Navy Bean Gravy

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup flour 
• 3 tablespoons thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 3  garlic clove chopped
• 1  navy beans drained and rinsed canned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 small onion roughly chopped
• 1 dashes pepper fresh black
• 8 servings salt to taste (if needed)
• 3 tablespoons soya sauce 
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock 
• 0.3 cup water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• pot
• blender
• immersion blender

Directions

1. Preheat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the thyme and black pepper (I like a lot of black pepper in this) and cook for about 3 minutes more. While that is cooking, stir the flour into the broth until dissolved.
3. If you have an immersion blender, then add the beans, broth mixture, and soy sauce to the saucepan. Blend immediately and lower the heat to medium. Stir the gravy often for about 10 minutes while it thickens.
4. If you are using a regular blender, add the beans, broth mixture, and soy sauce to the blender and blend until smooth.
5. Transfer the onion and the other stuff from the pan to the blender. Puree again until no big chunks of onion are left.
6. Add back to the pot and stir often over medium heat to thicken.
7. Once the gravy thickens, reduce the heat to low. Now you can decide exactly how thick you want it by adding splashes of water, anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Cook for about 20 more minutes to let the flavors deepen, stirring occasionally.
8. Add water as necessary and taste for salt. Keep gravy covered and warm until ready to serve.
9. From Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Copyright © 2009 by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Used by permission of Da Capo Press.