Sometimes I feel like I have a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other this time of year. The devil tells me to eat ALL the cookies, chocolates, and treats (you know…#allthethings) while the angel reminds me how much better I feel when I’m eating ALL the rainbow. [I told Eric this, and with a twinkle in his eye he said, “So am I the devil on your shoulder?” He was referencing the fact that he’s been begging me to bake some treats lately. “YES, yes you are the devil.”] In an effort to feel my best throughout this busy holiday season (and keep my energy high!), I’ve made it my mission to strive for balance over the next four weeks. The devil is currently laughing on my shoulder! Shush! This is a goal I always have throughout the year, but I need more reminders during December when treats and parties are a plenty. I’ve also struggled with healthy eating since having a baby. Increased hunger (no, hanger) combined with overnight nursing sessions/lack of sleep result in a lot more sugar cravings throughout the day. I’ve been giving in way too often, but there’s always room for improvement? Food tends to either deplete or increase my energy, and it’s not hard to figure out which kind does what.
So I’m trying to make sure I have a few solid meals each day to keep me going. This means when I do have treats I’ll be less likely to go cray cray. Breakfast and lunch are no-brainers right now. My 5-Minute Power Oatmeal Bowl is still going strong (so happy to see that you guys are loving it too!) and for lunch I’m still loving an avocado mashed on toast with marinara sauce and Herbamare and an apple and raw almond butter on the side. Dinner tends to be trickier to come up with sometimes so I figured it was a good time to try out some new meals…which brings me to this recipe! I made it over a month ago and intended on sharing right away, but I had #gravyproblems (not sure why I feel the need to hashtag everything today, but let’s go with it). There are a few moving parts to this recipe, but the beauty is that most can be made in advance. You can also make one or two of the items (such as the miso gravy or sautéed mushrooms) and mix and match with leftovers you currently have in the fridge. A bowl recipe is never the final word. Feel free to improvise as you see fit and come up with something new!
A note about this chickpea miso gravy – holy hell did I test it a gazillion times. And you’d never know it because the final gravy recipe is quite simple. In an effort to make a gluten-free gravy, I tested different gluten-free flours and I had problems with many. Chickpea flour seemed like an obvious pairing with chickpea miso, however I found that after the gravy leftovers chilled in the fridge it turned very thin and watery. Frustrating for me as a recipe developer, but maybe not a deal breaker if you consume it right away. I also tried some all-purpose gluten-free flour mixes and I always find there is a lot of variance among them. The ones with gums (like guar or xanthan) often produced gummy textures in my gravy attempts and I couldn’t settle on one that I loved. Maybe you will have better luck though. Finally, I tried sorghum flour and I really liked the outcome, flavour, and texture. As always, feel free to experiment with what you like. I do think non-GF flours like regular all-purpose flour will work too! Another new discovery for me – I found that using potato starch instead of arrowroot powder for thickening yielded a nicer consistency/texture. I find arrowroot can be a bit slimy at times. I will definitely be using potato starch for future gravy recipes! Cornstarch might be fine too. Anyway, the final gravy recipe that I came up with is light in flavour with a nice consistency – it coats the back of a spoon nicely. A big bonus is that the gravy comes together in about 5 minutes flat. There’s no chopping or anything (but if you wanted you could always add minced garlic and onion). It’s my quickest gravy to date.
This concludes my gravy testing spree of 2014. Whew. I’d love your feedback on the gravy if you make it!
By the way, I made this recipe using Portobello mushrooms (my preferred version!) and then another using sliced cremini mushrooms. Both work great so feel free to use whichever you prefer! This is also why you see two types of mushrooms in the photos below – two different photoshoots. ;)
Chickpea Miso Gravy Bowl with Sweet and Tangy Portobello Mushrooms
Yield
2-3 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A warm and cozy gluten-free quinoa bowl made with roasted sweet potatoes, chickpea miso gravy, and balsamic garlic Portobello mushrooms. I used chickpea miso, coconut aminos, and soy-free vegan butter which makes this recipe soy-free. As for swaps, feel free to use your preferred light miso, low-sodium tamari, and your preferred vegan butter (just note the recipe will contain soy if using these alternatives). Inspired by my cozy millet bowl.
Ingredients
For the gravy (makes 3/4 cup):
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used soy-free)
- 2 tablespoons sorghum flour
- 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chickpea miso, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- Fine grain sea salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the sweet potato and quinoa:
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
For the mushrooms:
- 4 medium/large Portobello mushroom caps (or 4-5 cups sliced cremini mushrooms)
- 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- fine grain sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- For the gravy: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the sorghum flour (it will form a chunky paste, but that's normal). In a small bowl, whisk the broth, miso, and potato starch until completely smooth. Pour it into the saucepan and increase heat to medium-high, whisking vigorously until smooth and no lumps remain. Whisk in coconut aminos, salt, and pepper, to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low to avoid burning. Once thickened, remove from heat until ready to use (you can quickly reheat before serving). You can always add a bit more broth if it's too thick for your liking.
- For the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice a large sweet potato into 1-cm rounds. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat and spread out into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-35 minutes, until tender and lightly golden in some spots, flipping once half way through roasting.
- For the quinoa: Add 1 cup of quinoa into a pot with 1.5 cups of vegetable broth or water. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 13-16 minutes, until the water absorbs and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat, season with salt, and keep lid on until ready to consume.
- For the mushrooms: Remove stems from Portobello mushrooms by twisting them off. Discard stems or save for future use. With a small spoon, scoop out the black gills and discard. With a damp cloth, wipe the cap to remove any debris. Slice into long, 1/2-inch wide strips. In a large wok or saucepan, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, and coconut aminos. Add sliced mushrooms and toss until coated in the liquid. Turn heat to medium-high and cook down the mushrooms for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently and reducing heat when necessary. You want to cook the mushrooms until all the water cooks off the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble: Add a couple scoops of cooked quinoa into a bowl. Layer on roasted sweet potato rounds. Top with mushrooms and drizzle on gravy. Season with a herbed salt (such as Herbamare) and black pepper to finish.
Tip:
1) In the gravy, you can probably sub regular all-purpose flour for the sorghum flour with similar results. Add more broth if it's too thick. Other flours may work too. 2) You can probably sub low-sodium Tamari for the coconut aminos and cornstarch for the potato starch. I haven't tried these yet, but I can't see why the swaps wouldn't work! 3) The amount of mushrooms might seem like a lot, but remember the mushrooms cook down and reduce in size a lot! You don't want to use anything less than 4 cups of sliced mushrooms. 4) Feel free to customize this bowl with leftovers you have in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Just made it! AMAZING! I didn’t have all the gravy ingredients so my gravy is: to the cooking mushrooms I added a couple of spoons veggie stock, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and a spoon of dijon mustard, drizzle of agave. SO good. I cooked quinoa in veggie stock too. This is sweet and salty very satisfying meal. I sprinkled it with chopped chives. HEAVEN. Thank you, Angela you keep surprising me:-)
Do you think normal miso (I have yellow miso) would work instead of chickpea miso? This looks amazing and comforting and I want to make it!
Making a huge pot of this tonight! #leftovers! (#runningwithhashtags) FYI–and this is so nitpicky, but if it were my site, I’d want to know–in the social media options at the end of your recipe, “Google+” is misspelled as “Goolge+.”
Looks yummy!
My MIL became Vegan just over a year ago due to type 2 diabetes, she was told it was either this or start taking insulin shots. She’s gone from taking 7 pills to a day to only half a pill now and has lost over 30 lbs. I bought her your cookbook for Christmas and know she will absolutely love it! I’m a meat eater but your recipes look amazing!!!
I have never tried one of your recipes and not liked it, so I can’t wait to try this one! My boyfriend and I are both vegetarian, but he tends to like heartier meals than I do, so this should be a great one to try next!
This looks like most amazing and satisfying vegan meal out there! Cannot wait to try.
I loved this dish. One of my new favorites. The flavors are great together. Kudos!
Made this tonight and subbed regular flour (actually, half whole-wheat and half-cake and pastry flour) for gluten-free, low-sodium tamari for coconut aminos, regular miso for chickpea, and cornstarch for potato. Seriously, if it had been any better, the dude would have procured a diamond for my left hand.
I make gravy with chickpea flour all the time (I use the Happy Herbivore recipe and mod it). It is very thick and I always have to thin it out.
Made this for dinner tonight. I had to substitute in tahini for the chick pea miso since I didn’t have any on hand, and used coconut oil instead of vegan butter. Such a delicious, comforting meal!
I’m new to the vegan world and so a lot of these ingredients aren’t familiar to me…I would love to know what your favorite brands are for staples like vegan butter, sorghum flour, and coconut aminos. Also, where are your favorite places to get these items? Is there a past post that I could read about the simple ingredients for someone who is new to veganism?
Thank you!
Monica
Can’t wait to make this!
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good! I had been craving comfort food with mushrooms and had been debating making your mushroom millet bowl (made it last winter and loved it) or this, and I thought I would try something new. I used all purpose flour in the gravy, but would like to try sorghum or another flour next time. I also had trouble finding chickpea miso (I have two other stores I might try another time if it’s convenient just to have on-hand) so I used a light miso from Trader Joe’s. I also added kale to the mushrooms at the last minute because I thought it needed something green :D I am looking forward to having my leftovers for lunch at work tomorrow – perfect for a rainy day! Thanks for the recipe Angela! I have been needing some new dinner ideas and this was perfect. PS – Where did you purchase your chickpea miso? I have yet to try Whole Foods. Maybe they will carry it? Thanks! :)
We made this last night for dinner (and I ate the leftovers at work for lunch), and it was so great. can’t recommend it enough. I was silly and accidentally bought arrowroot instead of potato starch, but it worked just fine with a little thinning out. Also, we subbed delicata squash instead of sweet potato, because we happen to have one, which was also really yummy with the mushrooms + gravy. Will definitely make this one again :)
An idea for thickening sauces and gravies that is gluten free and actually quite good for your gut is kuzu, also spelled kudzu. It’s a little expensive but gives a lovely finish when simmered for a few minutes. It’s the root of a wild arrowroot, apparently grows wild in some places…
This recipe looks wonderful and festive for the holidays, thanks!
This recipe looks so interesting! I love all the flavors, colors, and textures! Thank you for sharing!
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING. I used amaranth as the grain because we’d had quinoa the night before, and the amaranth worked well with the flavor of the mushrooms and gravy. I did use regular all purpose flour which Angela said was probably ok to substitute, and it worked fine in the gravy. Delicious, warm, comforting, healthy… Angela, you’re a staple in our house for dinner and I couldn’t be more grateful :)
You are based in Canada right? Where do you find miso paste??? I live in rural Ontario and have tried to find miso for a number of recipes but have had no luck. I’m willing to drive if necessary. Thanks for any help you can provide.
I made this this morning to break my 17 day juice fast, and I must have mentioned you on my social media about a billion times, so forgive me for being redundant! BUT. oh. my. goodness. AMAZING! I divided my bowl into 3 portions should I could nosh this morning, tonight at work, and also tomorrow night! Actually tasted better reheated, with the mushrooms and gravy mixed in with my quinoa… the flavors had time to meld.
Sure, it took some time and love to prepare, but all the best things do. And since I divided it, it’s just like meal-prep!
I’m recommending your blog to AAAAALLLLLL my friends, vegan or not! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
Do you use store-bought broth or make your own more often? I tried making veggie broth once, but it tasted watery compared to the chicken broth I’m used to.
Can we substitute the miso with something else in the recipe? I have a hard time finding it at my local grocery stores…
Hi Angela! Thanks for this recipe. I just made it last night. It was delicious – the sweet potato and mushrooms really complimented each other. And the consistency of the gravy was exceptional.
One problem, I did not cook the “roux” of vegan butter and sorghum flour and therefore my gravy was pretty flour-y tasting. I added white pepper, extra coconut aminos, and white wine to add flavor. Maybe it is instinctive for other people, but it may be helpful to note that you should cook the roux for a couple of minutes.
Thanks again for another wonderful recipe!
I’m really not a big fan of mushrooms, but this recipe still sounds good. My family & I love chickpeas. We are going to have to try this out!
hhhhmmm.. that looks dellicious.. i like your recipe..
We made the gravy for a comforting lunch today with brown rice, sweet potatoes and a sprinkle of chickpeas and it was fantastic! I didn’t have sorghum flour onhand for the gravy, so I substituted whole wheat pastry flour and it worked nicely.
This is going to become my go-to for all things gravy. Husband is already on his second helping. :)
Hi:) I just made this! It is amazing good and was easy to prepare, especially since I already made a sweet potato yesterday. I’m going to eat the leftovers for dinner( I split it into 2 servings) Angela~ I love your website, and I’m so excited to try more recipes and get your book!
This is a great recipe- thanks for sharing! It was delicious and filling, I cooked it to share with my boyfriend and we both had enough left overs for lunch the next day. I used a different recipe for chickpea gravy- the one listed here looks great but I didn’t want to splurge on miso (it’s expensive and I’m a recent college graduate which means I’m broke). Instead, I used a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks “Vegan with a vengeance”. I had some broccoli on hand so I roasted it along with the potatoes. I enjoyed the touch of green. The meal was super flavorful and delicious. I will definitely make it again. Thanks again.
I really like the sweet potato-quinoa combo. They just go well together. So, I’ll have to give this one a try!
This is one of my favorite Oh She Glows recipes! It is one of the recipes that got me hooked on cooking vegan, the recipe that convinced my family that vegan food tastes delicious, and now one of my go-tos when I want an easy, flavorful, nutritious lunch! I’ve made the gravy without the chickpea miso, subbed cornstarch for potato starch, and used both all-purpose flour and chickpea flour and all variations have been wonderful.
Hi Angela,
Love your work. All your recipes are awesome. We have a health blog and would love to share your work. We would like permission with proper link back to your site to post your recipes and photos.
Much Love & Light to You
Ellen Nagy & Karen Young
My husband and I are vegan, and my kids are when they are home (5 kids ranging from 19 to 4-years-old), and everyone LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this gravy!!! I had to make a couple minor adjustments because I was making the Vegan Shepherd’s Pie and decided on the gravy at the last minute (while the Pie was baking!), so I chose to use regular flour, arrowroot instead of potato starch, and soy aminos instead of coconut but even with those minor adjustments, it was absolutely delicious! I’m embarrassed to say it, but… I couldn’t stop eating it right out of the pot with a spoon!!! I had to triple the recipe and still there were NO leftovers! Thank you!
I’ve been so obsessed with your recipes! This one was very good, though the balsamic wasn’t my favorite, but I think I just failed at adding enough mushroom! Delicious, nonetheless!
The sauce went really well with the sweet potato and the quinoa, but the mushrooms were to acid with even three tablespoons of vinegar. It also overwhelmed the rest of the flavors of the dish. I would do this again, but I will cut way back on the vinegar.
I just made this, great weeknight meal. i used all purpose flour and cornstarch and it worked great. definitely needed a little more stock to thin out the gravy, about 1/4 cup. after cooking the quinoa i pan fried/toasted about 1/2 of it to add some crunch. worked great.
what are coconut aminos?
Hi Sara, Coconut aminos is a salty seasoning made from fermented coconut sap. It’s similar to soy sauce or tamari, but it is both wheat- and soy-free. It has a sweeter taste and milder saltiness than soy sauce, too. Hope that helps!
LOVED THIS!!! I will totally be making this again:) xoXOOXo
But I will be tripling the gravy next time! YUMMMM!!!!
I know it would completely change the flavor (and the name) of the dish, but has anybody tried using red miso? I have red miso on hand. I think it would work with the mushrooms, but not sure how it would taste with the sweet potatoes. Would probably have to order chickpea miso on-line and postpone making this for dinner this week…. Thoughts?
I am also wondering if about the miso. I have some white miso on hand along with some portobello mushrooms I need to use. Would like to try making this within the next two days.
Hey Barbara and Mavis, I haven’t tried it with another kind of miso but as long as it’s light tasting I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. :) I’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi, this sounds delicious, but I’m wondering why you remove the gills from the mushrooms and would it ‘harm’ the dish to leave them in? Also, what quantity of soy/tamari instead of coconut aminos? Thanks.
Hi Sarah, the gills are absolutely edible, but I remove them for aesthetics – and the black gills can often turn the food a dark brown colour too.