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).

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups

　　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

　　

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.

　　

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

　　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.

　　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).