Vegan gravy

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 30 g dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 heaping cup)
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons lightly salted soy sauce
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 1/3 cup premium flour
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Position a rack on the highest shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 230°C (430°F). Combine the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, 1 teaspoon each of vegetable oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the vegetables are golden brown in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine roasted vegetables, 1 cup water, mushrooms, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Add 6 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and return to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is reduced by about one-third, about 45 minutes.
4. Strain the vegetables through a sieve into a large liquid measuring cup, pressing down on the vegetables with the back of a ladle to extract all the liquid (you should have about 4 cups of broth). If you don't plan to make the gravy right away, let the broth cool to room temperature, then refrigerate and store for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 1 month.
5. To make the gravy, gently warm the broth in a medium saucepan (if refrigerated). In another medium saucepan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes; remove and set aside.
6. Add the flour to the pan and stir until the mixture is light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the warm broth, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Chop the fried sage and add it to the sauce along with the parsley. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.