Caramelized Onion Gravy & Mashed Potatoes

Vegan gravy?

Yes, indeed.

Growing up, I was addicted to dipping bread in gravy. Of course, it was usually in some canned beef stew; that now reminds me far too much of canned dog food. Seriously, mother. What were you thinking?

So, when I went vegetarian, my days of eating gravy were gone.. or so I thought.

When planning to cook a vegan Thanksgiving, I started contemplating a vegan gravy. What could have a satisfying, creamy taste that is dip worthy? That my mashed potatoes would love to lay in?

I started looking online, and mostly, I found mushroom gravies. Which is fine.. except I hate mushrooms. But you easily could use mushrooms in this instead of onions, if you prefer; or a 50/50 mix even.

And don't worry about this being too "oniony." Caramelizing the onions first, makes them more sweet than pungent.

Gravy Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of Earth Balance (or vegan margarine)
1 medium yellow onion, cut into strips
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup of vegetable broth
salt & pepper, to taste
cornstarch, to thicken if necessary

Melt 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance in skillet. Add onion. Continue until onion has started to brown and is completely translucent.

Add last tablespoon of Earth Balance. Melt and stir in.
Add flour. Whisk or stir constantly until flour starts to brown - contents will become very 'paste-like.'

Gradually stir in vegetable broth. Continue to whisk over low heat. Depending on the fluid content of the onions, you might need slightly less than 1 cup to reach the desired consistency. If gravy does not thicken enough to your liking, alternate adding cornstarch and flour by the 1/2 tablespoon, until desired thickness is achieved.

And I can't give you a vegan gravy without giving you the mashed potatoes recipe for convenience. And I'll throw in a handy tip. Don't use soy milk for your mashed potatoes. I've tried it. It gives your mashed potatoes that slight powdery sweet aftertaste. Unsweetened almond milk works amazingly well.

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients:
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons of Earth Blance (or vegan margarine)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
salt & pepper, to taste
chives, optional

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender; about 15 minutes. Drain.
In a saucepan, heat Earth Balance and almond milk over low heat until EB is melted. Using a potato masher (or beaters), slowly blend milk mixture into potatoes until creamy and smooth. If adding them, also add chives while blending. Salt and pepper to taste.

Both are veeeery easy to do. So, go. Feast. Dip. Drink.