Everyone who eats dairy-free should know how to make a vegan roux. If you want a simple way to thicken soups, sauces, and gravies and make vegan foods that are rich and creamy, you need to learn how to make a roux.

A frying pan with oil and flour being stirred with a whisk to make a roux.

A roux (pronounced Ru) is the base of the three mother sauces in French cooking, and a darker roux is a key element in Cajun and Creole dishes.

I love to use a roux to thicken my cream-based soups like vegan cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken, and cream of broccoli. I also use it in recipes like my vegan bechamel sauce, and vegan a la king. You can even use it to make a vegan welch rarebit (vegan cheese sauce) or vegan gravy.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Oil – You will need any type of vegan butter or plant-based oil. Neutral flavored oils will give you the best taste. For darker roux that cooks longer use canola oil or an oil with a high smoke point. Use vegan butter for white or blond roux.
  • Flour – All-purpose white flour works best. You could use whole wheat, but it will not be as smooth and creamy. If you need it to be gluten-free, you can use a grain-based GF flour mix. Don’t use a grain-free mix or it will not thicken.
  • Liquid – You can add hot broth to the roux if you are thickening a soup or gravy, or add hot plant-based milk like soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk if you are making a vegan cheese sauce or white gravy.
A white bowl of vegan cream of chicken soup with parsley and red and green chili flakes sprinkled on top.
Vegan cream of chicken soup thickened with a white roux.

🔪 Helpful tools

  • Heavy bottomed pan so that your roux cooks evenly and does not burn.

🥄 Instructions

  1. Heat 4 tablespoons vegan butter or oil of choice in a heavy-bottomed pan and sprinkle in 4 tablespoons flour.
  2. Turn on heat to low and simmer the roux to cook the flour.
    • 1 -2 minutes – (white) For the most thickening power.
    • 3-5 minutes – (blond) For a little more flavor.
    • 7-8 minutes (peanut butter color) for sauces and brown gravy.
    • 15-20 minutes (dark brown) for Creole and Cajun recipes like Gumbo.
  3. Add liquids of choice like vegetable stock or plant-based milk about 1/2 cup at a time. (Most standard-size ladles are about 1/2 cup.)
  4. Stir well with a whisk between each ladle full until all of the liquid has been added.
A collage of 4 images showing how to make a vegan roux for making cream soups and adding broth.

📝 Types of Roux

There are many different stages in cooking a roux. The longer that you cook the flour and fat, the darker your roux will get.

  1. White Roux – This is when a roux is only cooked for about 1 minute before adding the liquid. This roux has the most neutral flavor and the strongest thickening power. This is great to thicken cream soups and bechamel sauce.
  2. Blond Roux – If you cook your roux for about 3 minutes, it will become slightly darker in color and start to get a little puffy. This is great to thicken gravies.
  3. Light Brown Roux – Also sometimes referred to as peanut butter roux because of the color. This roux is great for darker gravies with more depth of flavor.
  4. Dark Brown Roux – This roux is a dark chocolate brown (almost black) and has a rich nutty flavor. It’s mostly used in Cajun or Creole dishes.
A collage of 4 images showing white roux, blond roux, peanut butter roux, and dark brown roux.
1. White Roux 2. Blond Roux 3. Light Brown Roux 4. Dark Brown Roux

❓ Frequently asked questions?

How can I thicken soups and sauces without oil?

If you don’t want to use an oil-based roux to thicken your sauces, you can use 2 tablespoons starch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water instead. This will not give you the same mouthfeel or depth of flavor, but it will make your dishes thick and creamy.

Can I add less oil to a roux?

A classic roux is made for a ratio of equal parts oil and flour, but if you are trying to make a dish with less fat and calories, you can cut the oil in half if you are making a white roux. This will give you great thickening power without so much oil.

How can I thicken vegan soup and sauces without a roux?

If you don’t want to use a roux, to thicken soups and sauces, you can use potatoes, beans, or even soaked cashew instead and then puree them into a creamy sauce. I do this in my creamy zucchini soup, creamy pumpkin bean soup, and my veggie cheese sauce.
You can also add some dehydrated instant mashed potato flakes to thicken soups without needing to blend them. Adding vegan sour cream to soups also makes them creamy and delicious like in my lemony lentil soup.

A pot of cream of celery soup being scooped up with a wooden ladel.
Vegan cream of celery soup thickened with a blond roux.

✔️ Thickening ratios for roux

To thicken 4 cups of liquid

  • Thiner Sauce: 3 tablespoons oil + 3 tablespoons flour.
  • Medium Sauce: 4 tablespoons oil + 4 tablespoons flour.
  • Thick Sauce: 5 tablespoons oil + 5 tablespoons flour.

*Remember the longer that you cook the roux before adding the liquid, the less thickening power it will have.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tips

  • Add the broth a little at a time and stir well until smooth between each scoop of liquid.
  • Warm liquid works best, if it’s too hot or too cold, it tends to clump.
  • If you are using larger amounts of roux, you will need longer cook times.
Vegan white gravy cooked in a red pot being scooped up with a colorful wooden spoon.
Vegan white gravy

🌟 Recipes that use vegan roux

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

Flour and oil being mixed in a pan with a whisk.
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5 from 2 rating

Vegan Roux

Yield: 4
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 7 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
How to make a vegan roux for thickening vegan soups and gravies.
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter, (or oil)
  • 4 tablespoons flour, (or grain-based gluten-free flour mix)
  • 4 cups liquid, (vegetable broth or plant-based milk)

Instructions
 

  • Heat 4 tablespoons vegan butter or oil of choice in a heavy-bottomed pan and sprinkle in 4 tablespoons flour.
  • Turn on heat to low and simmer the roux to cook the flour.
  • 1 -2 minutes – (white) For the most thickening power.
  • 3-5 minutes – (blond) For a little more flavor.
  • 7-8 minutes (peanut butter color) for sauces and brown gravy.
  • 15-20 minutes (dark brown) for Creole and Cajun recipes like Gumbo.
  • Add liquids of choice like vegetable stock or plant-based milk about 1/2 cup at a time. (Most standard-size ladles are about 1/2 cup.)
  • Stir well with a whisk between each ladle full until all of the liquid has been added.

Notes

  • Add the broth a little at a time and stir well until smooth between each scoop of liquid.
  • Warm liquid works best, if it’s too hot or too cold, it tends to clump.
  • If you are using larger amounts of roux, you will need longer cook times.
*The nutrition label is for the roux mixed with 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 141kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 192mg, Potassium: 27mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 535IU, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg
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