How to thicken low carb gravy

By Peg Ehlen

If you avoid carbohydrates in your diet, you may miss the smooth, rich texture of gravy thickened with flour or cornstarch. A typical recipe from Epicurious requires about 7 cups of turkey stock blended with a stick of butter and 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, containing 70 g of carbohydrates. For low-carb dieters, this gravy becomes prohibitive in large amounts. To reduce the amount of carbohydrates in gravy, use one of a number of alternative thickening agents to add richness. Although you may not count calories on your low-carbohydrate diet, note that some substitutions will add significant calories to the gravy.

Step 1

Blend cream cheese with cooked pan juices from a roast, chicken or turkey. Karen Barnaby, executive chef and author of "Low-Carb Gourmet," suggests whisking small amounts of softened cream cheese with strained juices to reach the desired thickness and richness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database indicates that cream cheese contains only 0.39 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon. For fewer calories, use fat-free cream cheese (with 0.9 carbohydrate grams per tablespoon) and low-fat, reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth.

Step 2

Purée cauliflower as a thickening agent, creating a texture similar to potato purée, minus most of the carbohydrates. Chop the cauliflower into chunks, boil it in a large pot up to 30 minutes until tender and drain completely. Blend the purée, a small amount at a time, into drained pan juices or broth to reach the needed consistency. One cup contains 5.10 grams of carbohydrates and no fat.

Step 3

Experiment with other puréed vegetables. Kittle Broihier, a registered dietitian, and Kimberly Mayone suggest an "au jus" turkey gravy in their book "Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook." For instance, if you slow-cook a turkey breast with mushrooms and onions, use a regular blender to mix the vegetables with the liquid drippings. The puréed, low-calorie vegetables will provide some substance while adding moderate amounts of carbohydrates: 8.25 grams a cup for cooked mushrooms and 9.54 for one medium onion.

Step 4

Sprinkle guar or xanthan gum -- both low-carb thickeners -- to enhance the gravy. These white powders lack flavor and provide fiber, not calories. Unlike guar gum, xanthan gum requires no heat to thicken. Karen Barnaby advises using a blender to mix ingredients, noting that 1/4 teaspoon of either gum can thicken 1 cup of liquid. Using too much can create a gummy gravy.

Step 5

Add a small amount of whipping cream to a puréed vegetable gravy for a rich taste. Similarly, you could add sour cream. Both contain less than 1 gram of carbohydrates per tablespoon but qualify as high-calorie choices. Consider substituting nonfat half-and-half and low-fat cream cheese, which contain more carbohydrates, but fewer calories.

Warnings

• Note that potatoes, measuring 31.22 carbohydrate grams per cup, may add more carbs than your diet can tolerate.
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Tips

• An ounce of almond butter (under 6 grams of carbohydrates) can add richness to some gravy recipes.
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Things You'll Need

• Cooked pan juice or broth
• Cream cheese (or substitute)
• Cauliflower
• Onion
• Mushrooms
• Blender
• Guar or xanthan gum
• Whipping cream (or substitutes)