VEGETARIAN GRAVY Easy-Peasy, Vegan, Option for carnivores

Lovely Gravy with a Veggie Twist

This vegetarian gravy, adapted from The Vegetarian Feast by Martha Rose Shulman (sadly out of print), is surprisingly wonderful.  One fears veggie gravy will be a bit insipid, a little uninspiring.  This one has great flavour, a wonderful texture and is much better for you than meat gravies.  It wraps itself gently around the food it covers and tenderly embraces it.  It is perfect for Crispy Noodles with Chicken, Broccoli & Gravy.

The recipe halves or doubles nicely.  The remainder can be frozen.  The gravy can be made ahead of time on the day and re-heated.  

Cost: 50 pence, if that
Makes: 2 cups/half a litre

Ingred:
    3 tbsp sunflower oil
    1/2 med onion grated or minced (medium or coarse on box)

    3 tbsp flour (67 used spelt but wheat is fine) 

     2 cups/400ml vegetable stock; you need good stock for this so if not home-made then good granules (see tips below)  

   1/4 tsp rosemary
   1/4 tsp thyme

   small bay leaf

   garlic clove

   slice raw ginger

   1-2 tbsp reduced-(not low)-salt soy (depending on blood pressure and taste.  67 uses Amoy or Pearl River Bridge) 
   1/4 tsp pepper
    4-6 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

Method:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan on med high  
2. Add onions, stir for a few minutes  
3. Add flour, stir; turn heat up a bit, continue stirring until it turns brown and starts smelling toasty (a few mins)
4. Take pan off heat; gradually add stock, whisking continuously. 
5. Return pan to stove; turn heat to high bring to a boil; add rosemary, thyme, ginger & garlic .
6. Simmer on a low heat for 10 mins.  The gravy should be the thickness of double cream.  If too thick, add a little more stock or water.  If too thin, add 1 tsp cornflour mixed with one tbsp cold water and stir till thickened.  Discard ginger and garlic.  
7. Add soy sauce and pepper.  Keep warm.
8. Freeze leftovers in individual packs for midweek meals

Tips:

• If you have no available stock or granules, use water but add a further whole clove of garlic and slice of peeled ginger after step 5.  Remove the garlic & ginger before serving.
• Mushroom Gravy is a little more intense in flavour: fry a handful of thinly sliced mushrooms until no more liquid is released.  Stir in 1/8 tsp dried thyme. Add to the gravy.
• Cooks who aren't ideologically vegetarian/vegan sometimes add several drops of Worcestershire Sauce
• 67 often uses this gravy as a base for meat gravy, having removed however much is needed for a vegan dish.  The juices of a roast, with most of the fat removed, are added to the veggie gravy, heated through and thickened or thinned accordingly
• Also try: vegetarian red wine gravy 

More vegetarian/vegan on NavBar: Recipes II

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This recipe was adapted by B M Lee Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.