Making gravy has never been something I was especially interested in or excited about. It always seemed like a hassle that turned out lumpy. Yet we loved mashed or even just cooked potatoes and they were just begging to be topped with a satisfying sauce.

Finally a few years ago my plant-based journey opened my eyes to a much better way of doing things: thicken gravy with cooked lentils! This had several benefits:

1. I did not have to deal with cornstarch, flour or other thickeners to get my gravy just right.

2. More importantly, my gravy was packed with protein, fiber and loads of nutrition and could become my main dish!

My family loves this over mashed potatoes, and since in my book mashed potatoes take enough effort (although developing this method for the Instant Pot has made them pretty easy), I want something super simple to go with them.

For a while I was using a powdered vegan beef-flavored bouillon that my family really liked. But I always noticed it left me feeling kind of blah. I’m not sure if it was the high sodium content, the maltodextrin or something else mysterious, but I’ve recently adapted this recipe from Nora Cooks and am loving it.

Also, I recently found low-sodium, organic Better than Bouillon at my local Costco. I’ve enjoyed Better than Bouillon for years, but recently had stopped using it because it just didn’t leave me feeling very good. But hopefully the fact that it was at my Costco is a great sign than the organic, low-sodium variety is becoming easier to find at a good price, so keep your eyes open!

If you find yourself wanting a plant-based option for your Thanksgiving dinner, just offer to bring the mashed potatoes and gravy and you will be completely set without needing any meaty side dish.

Lentils and Potatoes in the Instant Pot

One way to make this a super easy meal for a Sunday dinner or any night of the week is to cook both lentils and potatoes in the Instant Pot. I do this by placing 1 1/2 cups dry lentils and 3 cups water or vegetable broth in the bottom of my 6 qt Instant Pot. If you want to throw in some minced garlic it adds some additional richness to the flavor.

If you have a steamer basket for your pot, you may want to use it to keep the lentils and potatoes separate. I usually want to pack as much food as I can in, so I use the rack that came with the pot to just keep my potatoes somewhat above the water and lentils. Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook the whole thing for 10 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure.

Carefully spoon the potatoes into a bowl. When I cook the potatoes and lentils together this way, I generally just leave the potatoes as chunks rather than turning them into mashed potatoes. There are usually a few random lentils stuck to the potatoes and I’m just in the mood to get food on the table with as little effort as possible.

Combine the 2 1/2 cups lentils with the gravy ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add additional lentils or seasonings to taste and serve! I often include whole lentils in the gravy to make a hearty topping.

Print Recipe

Easy Lentil Gravy

This is such a quick and delicious way to make a gravy that is both nutritious and can stand in for your main dish!

Keyword

Vegan

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 3 T nutritional yeast
• 3 T soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 3 cups cooked lentils I used green lentils
• black pepper to taste

Keyword Vegan Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings Ingredients 2 cups vegetable broth 3/4 tsp onion powder 3 T nutritional yeast 3 T soy sauce 1/2 tsp dijon mustard 3 cups cooked lentils I used green lentils black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Add additional lentils or broth to achieve desired thickness.
2. Warm gently on the stove, or, if you have a high powered blender you can blend on high for about 3 minutes to heat through.
3. We love this over potatoes--mashed are a favorite but when I'm running short on time I just cook the peeled potato chunks in the instant pot for 8 minutes on high pressure.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Easy Vegan Gravy, www.noracooks.com. She uses 1/4 C flour and thickens on the stove rather than thickening with lentils.