The Best Slimming World Syn Free Gravy you will ever make. The perfect accompaniment to a variety of main meals.
I have been making this gravy for years. I never use gravy granules anymore because I generally try to avoid anything with MSG added or any other unnecessary ingredients, not to mention it isn’t syn free and doesn’t taste half as good.
I first shared this recipe back in 2009 and it has been loved by many ever since. If you don’t admit to eating some of this with a spoon before it hits your plate, then you are telling fibs.
It is really easy to make, using simple ingredients and can be varied by what type stock or broth you use to compliment what type of dish you are cooking. For example, use chicken broth/stock for chicken dishes.
Or use beef broth/stock for a rich beef version, like in the picture below. The rest of the pictures are for an amazing chicken version which is just perfect for our usual Sunday dinner.
You can even make a vegetarian/vegan version by using vegetable stock. WOW!!!
Some of my favourite dishes to use it with are in this Sausages and Mash or make up a Chicken Syn Free Gravy version to go with this delicious Slow Cooked Chicken.
No KFC Style Feast would be complete without syn free gravy and this Bulgur Wheat Sausage and Sage Stuffed Chicken is delicious drizzled with a chicken version of it.
Hey if you are making a Shepherds Pie or Cottage Pie you could even use some for the base gravy to make it lovely and rich instead of just plain old stock.
You also can’t have a Sunday Roast Dinner without this syn free gravy to drizzle all over these 1 Syn Yorkshire Puddings, Best Ever Syn Free Roast Potatoes and Bulgur Wheat Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls or Sausage, Onion, Sage, Quinoa Stuffing are just shouting out to be smothered in this.
But don’t save it just for those recipes, Head on over to my FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 500+ delicious Slimming World recipes to choose from and all are searchable by syn value, meal type, ingredients etc.
This syn free gravy just uses some basic ingredients, nothing hard to find or complicated. just onion, garlic, fresh herbs, stock, balsamic vinegar and a little tomato paste (puree). Traditionally you won’t find tomato in a gravy, but this helps thicken it and it’s such a small amount it won’t taste of tomato, trust me.
You do need a blender of some description to blend it all up once cooked.
I use my Nutri Ninja Blender with Auto IQ. This blender is amazing. The auto IQ technology feature, mean it blends to a set pattern depending on what it is you are making. There is also an optional add-on for a food processor bowl, which is perfect for chopping and grating vegetables. Sauces and soups are literally so smooth, once complete with this amazing kitchen gadget.
Don’t worry though, you don’t need a fancy high-tech blender like mine above, a good old immersion stick blender like the Koölle Electric Powerful 3-in-1 800 Watt Hand Stick Blender or a similar make will do the job too.
I do recommend simmering for the suggested length of time for those flavours to develop. It might seem like an effort, but it really is worth it and you can always double or triple up the recipe to make a large batch, as it is a perfect recipe for freezing, and then just taking out of the freezer as you need it.
WHAT KITCHEN ITEMS DO I NEED TO MAKE SYN FREE GRAVY?
- Deep Saucepan
- Kitchen Scales
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Jug
- Measuring Spoons
- Blender or Immersion Stick Blender
- Wooden Spoon
- Santoku Knife (perfect knife for chopping veg)
- Chopping Board
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Syn Free Gravy | Slimming World
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly
- Extra Easy - syn free per serving
- Original/SP - syn free per serving
- Green/Vegetarian/Vegan - syn free per serving (use vegetable stock)
- WW Smart Points - 0
*Suitable for Freezing
Ingredients
- 1 extra large red onion (or 2 medium), halved and sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- few sprigs of fresh thyme (or other herbs of your choice), if using dried, just add a pinch.
- 720ml (3 cups) of beef broth/stock (or use chicken, lamb, vegetable etc)
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 level tablespoon of tomato paste/purée
- spray oil
- black pepper
Instructions
- Spray a large saucepan over a medium high heat with some spray oil.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until caramelised, you will need to keep adding a little of the stock to prevent the onions from sticking to the pan.
- Add the fresh herbs, remaining stock, tomato paste and a balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil and reduce heat.
- Allow to simmer covered for approx 30-40 mins (this really brings out all the flavours and will reduce the stock down)
- When it has cooked for the required time, add the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return it back to the pan and mix, continue to simmer for about 5 mins until desired thickness,
- This gravy is great with any meat or sausages or can even be used for the sauce for a shepherds pie or similar.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only.
Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. Also, double-check syn values of synned ingredients as different brands can vary.
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If you wish to share this recipe, then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post recipe or content in full
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 30 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 0.1 g | 0% | |
Sodium 60.3 mg | 3% | |
Total Carbohydrates 5.1 g | 2% | |
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g | 3% | |
Sugars 1.7 g | ||
Protein 2.1 g | 4% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
It is the responsibility of the Reader to assure the products or ingredients they use in any recipes from Slimming Eats are allergen-free (gluten-free, egg-free and/or dairy-free, for example) or Vegetarian friendly. Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatement about products, opinions or comments on this site.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only
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Ah! I’m glad you published this! Deserves the attention 🙂 I think if possible my OH would drink it by the gallon!
Made this gravy last night to go with liver&bacon and it was AWESOME!!!! will be making gallons of this in the future.
I love gravy! this is great. But ai live alone, so can i freeze portions of it?
yep you should be fine to freeze it, as it just like a soup really.
I thought stock cubes had 1 syn each so may not be ‘syn free’ but it does sound nice.
nope stock cubes are all free, it change a couple of years ago.
If you slice the onions rather than chop, then cook in exactly the same way, it’s a perfect French onion soup. I added two triangles of toasted wholemeal bread topped with Dairylea lite cream cheese. No one guessed it was a slimming recipe. Thanks so much for the recipes.
If you slice the onions rather than chop and cook exactly as above. Then serve with two triangles of wholemeal toast, spread with Dairylea extra lite, floating on the top it’s an excellent French onion soup. If on a green diet then use the real cheese.
Thankyou soooo much for this post, I am missing gravy so much on Slimming World!!! I will be making this by the cauldron load now!!
hope you enjoy it 🙂
yep I have done this before, it was kind of where I got the idea for a syn free gravy from, as I had made French Onion Soup and thought, hmmm this would be delicious with sausages.
It was really tasty, only thing is as I never use salt i find alot of things to be too salty. I will be trying it with a no salt stock cube. Finally gravy again! Thank you!
yes I always use the low sodium stock cubes or make my own stock. Some of the cubes can be quite salty
Im gonna give this a go tonight. If it works I can use it to make one of my favourite meals syn free 🙂
i have to thank you for this receipe…it is absolutley gorgeous 🙂 xx
Can you do this in slow cooker rather than on hob for 45 mins , seems such a long time to have on hob?
It really needs the 45 mins to develop that lovely rich flavour, you can reduce the cooking time if you prefer, but the result of the gravy won’t be quite as rich. I personally haven’t tried it in a slow cooker.
Do you use just one stock cube? X
Hi it will depend on the variety, if you look at the instructions of the one you use, it should give how many mls it makes when mixed with water. Hope that helps 🙂
Oh yeah how obvious it that now you’ve mentioned it!!?? Thanks
Brilliant recipe. My Bisto gravy loving 12 year old son gave it his seal of approval after literally drinking it from the jug 😀
Delicious ! My hubby loved it . I think I put in a touch too much balsamic vinegar, but it was very tasty . I will definitely make this again. Thanks Siobhan x
Is this gluten free gravy.
Yes it is So long as the stock/broth you choose is definitely free from gluten
Any alternatives if I have no balsamic vinegar 🙂 x
Hi Tracey the balsamic vinegar helps to give the colour and caramelize the onions – so you can omit if you don’t have any, the colour may be slightly different though. Hope that helps 🙂
Very versatile, I’ve used in cottage pie and with roast dinners
Just made this….it’s divine!! And I’m a gravy fiend… Thanks so much x
so happy to hear that Tess, thanks for coming back and commenting.
Could you do a batch in a slow cooker?
You probably could, but you would need to caramelize the onions first to get that rich flavour.
This is a must try recipe for me, can you tell me please will the gravy freeze? Thank you.
Hi Sheila – this is perfect for freezing – enjoy!!
Really want to make this tonight but don’t have any red onions.. will white onions be okay?
Hi Lindsey, yes white onions will work fine, it’s just the colour may not appear quite the same.
Hi. thanks for fabulous rrecipe. What stock cubes did you use? I live i UK. Only just discovered your blog. Really Good!
Hi I tend to use fat free carton broth, as most stock cubes here have msg which I avoid.
Love this gravy. Made it with white onion and was lovely
Hi Why is your any recipes do not print AT ALL ..everytime …Please help
sounds like you are trying to print through facebook. You need to open up Slimming Eats in a web browser and not through Facebook as the print function won’t work otherwise.
OMG..! This gravy is DELISH..!
I made it with chicken stock cubes to go with pur family Roast Chicken Sunday Dinner.
We LOIVED it.
Even my ultra-fussy 12 year old told me he wants this gravy all the time from now on.
Massive hit. Thanks so much xc
so glad you enjoyed it, my family love this too.
We love this gravy, I’m making a batch today to use up some chicken stock I made. Gravy will go in the freezer ready for the next chicken meal that needs it. Everyone prefers it to the jars of instant gravy you can buy.