An easy and inexpensive vegan gravy, made with carrots, celery, onion, thyme, and vegetable broth. No mushrooms or soya sauce are needed for this simple recipe.
Heat a saucepan over low-medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot, 2-3 stalks celery, 2 cloves garlic
Stir in the thyme, then add the wine. This will deglaze the pot, helping to lift anything that might have stuck to the bottom. The wine will immediately hit a high simmer, and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce by half.
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves *, 100 ml dry white wine
Add the vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid cracked to let steam escape.
450 ml vegetable broth, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl, whisking well with a fork to break up any lumps.
1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Increase the heat to bring the gravy back up a low boil, then stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let the gravy simmer for another five minutes to thicken, then strain through a fine sieve.
Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve hot.
Notes
* A spring of rosemary, with the leaves minced, can be subbed for thyme if preferred. Half the amount of dried thyme can also be used.** If you want to sub tomato paste, use 1 tablespoon paste and cook it for 3-4 minutes before adding the broth. Add an additional 80 ml (⅓ cup) broth. This makes for a slightly different flavour, but it's just as good.