Gravy in 40 Minutes?! Yes, Please!
Okay, confession time: I LOVE gravy. It’s basically the little black dress of food—goes with everything and always makes a meal feel a bit fancier. But here’s the thing: traditional gravy can feel like such a hassle, especially if you’re juggling a million things in the kitchen (we’ve all been there). So, what if I told you I can make a rich, silky gravy in less than 40 minutes? Oh, and it’s made from veggies! Yep, you heard that right—no need for drippings or complicated steps.
This veggie-packed gravy is super simple, which means no fussing over turkey juices or bacon fat (but, hey, if you’ve got those, more power to you!). The magic here is extracting all the delicious goodness from the roasted vegetables while lightly thickening it with flour. It’s like hitting the easy button for gravy!
Here’s where the science-y bit comes in—adding soy sauce to your gravy. Why soy sauce? Well, let me tell you, it’s all about that umami. Think of it like the flavor bomb that turns “pretty good” gravy into “OMG I need to drizzle this on EVERYTHING.” Soy sauce is packed with glutamates (fancy science word for that savory, deep flavor we all love), which gives your gravy that rich, meaty taste without any actual meat.
The best part? You don’t have to worry about all those extra trimmings or stress about time. Grab your veggies, roast them up, blend them, add a dash of soy sauce, and voila—you’re the gravy queen. Just pour over your mashed potatoes, veggies, or whatever else you’ve got, and enjoy!
Trust me, once you try this, you’ll be making gravy for way more than just holiday dinners!
Heat butter in a pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add your mirepoix - onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 5-8 minutes or so until well browned, stirring often. Be careful not to burn.
Turn the heat to medium, sprinkle the flour over the veggies and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another 5 minutes or so, to cook off the raw flour taste and allow the flour to slightly brown (aim for golden brown colour, but do not burn.)
NOTE: if you have trimmings, bones, chicken carcass - sear it until golden and well browned before searing the veggies, remove to a plate and add in step 2 after you have added the stock. The addition of these things will further intensify the flavour of the gravy, however, add another 20 minutes to the preparation.
Pour about 1/3 cup of stock very slowly while stirring vigorously. The goal is to work out all the little bits of flour into thick paste. Keep adding stock in a steady slow stream while stiring vigorously and working out any lumps that may form. THIS IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT RUSH ADDING THE LIQUID. Add bay leaves and dried thyme. Bring everything to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer uncovered for 25-45 minutes, the longer - the better, but the flavours will start coming together after just 20 minutes or so for this delicious quick gravy. Keep stirring your gravy every couple of minutes to prevent scorching the pot. If the gravy reduces too much, you can always add more stock to thin it out and reach your desired consistency.
Pass the gravy through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Add soy sauce, if using. Season your gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
The amount of flour is correct in this recipe. Some recipes call for double the amount of flour. But this recipe extracts the flavour with a lengthy simmering process (at least 25 minutes as per step 2,) so your gravy will reduce and thicken.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat butter in a pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add your mirepoix - onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 5-8 minutes or so until well browned, stirring often. Be careful not to burn.
Turn the heat to medium, sprinkle the flour over the veggies and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another 5 minutes or so, to cook off the raw flour taste and allow the flour to slightly brown (aim for golden brown colour, but do not burn.)
NOTE: if you have trimmings, bones, chicken carcass - sear it until golden and well browned before searing the veggies, remove to a plate and add in step 2 after you have added the stock. The addition of these things will further intensify the flavour of the gravy, however, add another 20 minutes to the preparation.
Pour about 1/3 cup of stock very slowly while stirring vigorously. The goal is to work out all the little bits of flour into thick paste. Keep adding stock in a steady slow stream while stiring vigorously and working out any lumps that may form. THIS IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT RUSH ADDING THE LIQUID. Add bay leaves and dried thyme. Bring everything to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer uncovered for 25-45 minutes, the longer - the better, but the flavours will start coming together after just 20 minutes or so for this delicious quick gravy. Keep stirring your gravy every couple of minutes to prevent scorching the pot. If the gravy reduces too much, you can always add more stock to thin it out and reach your desired consistency.
Pass the gravy through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Add soy sauce, if using. Season your gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
The amount of flour is correct in this recipe. Some recipes call for double the amount of flour. But this recipe extracts the flavour with a lengthy simmering process (at least 25 minutes as per step 2,) so your gravy will reduce and thicken.
Notes
Ever since I tried this at your house this is the only recipe I’ve been using. Can be made ahead. Delicious and surprisingly healthy compared to other gravy recipes out there!! Thanks Ellen!