sienna sauce

makes about 2½ cups

This is my go-to brown sauce that has a rich depth of flavor and a lovely warm sienna color. Add sliced mushrooms and a splash of wine (red, white, or fortified) to suit your needs. It is used to make the sauces for Seitan Forestière (see here) and Tempeh with Mellow Mustard Sauce (see here) but is also delicious on its own over sautéed seitan, mashed potatoes, cooked grains, or roasted vegetables.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup minced yellow onion

½ cup minced carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram, or ½ teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon browning sauce (Kitchen Bouquet and Gravy Master are vegan)

 

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir constantly until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the broth. When the mixture thickens, stir in the remaining 1 cup broth, the soy sauce, tomato paste, marjoram, and thyme. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth. Simmer over low heat until the flavors are well blended, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the browning sauce.

 

Puree the sauce in the saucepan with an immersion blender, or in a stand blender or food processor and return to the pot. Serve hot. If not using right away, cool the sauce to room temperature, transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Properly stored, the sauce will keep for about 3 days.

country gravy with bits of onion

makes about 1¾ cups

This is an easy herb-laced gravy that can be used to top everything from mashed potatoes and seitan to veggie burgers or baked grain and bean loaves. If you’re not a fan of the tiny onion pieces, simply puree the gravy for a smooth sauce.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup minced onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried sage

⅓ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

½ cup unflavored soy creamer

 

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to mix. Add the soy sauce, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Pour in the broth, stirring until it thickens and becomes smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the soy creamer. Taste and adjust the seasonings. For a smoother texture, puree the gravy in a blender or food processor. Serve hot. Store any unused sauce in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container.

better than béchamel

makes about 2 cups

This all-purpose white sauce can be used to top vegetable patties or croquettes, as a sauce for pasta, or as a binder for casseroles. For a richer, thicker sauce, add ¼ cup vegan cream cheese and process until well blended.

 

3 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)

½ cup minced shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup unsweetened soy creamer or thick unsweetened nondairy milk, such as MimicCreme (see note)

Dash of ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

 

In a saucepan, heat the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, broth, soy creamer, nutmeg, and salt and white pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then return to the saucepan and heat over low heat until hot. Serve immediately. If not using right away, transfer to a container and set aside until cool, then cover and refrigerate until needed. Properly stored, the sauce will keep for up to 3 days.

 

note: Instead of a vegan creamer or milk, use cashew cream, made by combining about ¾ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight) in a blender with enough water to cover by 1-inch and blending until smooth.

lemon–cashew cream sauce

makes about 2 cups

This sauce is so good you may be tempted to drink it. Use it as a luscious topping for roasted vegetables, cooked grains, bean patties, and a host of other dishes, including my favorite way to enjoy it—tossed with cooked pasta and vegetables.

 

½ cup raw cashews

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk

¾ cup vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon mellow white miso paste (optional)

 

In a high-speed blender or food processor (see note), process the cashews to a fine powder. Add the nutritional yeast and nondairy milk and blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and add the broth, salt, and cayenne. Heat over medium heat, stirring until hot and slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and miso, if using. Serve hot. If not using right away, transfer to a container and set aside to cool, then cover and refrigerate until needed. Properly stored, it will keep for 3 days.

 

note: If not using a high-speed blender, soak the cashews overnight to soften, then drain well and make the sauce in a food processor.

three-nut cheeze whiz

makes about 2 cups

Cashews, tahini, and almond milk get whizzed together in a blender to make a thick and creamy sauce with a cheesy flavor. Use it to make vegan mac and cheese or in other casseroles where a cheesy flavor is desired. It’s also great drizzled over chili or pasta, or to make nachos. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in water overnight to soften for a smoother texture.

 

⅔ cup raw cashews (see headnote)

⅓ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons tahini

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or more if needed

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

½ teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

 

In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, and salt, and grind to a powder. Add the garlic, tahini, the 1 cup almond milk, the lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard and blend until smooth and creamy. Use as is or transfer to a saucepan and heat over low heat until hot, adding more almond milk if the sauce is too thick. If not using right away, transfer to a container and cover and refrigerate until needed. Properly stored, the sauce will keep for up to 3 days.

hoisin–peanut sauce

makes about 1½ cups

It seems like there are dozens of ways to make peanut sauce, and here’s one more. What sets this apart is the addition of hoisin, adding its richly aromatic flavor to the sauce. Serve this with fried or baked spring rolls, or chunks of fried or baked tofu. You can also toss it with cooked noodles and vegetables.

 

⅓ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons agave nectar, or 1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced scallions

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

½ cup hot water

 

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well blended. The sauce is now ready to use. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate until needed. Properly stored, the sauce will keep for up to 3 days.