For the onion, if you do not plan to strain the gravy, then finely mince the onion instead.

And while the garlic is optional, it does add depth and great flavor to the gravy, so we highly recommend it.

Note: For the stock, any type of stock can be used to make a delicious and simple gravy. It really just depends on what you have on hand and what you are making. For example, if you are making something like this Country-Fried Tofu, you might want to use this Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder to make your own stock. The lighter colored stock pair will pair both visually and flavorwise to the dish.

For a darker, more intensely mushroom-flavored gravy, use this Mushroom Stock as the base or use a No Beef Bouillon or stock and use a bit of red wine to deglaze the pan instead of white wine.

Lastly, combine together the plant-based butter and flour.

To make the gravy, heat a large frypan over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the onions.

Let the onions cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until translucent and golden—adjusting the heat as necessary to ensure they do not burn.

Next, if using, add the garlic and let cook for about a minute and a half. You want to take the garlic just to the edge—meaning, you don’t just want to sweat it, you want to fry it and let it cook until it just starts to turn a nice golden brown. This gives the sauce a nice richness and lovely fried-garlic note.

As soon as the garlic is ready, deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it reduce. Once the wine has almost completely evaporated, add the stock.

Let the stock simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, to infuse the stock with the onion-garlic mixture and then strain.

At this point, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve—pressing the solids with a spatula to remove as much of the liquid/flavor as possible.

Add the sauce back to the pan and bring back up to a simmer. Once the sauce is just boiling, start to add the beurre manié—one tablespoon at a time. Bring the gravy up to a boil and then check the consistency. For a thicker more gravy-like consistency, continue to add the beurre manié until you reach the desired consistency.

Let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes or so to cook out the flour taste. If the gravy gets too thick as it cooks, add a touch more stock (or water).

Lastly, taste for seasoning, add white pepper (1/8 tsp +) and salt as needed. The amount of seasoning will ultimately depend on personal preference and the stock that was used.

This gravy goes particularly well with this Country-Fried Tofu.