Description
This rich Vegetarian Gravy is made with roasted vegetables, herbs, soy sauce, and redcurrant jelly for deep, savory flavor. It’s smooth, hearty, and perfect for pairing with nut roasts, mashed potatoes, or any vegetarian meal—and it freezes beautifully for make-ahead convenience.
Ingredients
2 Onions
500 g Leeks
450 g Carrots
4 Celery sticks
1 Garlic bulb
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Tomato puree
10 g Fresh thyme
2 Bay leaves
2 Vegetable stock cubes (no need to dilute)
1.5 l Water
180 ml Vegetable stock
25 g Cornflour
2 tbsp Dark soy sauce (reduced salt preferred)
2 tbsp Redcurrant jelly
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ fan/220℃/Gas Mark 7.
- Cut onions into quarters (leaving most of the skin on), and chop leeks, carrots, and celery into 2 cm chunks. Slice the top off the garlic bulb.
- Place all vegetables on a large baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 50 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven, add tomato puree and thyme, toss well, and roast for another 10 minutes until deeply browned.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large saucepan. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins into the pan, then add bay leaves, stock cubes, water, and vegetable stock.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour to develop flavor.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the vegetables to extract all liquid. Discard the solids.
- Return the strained liquid to the saucepan. Mix cornflour with a little of the gravy to make a smooth paste, then whisk it into the pan.
- Add soy sauce and redcurrant jelly, whisking well as the gravy simmers for 5–10 minutes until thickened.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm.
Notes
Add balsamic vinegar or Marmite for extra umami depth.
Blend the strained gravy for a silky, restaurant-style finish.
Replace redcurrant jelly with cranberry sauce for a sweeter version.
Use vegetable scraps to reduce waste and boost flavor.
Store in the fridge for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat gently on the stove before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Roasting and Simmering
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
