Chef Bryanna Clark Grogan makes holidays a breeze with her classic recipe collection in The (Almost) No-Fat Holiday Cookbook. It’s just one of her eight popular vegan cookbooks, and it’s been selling since 1995. Today we’re sharing one of Bryanna’s favorite holiday recipes, fat-free vegan brown gravy. It’s light, but rich, and the perfect addition to your dinner table at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any night for that matter. And it’s not only dairy-free, but also gluten-free optional.
Bryanna is well known for her low-fat cooking, but you can add a little fat to this recipe if you’re craving a touch more richness. Simply whisk 1 to 4 tablespoons (up to 1/4 cup) of olive oil with the flour and yeast flakes as you toast them.
Special Diet Notes: Fat-Free Vegan Brown Gravy
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 2½ cups water (or use 2 cups water + ½ cup dry sherry, port, Madeira, or Marsala)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Few shakes of gravy browner (such as Kitchen Bouquet; optional)
- ⅓ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (see Gluten-Free Option below)
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water or water-wine mixture, soy sauce, salt, and gravy browner, if using.
- In a heavy saucepan over high heat, whisk the flour and nutritional yeast together until it smells toasty.
- Remove the pan from the heat to gradually whisk in the liquid mixture until smooth.
- Return the pan to the high heat. Stir the gravy constantly until it thickens and comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 5 minutes.
- If making ahead, let the gravy cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Reheat and whisk in a saucepan when ready to serve.