Easy Vegan Mushroom Leek Sauce

Simple sauce recipe, delicious over any grain or pasta, with variations

This quick & easy, tasty & nutritious mushroom sauce recipe is from Leslie Cerier's gem of a cookbook, Gluten Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook – A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook.

Mushroom leek sauce is delicious over Millet Croquettes, and also makes a nice topping for pasta, rice, or baked butternut squash or baked potato. Or try it with quinoa.

Total Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

6 Servings (about 3 cups):

Nutrition Data Per Serving, 101 g: 43 cal, fat calories 2, 9g carb , 0g fat, 303mg sodium, 3g sugars, 1g fiber, 2g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Thiamin, Vit B6, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vit K, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Selenium. Estimated glycemic load 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sliced criminis or white button mushrooms (we used 8 oz)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks (white and tender green parts - we used 2 large leeks)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dried sage (rubbed sage leaves work well)
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 pinch dried)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot or kudzu powder
• 3 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Put the mushrooms, leeks, and the 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium-size saucepan
2. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the aroma of mushrooms fills the air
3. Stir in the salt, sage, rosemary, and pepper
4. Dissolve the arrowroot powder in the 3 Tbsp of cold water
5. Stir the slurry into the pot and continue cooking and stirring for about 1 minute, until the sauce thickens
6. Add salt to taste, then taste again and adjust the other seasonings if desired

Recipe Tips:

Make variations on the mushroom leek sauce by using different herbs and other flavorings. Rosemary and thyme makes a great combination for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals.

I couldn't resist adding a tsp of minced garlic, and used a vegetable bouillon cube and a dash of soy sauce in place of the salt, but I think the sauce would be quite tasty as it is.

I reduced the amount of salt in the recipe to 1/2 tsp after doing the nutritional analysis. Mushrooms & leeks must be high in sodium! Add more if you like.

For extra flavor and a richer sauce, Savvy Veg suggests sautéing the mushrooms and leeks (and garlic) in a tsp of oil before adding to the water.

Fresh herbs are lovely to use if they're easy and inexpensive to obtain. If not - rubbed sage leaves are the best form of dried sage, and whole dried rosemary, crumbled, works well in place of fresh.

Your comments & questions help improve our recipes, so don't be shy! Contact Us