Easy Vegan Lentil Brown Gravy Recipe

 Whenever I cook lentils there's always this super tasty liquid in there after they're done cooking. Sure, you can just leave the liquid with the lentils as you eat them. Perfectly wonderful.

But just to experiment with flavors, textures and expectations, I thought to myself, maybe I could turn that yummy lentil liquid into a vegan brown gravy. Doesn't hurt to try. So try I did. 

As far as I'm concerned, it was successful.

To begin, you'll need to cook the lentils, in order to have the liquid that you'll later turn into the gravy. 

Lentil Ingredients
1/2 cup dry lentils
2 cups water
1 tbl spicy mustard
1 tbl sriracha
2 guajillo peppers
2 pasilla peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1 tbl olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tbl salt

Additional Ingredients for the Gravy
2 tbls spicy mustard
2 tbls sriracha 


Add to a medium sauce pot the jalapeno and salt. Sweat over medium heat until they release their liquid. 3-5 minutes.

Add the oil, garlic, remaining peppers and spices. Toast 3 more minutes. 

Add the lentils. toast another 3 minutes. 

Add the water, mustard and sriracha. Cover and simmer until the lentils are almost tender. 15-20 minutes. 

Strain the liquid from the lentils into a heat safe container. This will become our gravy base. 

Allow the liquid to cool to room temp or rest in the fridge overnight. 

Whisk in another 2 tbls each of sriracha and mustard. 

Your vegan brown gravy is ready. 

You also have a very tasty few servings of lentils as well. 

While you could turn the lentil liquid into gravy with a cornstarch slurry or a roux, I prefer this method. It's easier, less carbs, tastier and pretty much foolproof.