Vegan Mushroom Sauce is rich with the earthy flavor of crimini mushrooms, plus an umami kick from soy sauce and miso. Pour this vegan gravy over mashed potatoes, cookies, or rice. It also freezes well!
Thanksgiving for vegetarians and especially vegans can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be! There are so many vegetables and plant-based side dishes to choose from that almost everyone at the table should be happy.
Be careful. You might want to make more of this sauce than you think you need because once vegans and omnivores alike try it, you’ll want to lick your plate clean.
Oven-roasted onions and cremini mushrooms (aka baby bellas because they’re actually baby portobello mushrooms) add fantastic depth of flavor to the sauce. Roasting actually intensifies the flavor of most vegetables, and mushrooms are no exception.
They could be fancy and add a mix of mushroom varieties like shiitake or oyster mushrooms, but if you want to keep it simple, cremini are the way to go. Miso and soy sauce add umami to the sauce and add another layer of flavor.
If you have homemade mushroom or vegetable broth on hand, now is the time to use it, but don’t worry. Store-bought broth offers great results.
Troubleshooting vegan sauce
I get a lot of calls from friends about saving gravy over the holidays, but the most important advice is: Don’t stress. These are simple solutions! You know how you like your sauce, so trust that.
- Too thick? Gradually stir in the broth bit by bituntil the desired consistency is reached.
- Too thin? Whisk together a slurry of flour or cornstarch and cold water (strain if there are any lumps). It should be soupy, not thick. Then stir a small amount—about a tablespoon—into the simmering sauce. Stir and simmer the sauce for a few minutes to cook the starch. Repeat the process until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
This is how you get the best sauce texture
You have two good choices for this sauce. Once it comes together, you can serve it as is, with the mushroom slices intact, or if you want a smooth sauce, puree in a blender or with an immersion blender.
The sauce tends to thicken as you puree it, so you’ll likely need to add more broth to get it to the consistency you prefer.
How to store and freeze vegan sauce
The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or just reheat in a saucepan over low heat from the freezer. It may look curdled at first so give it a good workout with a whisk when hot and it will become smooth.
The best mushrooms for vegan sauce
The cremini mushrooms needed in this sauce have a rather savory flavor, and their brown color—along with the soy sauce in this recipe—helps give it a familiar color. White mushrooms would work, but wouldn’t be as appealing.
You could use a wild mushroom mix but in this recipe their flavor is dulled more so you wouldn’t get good value for your money.
Also look under the Baby Bella name when shopping for Cremini mushrooms. They are the same. Look for mushrooms that are smooth, firm, and dry. If the mushrooms are slimy, soft, blotchy, or have an unpleasant odor, don’t buy them. They’ve started to go bad.
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What to serve with vegan mushroom sauce
- Rice from the stove
- Vegan Cookies
- Brown rice
- baked potatoes
- Instant Pot Potatoes
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Vegan mushroom sauce
Miso adds extra depth of savory flavor to this vegan sauce, but it’s okay to skip if you don’t have it on hand.
If soy is a problem, look for soy-free soy sauce and soy-free miso (like chickpea miso), but avoid coconut amino acids — a common substitute for soy sauce — for their coconut aroma and flavor.
ingredients
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1 lb cremini mushrooms, Cut 1/4 inch thick
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1/4 Middle Onion, Cut 1/4 inch thick
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3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1/4 Cup all purpose flour
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3 to 4 cups unsalted vegetables mushroom broth
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1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
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2 teaspoon red, yellow or white Miso, optional
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Fry mushrooms and onions:
On the baking sheet, pile the mushrooms in one pile and the onions in the other, keeping the piles separate. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet, keeping onions and mushrooms separate, and sprinkle with thyme.
Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deep brown. If the mushrooms are done before the onions, remove them from the pan, return the pan to the oven and continue to bake until the onions are golden brown.
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Finish cooking the sauce:
Put the mushrooms and onions in a saucepan. Add the flour over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes or until the flour is lightly browned.
Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until you have used 3 cups of the broth. Stir well after each 1/2 cup addition. Stir in soy sauce and miso (if using). Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Adjust the consistency by adding more broth if it’s thicker than you’d like. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. (If you’re not using miso, you’ll need to add more salt to the sauce.)
The sauce can be served as is or pureed in a blender. The sauce will thicken a bit as you puree. After it’s smooth, add more broth until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 40 | calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 4g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
