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Shiitake-Miso Gravy

Serve this versatile sauce to dress up sautéed tofu, tempeh, or mashed potatoes. See suggestions for its use in Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Shiitake-Miso Gravy (page 208) and Tempeh and Green Beans with Shiitake-Miso Gravy (page 76).

Cooks' Note

You can use your favorite variety of miso (including dark, pungent barley or hatcho); my personal preference here is for mellow white miso.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable broth or water
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (2 to 3 ounces)
1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 rounded tablespoons miso (see Note)
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the broth, mushrooms, ginger to taste, and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes.

    Step 2

    In a small container, combine the cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve. Whisk it into the saucepan and cook just until the gravy thickens. Remove from the heat.

    Step 3

    Combine the miso with 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir into the gravy. Season with pepper to taste and serve at once, or cover and heat through just before serving.

  2. nutrition information

    Step 4

    (per 1/4 cup)

    Step 5

    Calories: 29

    Step 6

    Total Fat: 1g

    Step 7

    Protein: 1g

    Step 8

    Carbohydrates: 3g

    Step 9

    Fiber: 0g

    Step 10

    Sodium: 280mg

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).
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