Vegan Red Wine Gravy Made with Dried Porcini
A deep, savoury gravy built from soaked ceps, onions, red wine, and rosemary. Naturally vegan, easy to make, and ideal for serving with roasted vegetables, nut roasts, or any festive main.
Ingredients
- 20 g dried ceps porcini mushrooms
- 250 ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 100 ml red wine
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the dried ceps in a bowl and cover with 250 ml boiling water. Soak for 15–20 minutes, then lift out, squeeze gently, finely chop, and strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve to remove grit. Chop the onion and rosemary, and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil or vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and lightly golden, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to form a paste.
- Pour in the red wine slowly, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift any browned bits. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Add the chopped ceps, strained soaking liquid, vegetable stock, soy sauce or tamari, and Dijon mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens.
- Stir in the redcurrant jelly until fully dissolved. Season with salt and black pepper, adjusting the consistency with a splash of stock or water if needed.
Notes
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap the red wine for extra porcini soaking liquid plus a splash of balsamic vinegar if you want the acidity without alcohol.
- Add a spoon of cranberry sauce instead of redcurrant jelly for a sharper, fruitier finish.
- For a more herbal profile, increase the rosemary or add a bay leaf during simmering, removing it before serving.
- If you don’t have dried ceps, dried shiitake give a different but still deeply savoury flavour.
- This gravy is naturally vegan and dairy-free. It keeps for up to three days in the fridge and freezes for three months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen if needed.