I, too, make vegetarian dressing for my dtr. For the gravy, I saute chopped mushrooms in butter, add flour to make a roux, then add vegetable broth, stirring all the while, until the gravy is the consistency I want. I add a little sage, parsley and thyme, and sometimes salt. The mushrooms make the gravy lumpy, but that's how my dtr likes it. Her gravy is paler than ours, but it is delicious. She eats all the other sides.

I suppose you could whirr the mushrooms in a food processor if your guest doesn't like lumps.

I forgot to say that I am very careful not to use the same utensils to stir her food that I use to stir the "meaty" foods. She's 25, has been vegetarian since she was 13. All I can say is thank goodness she's not vegan!

Funny thing is that several dishes I converted to vegetarian have become preferred to the original by other members of the family, including the gravy!

Its' nice of you to consider your guest. My dtr says not every host is so considerate.

I'm in a rush, but I make biscuits and gravy using a basic bechemel sauce for the gravy, with a little seasoning to give it the flavor I want. I'll think on it, and look in my cookbooks to see if I can find something more helpful for you tonight.

Sally

I've made a vegetarian gravy using Portabello mushrooms. it was delicious!!

Saute the portobello's in some butter or olive oil along with some onion and a bit of garlic. Stir in some flour to make a roux, add veggie broth or the potato water, thicken and then whir in the food processor until smooth.

Cutting pasting for my veggie friends.

You could also throw dried mushrooms like porcini into a FP or blender before hydrating.

Think of gravy as a sauce made with meat. So if you want a general sauce to put over potatoes and dressing, veggies, etc., without meat, you have a couple of options. I don't even like gravy when I do eat meat, so I would prefer a white or cheese sauce, but a brown sauce with mushrooms is another option. I like "wine gravy" which has tomatoes and wine, but that's just me, I like picante food which is why mashed potatoes and stuffing are not fave's of mine.

Wow, what great ideas!!! Thank you, thank you...I never thought of mushrooms but they should be able to give flavor and substance to the gravy. Just got home from work and running back out to get the mushrooms.

Thanks a million and Happy Thanksgiving...

Jane

Whatever your recipe is, add a table spoon of soy sauce.

It makes it brown and adds complexity to the flavor.

BTW, someone said butter, is that vegetarian?

dcarch

Most vegetarian's will eat butter, eggs, etc. Just not meat. Although there are variations of "vegetarians."

Vegans don't eat anything that is or comes from an animal (e.g. butter)

Bonnie

I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about this thread and haven't been at the computer. Now I have to rush off to work. However, everyone came up with better ideas than I had, so it looks like you're good to go. Good luck. I'm going to try some of y'all's suggestions in the future myself!

Sally

I have 3 vegetarians and 2 Vegans, and I always make "special" options for them, I make gravy, using earth balance as the "butter",because it is vegan, & like everyone else I make a roux,and add vegetable broth, it was good but reading this gave me the idea of adding the mushrooms, which is great, then I was brainstorming cause one of the vegetarians is my now pregnant DIL, so I am on the hunt of ways to add more protien. I had some extra white beans (about 1 cup)I had cooked up, so I whirred them with my stick blender & some of the broth, and and then strained the solids and added that to the gravy, then whirrd the whole pot again. It tastes more like mushroom soup, but it is really tasty. Just wanted to add this idea.

Ways to "thicken up" vegetarian not-gravy include a small amount of well cooked lentils or well cooked yellow split peas, blended really well. When I make mock chicken soup I make a watery blend of yellow split peas and broth and then whirl it well with the stick blender so it has a thick brothy consistency and is a yellowish brown color. Lentils will be browner but their skins are a little more evident. Garbanzos might work too, but I've never tried them. Also, using dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted, adds a "meaty" taste and so do portabellas, although I don't really like them. I don't LIKE meaty tastes, it's really the taste of decay, which is why mushrooms and other fungus have a meaty taste too! Another thing besides tamari or soy sauce that you can add to veggie gravy to add depth is miso, although the average person probably doesn't have a jar of miso sitting in the fridge, lol. Again, I am not a big fan of miso, but it is used as a healthful, protein filled broth in Asia. You cannot boil miso, it destroys all the vitamins in it. Wine is also good if you like that tang.