I think gravy may be the thing I look forward to the most during the holiday season. Dips, sauces, and gravies are some of my favorite recipes to create because they can refresh an old favorite or add balance to the flavors on a plate. Also, they fix anything dry.
A lot of gravies end up mostly tasting like salt. Not this one. This Creamy Mushroom & Onion Gravy is like a dish all on it’s own. It’s thick and rich, with bold herb flavors and a hearty texture. It’s packed with mushrooms and has got a sophisticated taste. I will admit, it’s a little more work than some other recipes, but trust me, it’s so worth it.
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Yellow onion
- Flour
- Crimini mushrooms
- Vegetable broth
- Dry white wine
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Onion salt
- Salt and pepper
. You can get pre-sliced mushrooms to make life easier, just make sure to wash them well before using.
. Don’t use a sweet wine, or it’ll be just plain weird. If you’re too young to buy wine or prefer not to be around it, no problem. Just skip this step and accept that you’re on a new flavor adventure!
. I know fresh herbs are a pain in the butt, so if needed you can swap for dried, but I do recommend fresh for this recipe as it helps bring the flavors and textures to life a bit more.
How to Make this Gravy
To start off, make a non traditional roux. In your pot, melt butter and add in the chopped onion. Cook it until the onion becomes soft and aromatic, about 5 minutes. After that, turn down the heat and stir in the flour. I know, it’s strange and lumpy, but this way you don’t need to use two pots. You can use a whisk, as is more traditional, but it’s not absolutely essential. The goal here is just go make sure the flour is completely combined into the buttery onion and there are not loose sprinkles or clumps. Turn the heat back up and whisk in the broth slowly, the toss in the mushroom slices and cover. Bring it to a light boil.
Once the thickened gravy is lightly boiling, stir in the wine and all remaining herbs and seasonings. Turn this down to a light simmer and let it cook, uncovered, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t skip this step or you’ll have boozy gravy. Once the alcohol is cooked out and the herbs have softened and released their flavors into the pot, serve or save for later.
* Note: if this doesn’t feel thick enough for your tastes, you’re going to need to make another little roux on the side. To do this, melt a few tablespoons of butter and mix in a few spoonfuls of flour until you’ve got a thick consistency, then stir in a cup or two of gravy. Whisk that together and assess the texture, then whisk it back into the larger gravy pot. Do this a little at a time and take notes for next time!
What to Pair this With
My go to pairing for gravy is always potatoes. I paired this recipe with my Garlic & Parsley Mashed Potatoes, but you can use any potato recipe you prefer. This gravy also kicks butt generously drizzled over a nicely seared steak.
Mushroom Onion Gravy
Equipment
- Medium Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup +2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp thyme, de-stemmed and lightly chopped
- 1 tsp Italian parsley, de-stemmed and lightly chopped
- 1 tsp rosemary, de-stemmed and lightly chopped
- 1 tsp onion salt
- 1/2 tsp salt, add more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, add more to taste
Instructions
- Begin by melting the butter stick in a medium to large pot. When it's hot and melted, add your chopped onion and sauté about 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Using a whisk, stir in the flour and stir it until well combined. This will result in thick coated onion pieces. Now slowly whisk in the veggie broth until combined, then toss in the chopped mushrooms. Bring this to a very light boil.
- Once this is lightly boiling and still decently thick, whisk in white wine and the remaining seasonings and herbs. Let this simmer uncovered about 10-15 minutes, letting the alcohol cook out and the flavors come together. Stir and taste a few times along the way and adjust the flavors as needed!
Notes
- This is not the traditional way of making a roux. Traditionally, you would sauté the onions separately and create the roux by whisking the flour into the melted, bubbling butter by itself. I found that having the onions already in there chopped up created less mess and the result was the same, but you do it however you'd like.
- Do NOT replace the flour with cornstarch. Yes, cornstarch is a thickener, but the texture and flavors are so very different and the ratios will be too.
1 thought on “Creamy Mushroom & Onion Gravy”
I don’t have to make this to know it will be stupendous, and I’m a gravy girl too. Can’t wait to try it over mashed potatoes.