White Bean Gravy

And another morning dawns in my "Blogging A Month of Vegan Gravy" experiment. Am I tired of the stuff yet? Not a chance! My kids? No, they're thinking they've hit the jackpot and thrilled with non-stop gravy!

So, "Bean Gravy".... sounds dreadfully, stereotypically vegan, doesn't it? Actually this stuff is from an old World War II cookbook back when no one could afford butter and milk and meat and the things I like to leave out of gravy anyway. (I only changed the vegetable broth) and it's now one of my fall-backs. A "nothing-in-the-cupboard" staple that has filled hungry tummies many times.
It's also nice to share with people who think they can't find all those "weird vegan ingredients" but want a recipe anyway.
Especially good over whole-wheat toast on a cold winter morning. (Which sounds pretty typical-vegan too, doesn't it?) Actually, my kids like it over chunks of sourdough bread, no whole wheat, no toast, just gravy and bread. Either way, enjoy!

White (or Navy) Bean Gravy

1 Tablespoon olive oil or melted margarine
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 Tablespoons (I prefer fresh) thyme and/or sage, chopped fine
Several dashes (or a lot more) fresh black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup flour
1 fifteen-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed (or the equivalent, cooked from scratch)
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Salt, to taste (if needed)

Preheat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes or until it starts to get tender - add garlic and saute another minute or two. Add garlic and herbs and black pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more. While that is cooking, stir the flour into the broth until dissolved. Add the onion-herb mixture to the broth and whiz in blender, food processor or with an immersion blender.

Mash the beans coarsely with part of the broth mixture, they can be as smooth or as chunky as you like, I prefer some of the beans be almost whole but to have a creamy base to them.
Then add mashed beans (with remaining broth) to the saucepan. Whisk immediately and lower the heat to medium. Simmer (you should see small bubbles) and stir the gravy often for about 10 minutes while it thickens.

Once the gravy thickens, reduce the heat to low. Add water a tablespoon at a time, to make gravy the thickness you prefer.
Cook for about 5 - 10 more minutes, or more, to let the flavors deepen, stirring occasionally. Add more water as necessary and taste for salt. Keep gravy covered and warm until ready to serve.