There's no excuse to endure a dry nut roast, or a gravy-less Vegetarian Wellington when vegetable gravy is so easy to rustle up. Unlike meat-based gravies, vegetarian versions take barely any time at all. Contrary to popular (carnivorous) thought, they can be full of flavour, both from a good stock, or some clever enhancements: lemon and mustard, or mushroom paste, perhaps.

It's important to think about the gravy in the context of the dish. Graham Campbell's Vegetarian haggis, for example, works well with a simple gravy like the recipe below. But a quick and simple dinner like veggie sausage and mash will benefit enormously from an delicious onion or mushroom gravy.

This gravy recipe makes the perfect complement to a full vegetarian Christmas meal.

Don't restrict yourself to light-coloured vegetarian gravies either. Caramelising shallots, and then pouring over either red wine or Port with a splash of balsamic vinegar, before thinning with vegetable stock makes a devastatingly good sauce. Delicious with mushroom and polenta, and other autumnal or winter flavours.