Vegan gravy is gravy made without the use of animal-derived ingredients such as meat and animal byproducts. These animal byproducts include anything derived from an animal aside from its flesh, such as milk, eggs, and cheese. Similar to recipes for other kinds of gravy, recipes for vegan gravy vary depending on everything from personal taste to the meal the gravy will be eaten with. Some recipes are as simple as replacing animal products with vegetable-based ingredients, and others include more varied ingredients like wines, herbs, and spices.
Given that a vegan diet restricts all meat, it is obvious that meat cannot be an ingredient for vegan gravy. Sometimes, though, people confuse vegan foods with vegetarian foods, or make the mistake of using the terms interchangeably. Neither a vegetarian nor a vegan diet allows meat. A vegan diet takes the restriction a step further and also prohibits animal byproducts such as milk, cheese, and eggs. So, by definition of its name, this means the gravy can include no meat and no animal byproducts.
The exact ingredients of a vegan gravy recipe will depend on the type of gravy, the meal or other foods the gravy will be served with, and the cook’s personal tastes. Many such gravies include vegetable broth or stock and nutritional yeast. A breakfast gravy recipe for vegans might include tofu or some other meat substitute instead of real sausage, or it might focus on fruits. Generally, dinner gravy recipes include an abundance of vegetables. Sometimes, vegan gravies are served during special occasion dinners and might include ingredients such as wine or exotic spices.
Recipes for vegan gravy are available from the same kinds of resources that provide recipes for regular gravy. People can look to vegan-oriented websites and blogs or friends who eat a vegan diet. Books that provide recipes for vegan cooking might include recipes for gravy, too. Some websites and recipe books might offer recipes for gravies specific to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as holiday-meal gravies such as those eaten at Christmas. Both the availability of such recipes and the wide variety of versions help people understand that while adopting a vegan diet can be a challenge at first, there are plenty of options that make it possible.
