in Breakfast

Rosemary Drop Biscuits with Mushroom Gravy

by Andrew Olson October 20, 2014, 5:00 am

Biscuits and gravy! Like most of you, I had pretty much written off this savory breakfast staple as “impossible” on a plant-based diet. No longer, dear readers, no longer. This recipe combines light and fluffy rosemary biscuits with a rich and meaty mushroom & tahini gravy. Ironically, this recipes uses nearly identical ingredients as the rosemary mushroom stroganoff from last week, but takes them in a totally different direction.

Also, I learned something new this week – drop biscuits are by far the easiest thing to bake. If you’re one of those people who consistently burns water in the kitchen, drop biscuits will be a cinch for you to make. With just a few simple ingredients, these biscuits are the easiest “quick bread” (i.e. a baked good that doesn’t rely on yeast for leavening) you could ever imagine making.

Our version is considerably healthier than the standard recipe, as we’re adding some whole wheat flour and substituting a small amount of coconut oil (instead of tons of butter). And, we’ll add some fresh rosemary to make these savory biscuits all the more savory. While they bake, we’ll top it all off with a savory mushrooms gravy to drizzle all over… it makes me happy just thinking about it.

Vegan Drop Biscuits

The Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt

1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Makes: 10 large biscuits

Vegan Drop Biscuits

Step Zero

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Measure out the 1/4 cup of coconut oil and refrigerate for 5 minutes, so that it’s *slightly* firmer than at room temperature (but not rock hard).

Step One

In a food processor (with the dough blade, if possible) combine the flours, baking powder and salt. Just pulse a few times to quickly combine. Then, add in 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary leaves and the firm coconut oil. Pulse until the oil is well incorporated and has a crumbly texture – but a few small ‘pebbles’ of oil will actually result in fluffier biscuits.

Step Two

Mix the milk and apple cider vinegar (to create a buttermilk substitute) and stir together. Then, turn the processor on and slowly drizzle the milk into the dough. Use your judgement here and just add enough milk so that the dough is starting to become sticky but definitely not runny.

Step Three

Grab a chunk of batter with your hands (or two spoons), loosely shape it into a ball, and then DROP it (get it?!) onto a baking sheet. They should be rough and rustic looking. Leave at least 2 inches between biscuits, then pop them into the oven until the tops just start browning (about 20-30 minutes, depending on their size). Serve immediately, or store in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for several days.

Note: it has been confirmed that these biscuits are equally as delicious with strawberry jam as with the savory gravy below…

The Mushroom Gravy

Mushroom Gravy

Makes ~2 cups gravy

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 shallot
2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons tahini
1+ cup vegetable broth
2-3 tablespoons brown rice flour
Black pepper, to taste

Step One

In a small saucepan, warm a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Then, add in 1/2 cup of loosely-chopped mushrooms and 1 diced shallot. Throw in a splash of water and a grind or two of black pepper. Let this sauté for about 5 minutes.

Step Two

Add in a drizzle of soy sauce and a few tablespoons of tahini along with 1 cup of vegetable broth (to start) and a another grind of black pepper. Let this simmer for another 5 minutes.

Step Three

The gravy will be very runny at this point, so whisking in 2+ tablespoons of flour (brown rice or whole wheat) will thicken the mixture nicely as it simmers. If it thickens too much, simply add a little more vegetable broth until you reach the desired consistency. Then, remove from the heat and serve (or store in a mason jar for up to 5 days).

Vegan Drop Biscuits