Biscuits and Gravy are the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a cozy evening at home. (That’s right! Not just for brunch!) This recipe turns traditional biscuits and gravy into a quick and flavorful vegetarian meal.
In this recipe
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The cookies
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A few words about mushrooms
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Tips for preparing sauce
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Variations (some vegan!)
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Storing and reheating vegetarian biscuits and sauces
When I want something warm and comforting, I make Biscuits and Gravy. It feels like a hug or a fluffy blanket.
These are quick and easy cream cookies. There is no need to carefully cut butter or shortening into the flour. You don’t even have to chill the cookies before baking.
Vegetarian cookies and gravy are the ultimate treat and only get better when shared with family or friends. If you start the sauce while the cookies are baking, you can have an easy meal on the table in about 30 minutes!
The cookies
I love a good, buttery, flaky cookie. I also love that this easy cream cookie is so quick to make. The inside is wonderfully moist, and the outside is just a little bit crunchy.
These cookies are made with lots of fresh thyme. You want to see little bits of thyme in the cookie, so don’t chop the herb into tiny little pieces. The herbs make the cookies extra special, but they taste great without them. It’s your decision.
The most important thing to remember is not to overwork the dough. Instead of kneading the dough, gather the dough with your hands and shape it into a flat circle – the dry bits will come together automatically.
The dough will be very sticky, so make sure your kitchen counter and cookie cutter are generously floured. Once you cut out 3 cookies, carefully gather the leftovers to cut out a few more cookies. You get 6 total. The second set might not rise as high as the first set, but that’s okay.
A few words about mushrooms
This recipe calls for a mixture of cremini and white mushrooms. Feel free to use any mushrooms you like. Shiitake and oyster mushrooms would work well.
When buying mushrooms, look for ones that are firm to the touch. Avoid mushrooms that are mushy, moist, or dried out.
There are a few ways to clean the mushrooms:
- The quickest way is to soak them in water for a minute or two and then pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- The second method, my favorite method, is to peel the mushrooms. Granted, it’s not the fastest and it’s a little finicky. After cutting off the stem, use a paring knife to grab the top layer under the cap (where the top meets the part under the cap that looks like a skirt). Pull towards the center and remove. Repeat this process around the entire mushroom cap until the entire outer layer has been removed.
Make sure the mushrooms are well dried after cleaning and that the pan is nice and hot. Cook the mushrooms before adding the rest of the ingredients to get a good browning and really bring out the flavor. Stir them frequently so they brown evenly.
CONTINUE READING:
Tips for preparing sauce
Preparing the sauce might be the hardest part of this recipe, but if something goes wrong, there are ways to salvage it.
- As you prepare the roux (flour plus butter), remember to stir, stir, stir! You don’t want the flour to burn. Once the milk has been added to the roux, stir, stir, stir again! Use a whisk to get out any lumps and incorporate them evenly into the sauce.
- If the sauce gets too thick add some milk to dilute it.
- Thin sauce can be thickened with a slurry 1 tablespoon each of water and cornstarch or flour. Slowly stir into sauce over medium-high heat until thickened.
Variations (some vegan!)
Baby spinach is added to the sauce for some color. Plus I think it makes a complete meal out of it – no need to make a veggie side (although that would be delicious).
You can add other vegetables you like to the sauce. Vegetables that take longer to cook, like carrots and broccoli, should be cooked until tender and crispy before adding them to the sauce.
Looking for a vegan version? Here is a recipe for wonderful vegan cookies. For the sauce, use equal amounts of vegan butter instead of butter and your preferred non-dairy milk instead of whole milk.
Storing and reheating vegetarian biscuits and sauces
The cookies taste best on the first day, shortly after they come out of the oven. That said, they’re still delicious the next day when reheated in a 350°F oven for about 7 minutes.
Wrap the cookies in foil to store. The sauce should be stored in a container with a lid. Refrigerate the sauce for up to 4 days and the cookies for up to a week. The sauce warms up well in the microwave.
More vegetarian classics we love
- Vegetarian Pad Thai with tofu
- Vegetarian shepherd’s pie with carrots and mushrooms
- Spicy vegetarian chili
- lentil soup
- Chana Masala
Vegetarian biscuits and sauce
ingredients
For the cookies
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2 cups (240G) all purpose flour
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2 teaspoon baking powder
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4 teaspoon sugar
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1 teaspoon Salt
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2 teaspoon fresh thymechopped
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1 1/2 cups heavy cream
For the sauce
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5 tablespoon unsalted butterdivided
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3 tablespoon olive oildivided
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12 ounces Mushrooms (a mix of cremini and white button), thinly sliced
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2 small shallotsfinely chopped
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1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, chopped
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1/2 teaspoon fennel seedseasily crushed
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1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (Optional)
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3/4 teaspoon Salt
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1/4 cup (30G) all purpose flour
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2 cups whole milk
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2 teaspoon fresh thymechopped
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1 Cup fresh baby spinachtightly packed
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Freshly ground black pepperserve (optional)
special equipment
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2 inch circular cutter
method
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Preheat oven to 425°F.
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Combine the dry ingredients:
Use a sieve or fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl to sift in the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
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Add the thyme and cream:
Scatter the thyme over the flour mixture. Drizzle in the whipped cream. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine the ingredients until the flour is moistened and the dough looks shaggy. It’s okay to have some loose flour. Do not overwork the dough as this will result in thick cookies.
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Roll out the dough:
Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Use your hands to gather the dough so it comes together and shape into a circle about 1 inch thick.
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Shape cookies:
Dip a 2-inch round cookie cutter in a small bowl of flour. Cut dough into rounds, press straight down and lift straight up. Cut out 3 biscuits and place on a large ungreased baking sheet. Gather the dough and gently shape it back into a circle 1 inch thick. Try not to knead or overwork the dough. Cut out 3 more biscuits and place them on the baking sheet. Leave 2 inches between each biscuit.
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Baking cookies:
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are just beginning to show a light golden color on top. Remove the cookies from the oven and set aside. It’s okay to leave the cookies on the baking sheet.
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Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms:
Heat a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to melt butter. Once the butter is completely melted, add the mushrooms and cook until tender and just asking to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. If the butter is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-high.
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Add the spices:
Add shallots, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes (if using), and salt. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the shallots and garlic are soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add butter, flour and milk:
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir until butter is melted. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until completely combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the milk in a steady stream, stirring constantly. The sauce should start to thicken.
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Add thyme and spinach:
Immediately stir in the thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the spinach and cook until the sauce is the desired thickness, about 4 minutes. If it gets too thick, stir in some milk.
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Surcharge:
Place a biscuit on a plate and spoon the sauce over it. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top, if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 607 | calories |
| 41g | Fat |
| 51g | carbohydrates |
| 11g | protein |
