Vegan miso gravy made with just 6 ingredients for an easy, savoury alternative to traditional gravy. Packed with flavour, it's perfect for any meal – think over mashed potatoes, for a vegan poutine, or as part of a holiday spread.
Try serving your gravy with vegan meatballs for a Swedish-style dinner, or use it as the sauce for tempeh harvest bowls.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Flour: I use organic white flour for making roux, but if you don't want to use white flour, light spelt, whole wheat pastry flour, or a gluten free mix (so long as it has some thickener in it) will work well.
- Tamari: substitute soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Miso: a lighter miso is called for here, and I prefer white miso. A dark or red miso is a bit too strong.
- Vegetable stock: if you can make your own, that will taste best, but a nice-tasting store bought variety will work too.
How to Make Miso Gravy
Step 1: mix the miso, pepper, tamari, and a little of the stock. Set aside.
Step 2: melt the butter, then whisk in the flour. Once it starts to bubble, add the garlic and cook for a minute.
Step 3: slowly add the remaining stock, stirring constantly, and simmer for a minute to thicken.
Step 4: once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the miso mixture. Serve immediately.
Top Tips
- Make sure you cook the flour: to avoid a taste of flour in the gravy, be sure to cook it until golden in the roux.
- Add the miso last: miso is enzyme rich and heating it to a high degree reduces some of the benefits.
- Don't skip the tamari: this is a primary seasoning element - all the salt comes from the tamari and miso - and omitting it will make for a bland gravy.
How to Store
Storage: keep the gravy in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently over low heat and whisk again before serving.
Freezing: transfer fully cooled gravy to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating as usual.
FAQ
Can I substitute different miso types?
It depends on the recipe, but dark brown and red miso have much stronger tastes than white or light miso, which both contain more rice.
How can I thicken gravy?
If your gravy is too thin, let it simmer a little longer to thicken before removing from the heat. Make sure you add the right amount of flour, too.
What's the best way to reheat gravy?
I recommend reheating gravy on the stove over low heat, stirring constantly. This prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and it won't make a mess like it can in the microwave.
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Recipe
6 Ingredient Miso Gravy
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons light miso I prefer white miso (Shiro)
- 1 tablespoon Tamari
- 1 cup good quality vegetable stock divided
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 small clove garlic grated
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Add the miso, tamari, and a splash of the vegetable stock to a bowl and mix well. Set aside.4 teaspoons light miso, 1 tablespoon Tamari, 1 cup good quality vegetable stock
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once it's melted, whisk in the flour. Once this mixture starts bubbling, add the garlic. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly.2 tablespoons vegan butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 small clove garlic
- Slowly add the vegetable stock, stirring constantly. Simmer the gravy until thickened, another minute or two.1 cup good quality vegetable stock
- Once the gravy has thickened, remove it from the heat. Stir in the miso mixture and pepper. Taste the gravy and season if needed. Serve immediately.Pinch of black pepper