Mushroom gravy (vegan-friendly)
Recipe video here.
Comfort food comes in many ways, sometimes it’s pasta, and other times it’s something with potatoes. At least it is in my house! Meatless Mondays have never been easier with this tasty mushroom gravy.
I absolutely love mushrooms so much! They are extremely versatile, more importantly, great meat substitutes, even for non-vegetarian eaters! Mushrooms are packed with and depending on what type of mushrooms you use; each one will give any dish an elevated unique flavour profile. From earthy to nuttiness and more!
It’s All Gravy, Baby!
This gravy dish is hearty and full of nutrients, adaptogens, and it’s dairy-free! Since this is a fully meatless and vegan meal, to add even more of the mushroom taste, I used mushroom powders: the Lion’s Mane and Adaptogenic powder from Anima Mundi Herbals. Right now, you can get 15% off your entire order, no minimums. View the shop here.
For this recipe, I used a mix of fresh mushrooms, including some that I had grown and foraged myself (oyster, trumpet, and maitake), and store bought (cremini, and baby bella). If you’ve seen my Instagram Stories, then you know we grew loads of Lion’s Mane mushrooms again this year. There’s nothing like fresh Lion’s Mane mushrooms, but here, I used just a little bit of the concentrated powder to make this a full-on adaptogenic gravy.
How to Serve the Gravy
This mushroom gravy can be served best over a bed of mashed potatoes. Add garlic, parsley and a drizzle of ghee or olive oil to the mash, and it makes the perfect pairing to scoop up the gravy and hearty mushrooms.
As the gravy runs down the sides of the mashed potatoes, now would be a good time to additional treasures. By the way, a few crunchy bits of fried Lion’s mane, or even spirals of crispy onions on top of the gravy just before serving wouldn’t hurt, either! I have made it that way before and yes, it’s amazing!
The Adaptogenic powder has 7 medicinal mushrooms, including the following: Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Agaricus (Agaricus blazei), Lion's Mane (Hericum erinaceus), Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris), Chaga (Inonotus oblicuus), Maitake (Grifola frondosa), Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mixed with a little Cacao Bean.
These adaptogenic powders are made with all 100% organically grown mushrooms, with wildcrafted elements (Chaga mushroom). The powders are steam extracted, and have no binders or fillers.
Equipment & More:
Make this vegan dinner tonight! This mushroom gravy recipe is simple, and makes a very tasty dairy-free gravy for all to enjoy!
Equipment:
- 10-inch nonstick pan
- Spatula
- Serving spoon
- Kitchen paper towels
- Kitchen cloth towel
- Medium or large mixing bowls
This recipe generously feeds 4 to 6 people, or makes 6 servings. Served with mash potatoes.
- 1 pound (455g) wild mushrooms, whole (a mix of King oyster, cremini, maitake, pearl, trumpet, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots (finely chopped)
- 2 large cloves garlic, (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 - 4 fresh thyme leaves, (or around 1 teaspoon), (de-stemmed and roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Tamari soy sauce
- 2 cups (476 ml) vegetable broth, low-sodium
- 3 heaping tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 teaspoon adaptogenic mushroom powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- Prepping the mushrooms:
- Line a small tray with a few layers of kitchen paper, or on a flat surface, lay out a clean kitchen towel. Set aside.
- Wet a few kitchen paper towels, and clean the mushrooms by wiping away any dirt or debris from the mushrooms. Then, use a dry kitchen paper towel to remove and wipe away any unwanted or woody parts of the mushrooms.
- Slice all of the mushrooms, making sure to carefully slice the delicate mushrooms. Mushrooms have varied shapes, so it's okay if they are not perfectly sliced.
- Transfer the mushrooms to the prepared kitchen towel or kitchen paper lined tray. Set aside.
- Making the gravy:
- In a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, melt the ghee, when it has completely melted add the olive oil, and chopped shallots, stirring and moving the shallots around the pan with a silicone spatula. Sauté for 2 minutes or until the shallots become opaque and start to change colour.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook a further 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms have softened. Then, stir in the Tamari soy sauce.
- Add the 3 heaping tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch) to the container of vegetable broth and use a whisk to blend together until the broth lightens, and you do not see any cornflour. Then, if using mushroom powder whisk it in the broth mixture as well.
- Pour the broth mixture in the pan. Immediately, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and a gravy has formed.
- Stir in ½ teaspoon of the Worcestershire sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Switch off the heat. Garnish the gravy with chopped fresh parsley leaves. Serve with mashed potatoes and enjoy!
When prepping the mushrooms, it's best to use a kitchen towelette, to gently wipe away excess dirt. Therefore, preserving the integrity and flavour of the mushrooms.
If your mushrooms are quite dirty and need a good rinse, usually, you don't want to soak or submerge the mushrooms in a lot of water because it can make the mushrooms soggy. Just patiently wipe away the dirt with wet kitchen towelettes, and dry them as stated in Step 2 of "Prepping the Mushrooms" section.
