Homemade Vegan Gravy

• Heat the oil in a large flat-bottomed pan, then add the celery, onion, and carrots
• Once the veg has started to soften, add the garlic, turning the heat to medium
• Once the garlic is beginning to cook, but before it goes brown, add the maple syrup/sugar and stir, ensuring all ingredients are well coated
• Allow to simmer for a minute or so, until the vegetables begin to caramelize
• Add the yeast extract and mix again to ensure even coating
• If at any point you find the pan is browning, add a small splash of water to prevent burning
• Add the flour & vegetable bouillon, stir to make sure everything is coated evenly
• Add the wine or balsamic vinegar and mix well
• Once the wine/vinegar has heated up, add the water, stirring continually as you do
• Bring to the boil, stirring regularly
• Stir in the tomato puree
• Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the mixture thickens, and the gravy reduces to your desired consistency
• Once you’ve achieved your desired consistency and flavor, sieve into a fresh pan and warm just before you serve the remainder of your meal

Tips: 

• If you don’t have yeast extract, you can try substituting it with nutritional yeast and/or soy sauce
• For a bit of variety, try adding different herbs, such as sage, or bay leaves
• Try adding mushrooms or a little chopped beetroot when you’re adding the veg for a slightly more earthy flavor, the beetroot also gives the gravy a lovely deep color to it
• If you want to get all the flavor when sieving, feel free to pour a little freshly boiled water over the remaining mixture, then reduce down as needed