: Crowded mushrooms steam instead of brown. A wide pan helps them cook evenly and develop deeper flavor.
- Whisk constantly when adding liquid: This prevents lumps and keeps the gravy smooth, especially important for a silky plant based gravy.
- Adjust thickness gradually: If the gravy gets too thick, add broth a little at a time. If itโs too thin, simmer for another minute.
- Season at the end: Soy sauce and broth can vary in saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt.
- Make it ahead if needed: This gravy reheats well and is perfect for stress-free holiday cooking, including Christmas and Thanksgiving mushroom gravy.
- Serve it hot: Gravy thickens as it cools, so warm it gently before bringing it to the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can use olive oil or vegan butter and still get a rich, satisfying vegetarian mushroom gravy.
This usually means the pan was crowded or the heat was too low. Use a wide skillet and cook a little longer to let moisture evaporate, especially when making mushroom gravy without drippings.
Absolutely. The gravy can be made a day or two in advance and gently reheated on the stove with a splash of broth.
Whisk in warm broth a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Yes. Let it cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container. Thaw overnight and reheat gently, whisking well before serving.
More Easy Sides
- Pineapple Cucumber Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad
- Dill Potato Salad
- Roasted Carrots with Hot Honey Glaze
- Stuffed Mushrooms
If you tried this Easy Mushroom Gravy recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a ๐ star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Easy Mushroom Gravy (Without Drippings)
Video
Ingredients
Sautรฉed Mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced 1/8 inch or 3 mm thick
- ยฝ teaspoon salt + black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic grated
Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter or non-dairy butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth add more for a thinner gravy
- 1 sprig rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce reduced-sodium
Instructions
- Prep the Mushrooms: Wipe 1 pound mushrooms with a damp paper towel (or rinse quickly if very dirty). Slice them thin so they cook evenly.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, ยฝ teaspoon salt, and pepper.Cook, stirring now and then, until the mushrooms release their water and the pan looks dry.Keep cooking until they turn brown. Add 2 cloves garlic (grated) and cook for 30 seconds, just until it smells good. Move mushrooms to a plate.
- Make the Gravy: In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour and let it bubble gently for about 1 minute.Slowly pour in 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 sprig rosemary, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stirring the whole time so there are no lumps. Cook until the gravy thickens.
- Finish and Serve: Add the mushrooms back to the pan and stir. Simmer for 1โ2 minutes.Taste and adjust salt or add a splash of broth if itโs too thick. Serve warm.
Notes
- Mushrooms โ Button, cremini, baby bella, portobello, porcini, or frozen mushrooms (cook until all liquid is gone and theyโre golden)
- Extra virgin olive oil โ Butter, vegan butter, avocado oil, or another neutral vegetable oil
- Garlic โ A pinch of garlic powder or onion powder
- Flour โ Gluten-free all-purpose flour, rice flour, or cornstarch mixed with water
- Butter or vegan butter โ Olive oil
- Vegetable broth โ Chicken broth or mushroom broth
- Soy sauce โ Tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Rosemary โ Fresh thyme, sage, or a bay leaf.
- Brown the mushrooms well โ Let them release their liquid and keep cooking until the pan is dry and theyโre golden. Thatโs where the big flavor comes from.
- Use a wide pan โ Crowded mushrooms steam instead of brown. More space = better flavor.
- Whisk as you pour โ Add the liquid slowly and whisk the whole time to keep the gravy smooth and lump-free.
- Fix thickness little by little โ Too thick? Add a splash of broth. Too thin? Simmer for another minute.
- Taste at the end โ Broth and soy sauce can be salty, so season only after everything is combined.
- Make it ahead โ This gravy reheats well and is great for stress-free holiday cooking.
- Serve hot โ Gravy thickens as it cools, so warm it gently before serving.
- Store the mushroom gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months and reheat gently on the stove.
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Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
Weโre here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) ๐ฟโจ.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Very different than the other ones.i l liked. Itโs so much nice
Listen, I can’t make gravy to save my life. Even before I was vegetarian, i just couldn’t get that to come together and was always lumpy or bland. This was easy and very delicious. I think frying the mushrooms until all the water is gone is essential, it imparts seared bits of flavor on the pan that make this so yummy!
Hi Stacey,
Amazing – I’m so happy you enjoyed it! And you’re right, the key to success (and more flavor) is charred fried mushrooms ๐ช
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment here.
All the best,
Louise
Easy to make and very tasty! Thanks Nico and Louise!
I’m so very happy you liked it, Alex!
Thank you for leaving a comment here ๐ Kindest,
Louise
Perfect! Tasty! I love it๐๐ฆ
Amazing, Manuela! I’m so happy you like it!!
I was wondering why in your nutrition list you donโt include sodium amounts. It would be very helpful.
Hi JoAnn,
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide this information since our calculator does not provide accurate sodium amounts.
Kindest, Louise
I am not plant based but this is the best mushroom gravy I have found on line.
Amazing, Valerie. Thank you so much, I love that you loved it!
Have a great Sunday.
Louise
How much is a serving?
Hi Mary,
1 serving is about 6 ounces, depending on the water content of mushrooms and the amount of vegetable broth added.
I hope that helps. Have a great rest of your day!
Kindest, Louise
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