vegan polenta

How to make vegan polenta in 1 pot with 3 ingredients! Creamy, comforting, versatile, and so delicious!

Easy Vegan Polenta (Super Creamy!)

water

tsp sea salt

corn polenta ((sometimes labeled as corn grits))

butter

Sautéed veggies ((such as asparagus or wilted greens))

Roasted garlic

Slow roasted tomatoes

basil

Vegan parmesan cheese

Vegan butter

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.

Once boiling, add in salt and stir to dissolve, then turn heat to medium.

While whisking, slowly and continuously pour polenta into your water over the course of about 1 minute. Take it slow! This ensures that there will be no lumps in your cooked polenta.

Once all of your polenta is in the water, continue whisking until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Then turn heat down to low and cover. The polenta should be gently bubbling but not fully simmering. Set a timer for 30 minutes and be sure to whisk the polenta every 5 minutes or so to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

After 30 minutes, test your polenta. It should be soft and porridgy, with no lumps or graininess. If you want your polenta slightly thicker, let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in vegan butter. Taste again and add more salt or butter if you want more savory or salty flavor. Enjoy!

Polenta is a great base for sautéed veggies like asparagus or wilted greens, or with roasted garlic and baby tomatoes. Optionally, garnish with fresh basil or parsley, vegan parmesan, and/or more vegan butter.

Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding more water and/or vegan butter as needed to rehydrate. Or, save leftovers for making polenta fries!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FANgf-e2uls

How to make vegan polenta in 1 pot with 3 ingredients! Creamy, comforting, versatile, and so delicious!

Full Recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-polenta-super-creamy/
 
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Easy VEGAN Polenta (Super Creamy!) | Minimalist Baker Recipes

A simple elegant recipe for Creamy Polenta with Spring Veggies ( fiddlehead ferns, morel mushrooms and asparagus- or sub others!) and flavorful Gremolata -  flavorful and health,  featuring vibrant spring produce that can be made in under 30 minutes. Vegan &amp; Gluten Free!

Creamy Polenta with Spring Veggies and Gremolata 

dry polenta

salt

granulated onion powder

¼ teaspoon pepper

olive oil

morel mushrooms

porcini mushrooms

asparagus

fiddlehead ferns

pea shoots

Other options: cremini mushrooms, spring peas, snow peas, english peas, edamame, green beans

shallot, chopped

sherry wine, white wine

salt and pepper

thyme

Bring water to boil in a medium pot. Season with salt, pepper and spices. Once it&#8217;s boiling gradually whisk in the corn meal, bring to a simmer, cover and turn heat to low. Mix again in 10 minutes. Then cook for another 10 minutes ( 20-25 minutes total). Stir in the olive oil, butter or goat cheese. Turn heat off.

While the polenta is cooking make the Gremolata. Set aside.

Cook the veggies. Cut veggies into bite sized pieces. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms first, and sauce until just tender, 4-5 minutes. Add shallot and other veggies. Season with salt and pepper and stir often. Lower heat and take your time, cook about 5 minutes until al dente, or just fork tender. Give a splash of wine or water, turn heat up to medium to help cook off the wine. Taste, adjust salt, remembering the gremolata will add a lot of flavor, so keep the veggies simple. If you have very thick asparagus, or larger pieces of veggies, you could cover the pan for a few minutes to lightly steam them, being careful not to overcook or you may lose their lovely color. If using pea shoots as the garnish, make a well in the center of the pan and lightly sauté them (keeping them separate).

Assemble 2 bowls or make one large beautiful platter or bowl and serve it from there.

If polenta has thickened too much, reheat it, whisking in a little splash of water, until loose and creamy again. Re-taste for salt. Pour polenta into bowls, top with a mound of the veggies, then top with optional pea shoots. Spoon the flavorful gremolata around the veggies, over the polenta.

Absolutely delicious! The vegan version was full of flavor, will repeat for sure!

Finally delicious vegan recipes thanks to Sylvia.  Made this tonight....so delicious, husband loved it!  The Gremolata really takes this dish to the next level.  Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!

I think this is my new favorite recipe.  So tasty.

This was absolutely delicious.  So delicious, it was completely worth 3 hours poking around in the muddy woods for morels (which, to be honest, I also loved).  I made the gremolata with parsley and a handful of nettles, to stay with the theme of “wild dinner”, and served the whole thing over a bed of arugula.  I LOVED the whole thing.  (My 8 year old son gives it 4 stars only because as it turns out he’s not a fan of fiddle ferns, but otherwise two thumbs up from him too.  He especially liked the mud.)

Love this recipe! We didn't have access to fiddle head or morel so we re-hydrated shiitake and pan seared snap peas along with shallots and garlic. We also added some charred broccoli with red pepper flakes for a bit of kick.  For the polenta, I would definitely recommend using homemade chicken stock if you can. Offers great health benefits and more flavor! We paired this dish with your miso salmon dish (sub halibut). Delicious!

This was super delicious. As per usual with your recipes. So simple, easy to make the gremolata ahead of time. I used asparagus, mushrooms, and green beans. Didn't know I liked polenta! And very filling. Thanks!

Sorry thumbs down from us, whole family agreed.

This is so delicious! That gremolata makes it! I am making this again for sure!
Thanks Sylvia!

Total winner. It was my first time making polenta 😊 I used asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, and added some edamame too! The gremolata mixed into the creamy polenta is divine!!! I so love your recipes, keep em coming 😊

Vegetarian Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - an easy gluten-free lasagna recipe with the option to use store-bought polenta from a tube. If making polenta from scratch, allow 8 hours of refrigeration time (or make the day before) Vegan Adaptable or add Italian sausage for extra heartiness. Updated 10/19

Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

Ricotta

mozzarella cheese

salt, pepper and nutmeg

onion, diced

4-6 garlic cloves, rough chopped

mushrooms (sliced)

pepper

Italian seasoning

baby

red pepper (out of a jar is OK) about 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup total

x tomatoes

smoked paprika

cumin

sugar

lemon zest

garlic

garlic powder

cornmeal

If making with homemade Polenta- make this first and let cool 6-8 hours in the fridge to set up. ( You could make this ahead, along with the sauce, filling and pesto drizzle.)

Preheat oven to 400F (prep and assembly will take around 45 minutes- with store-bought polenta)

Make filling

Heat 1-2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.  Turn skillet to medium ( or medium-low)  and add the mushrooms and add salt pepper and Italian seasoning, and saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and this evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and wilt and mix to combine, adding a splash of water if needed. Cook-off any liquid. Adjust salt to your taste.

While the filling is cooking, make the Smoky Red Pepper sauce

  Add the diced tomatoes (and juices) to the blender and add the drained roasted pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and Italian herbs. Blend until creamy and smooth. If the sauce is too thick to get motor running, add a little water (a tablespoon at a time) just to get it going. Taste. It should have a sweet smoky flavor.

Prep the two tubes of polenta if using store-bought

(Remember to taste it)  It&#8217;s easiest to cut the tube in half. Then in quarters, so each quarter yields 3 equal slices. So 12 slices each from each tube about 3/4 inch thick.

Assemble

Spray a 9&#215;13 inch baking dish with olive oil. Place 1/2-2/3  cup sauce on the bottom, coating bottom evenly. Add the first layer of polenta. Top with all the filling, spreading it out evenly. Dot with spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Top with shredded cheese. Pour 1/2 cup sauce lightly over the cheese. Then top with final layer of polenta. Pour sauce over top (you may not need all) and using a spatula , evenly coat the polenta evenly. Save the remaining sauce for touching up after your remove the foil.  You could do this all ahead and refrigerate for 24 hours.

At this point, you could add more cheese to the top, or keep it a little leaner, up to you. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes until bubbling and warmed through. If you want it &#8220;saucy&#8221;, add more sauce.

While it&#8217;s baking make the Pesto Drizzle. To make the pesto drizzle, simply place ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

When the polenta lasagna is finished cooking you could drizzle it lightly with the pesto or serve it on the side.

Loved this! I added Field Roast vegan Italian sausage and Miyoko's fresh mozzarella plus a bit of Daiya mozzarella, and used the store-bought polenta. Absolutely delicious!

I was looking for more vegetarian dishes for some meat lovers in my life and THIS WAS A HIT! I added red pepper flakes for some heat but that’s just a personal preference. This will definitely become a dinner time staple.

Made this. It was delicious. I never thought of using polenta instead of pasta. I’m on WW so had to make it somewhat point friendly. I used 2% low fat cottage cheese and fat free mozzarella. 2 tbs combination of ghee and olive oil to add flavor and to sauté mushrooms garlic and spinach. I used tube polenta which was surprisingly low in points. And jar marinara sauce. What a lovely change for lasagna. Thanks for the recipe.

I made this and it was delicious! For the filling I used mushrooms, spinach, roasted butternut squash and ground italian sausage. Do you think leftovers after baking can be frozen?

So so good!! I didn’t make the basil pesto and it was still amazing!! The tofu ricotta comes out really well once baked. I loveeee red pepper so naturally the sauce appealed to me :) Would definitely make this again!!!

I followed this recipe exactly, and was disappointed that it wasn’t that good. My bottom layer of polenta completely disintegrated, making a soupy mess. It was also very bland for our tastes. I’ve tried many of your recipes and have always had great success, but not this time. Luckily I was able to scoop out a good deal of the filling and used it to make a new lasagna using lasagna noodles, more sauce and a bit more cheese.

Made this for a dinner party, used the Trader Joe’s polenta and peppers. Turned out by fabulous and everyone loved it!! Served with a salad. One of our favorite dishes!

This was delicious! I used smoked red tomatoes from a can. I used a bigger baking tray and only had one layer of polenta at the bottom, sauce at the top. Used fresh mozzarella instead of shredded. 
The zing from the pesto drizzle is the jewel to this recipe.
Amazing.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/KRpd63Gm.mp4

How to make Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce – a tasty, gluten-free lasagna recipe using optional store-bought polenta. A vegan-adaptable main dish – perfect for holiday gatherings, that can be made ahead! Vegan adaptable!

Polenta Lasagna Video

This Creamy Polenta and Mushroom-Tomato Sauce Recipe is one for the regular / easy / healthy dinner rotation! You might not think vegan polenta can be creamy and cheesy, but this recipe is here to prove you wrong! Topped with a savory, but healthy mushroom-kale tomato sauce, this creamy polenta recipe will keep you warm all winter long! 

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragu

13.5 oz can full fat, unsweetened canned coconut milk

polenta (or medium ground flint corn cornmeal)

yeast

medium yellow onion (sliced thin)

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

mushrooms

garlic (peeled and crushed)

tomato paste

tsp fennel seeds (crushed with the knife handle to release the oils)

oregano

red wine (optional)

28 oz can diced tomatoes

salt & pepper (to taste)

Lacinato kale (washed, destemmed, torn and massaged)

lemon juice

In a small pot, bring the coconut milk and water to a boil. Slowly add the polenta while stirring constantly. Add the salt. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. If the polenta becomes too thick to stir, add additional water. You will likely need to add ~2 additional cups of water. The polenta is done when it is smooth and creamy (not gritty or sand-like). When the right consistency is reached, add the nutritional yeast and additional salt &amp; pepper, if desired. I highly recommend reading my blog post on how to cook polenta. 

Heat a cast iron skillet and add the olive oil. Heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, allow the onions to gently brown. About 15-20 minutes. 

Add the garlic and allow to cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic. About 1-2 minutes.

Add the fennel seeds, basil, oregano, thyme and tomato paste. Stir until well combined and allow to cook until the tomato paste becomes a dark red. About 2 minutes. 

Add the red wine to deglaze the pan (optional).

Add the mushrooms. Stir until well coated. 

Add the diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. The sauce should thicken as the liquid from the canned tomatoes cooks off. Season with salt and pepper to taste throughout the simmering process. 

While the ragu is simmering, prepare the kale. I highly recommend massaging the kale before adding it to the ragu, It will make it more tender and less bitter. To massage the kale, crunch the torn leaves with your hands. The kale will become darker and less rigid. With five minutes remaining in the cooking process, add the fresh lemon juice and the massaged kale. 

Serve in small bowls with a bottom layer of polenta. Spoon the mushroom and kale ragu over the polenta. Serve garnished with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and crushed red pepper. 

Creamy &amp; flavorful polenta topped with sweet balsamic roasted veggies &amp; crispy chickpeas!

Vegan Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas

chickpeas

balsamic vinegar

avocado oil

maple syrup

ground pepper

vegetable broth (or water)

polenta (cornmeal)

vegan butter

Italian spices (can sub with dried parsley

Salt & pepper to taste (if needed)

Balsamic Vinegar (optional, to drizzle on top)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Strain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas completely.

Add the chopped vegetables and chickpeas to a baking pan.

Then, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Pour the balsamic marinade on top of the tray of veggies &amp; chickpeas and mix together until evenly coated.

Then, add the tray to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the chickpeas and beginning to crisp and the veggies are caramelized. Make sure to remove the tray and stir the veggies &amp; chickpeas at the 15 minute mark so they bake evenly.

While the veggies &amp; chickpeas are roasting, make the vegan polenta.

Add 3 cups broth (or water) and 1/2 tsp salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and  gradually add in the polenta 1/4 cup at a time. For the best results, stream the polenta in gradually and stir continuously while adding it to the pot.

Cook the polenta uncovered for 1-2 minutes, stirring consistently. Then, cover the saucepan and cook another 5-10 minutes(*or until cooked depending on the package instructions). If the polenta gets too thick before it is done cooking, add in a few Tbsp of veggie broth to help it thin out.

Remove the cooked polenta from the heat and mix in the vegan butter, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Italian spices, salt, &amp; pepper.

Add the cooked polenta to 3-4 bowls. Top with the roasted veggies &amp; chickpeas and serve. If desired, add on an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar to the finished dish. Enjoy!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/0T8BSRfh.mp4

Creamy Vegan Polenta gets topped with homemade balsamic roasted vegetables and chickpeas for an easy vegan dinner recipe.

Vegan Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Veggies & Chickpeas

Asparagus, blanched with a sprinkle of lemon zest and salt, on top of creamy vegan polenta cooked with delicately seasoned chickpeas.

Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and Chickpeas

vegetable broth

coarse polenta (coarse grind,

onion (chopped fine)

garlic (minced)

black pepper

lemon zest (peel, freshly grated)

arrowroot

asparagus (ends

lemon peel (freshly grated)

lemon juice (to taste)

(such

pine nuts (lightly toasted)

Bring the 2 1/4 cups water and the 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a pressure cooker. Add the polenta while stirring. Stir in the garlic and basil, lock the lid in place, and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat but maintain high pressure for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure come down naturally. Stir well, salt to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve. (No pressure cooker? See note below)

While the polenta is cooking, sauté the onion in a medium-sized sauce pan until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and drained chickpeas and stir for another minute. Add the broth, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon peel and juice. Mix the arrowroot or cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and add it to the pan. Cook over medium low heat until slightly thickened. Keep warm.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain well and toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, and coarse salt to taste. Divide the polenta among 4 plates, and top each with a quarter of the chickpeas and asparagus. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of toasted pine nuts over each serving.

I made this last night and fed it to my non-vegan parents.  It was a big hit!!  The only change I will make next time is to use 1.5-2x the asparagus.  I think that broccoli would work great with this, too, when asparagus season is over. Actually, any vegetable that you think would be good with lemon.  Ordinarily I am not a fan of chickpeas, but I enjoyed this.  I used Bob's Red Mill polenta and it only takes 5 minutes to cook.  The whole meal came together in less than 20 minutes.  THAT is a huge win for me!!

Love this dish, I've made it a couple of times. This time I added some Gardein chickn strips on top to stretch the portions. Next time I'm thinking of trying tarragon in place of basil. Dried basil make me sad.
 Awesome recipe!

Learn the secret to making creamy polenta with simple ingredeints in under 25 minutes, a comforting main or side dish. Gluten-free and vegan adaptable. 

Polenta Recipe

polenta (fine ground cornmeal

½ -4 cups cold water (or milk)

extra virgin olive oil or butter

Optional garnish: fresh herbs- basil, Italian parsley, thyme.

Place cornmeal in a medium heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven and whisk with the cold water and salt to create a slurry. 

Cover, and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it just reaches a simmer (no need to boil); whisk well, cover again, and lower heat to low heat for 15-20 minutes, cooking until the grains &#8220;open up&#8221; and have a creamy consistency. (Fine-ground cornmeal will cook faster than medium-ground cornmeal.) 

Add more water to create the consistency you want.  I like it creamy but not runny- so any toppings easily sit on top and don&#8217;t sink down. 

Whisk in the olive oil or butter, and add the optional cheese. Remember to wait to add any fat, until after the grains have fully cooked. 

Serve while warm and creamy, sprinkle with fresh herbs or any of the suggested toppings. 

This was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time.  I had it with sauteed mushrooms and truffle oil and I savored every single bite.

I made this last night as a side dish for dinner. A truly tasty recipe and really easy to make!

Top 7 vegan polenta recipes from across the web

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Easy Vegan Polenta (Super Creamy!)

Creamy Polenta with Spring Veggies ...

Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepp...

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Mushroom ...

Vegan Polenta with Balsamic Roasted...

Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and C...

Polenta Recipe

Top 7 vegan polenta recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegan polenta recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy Vegan Polenta (Super Creamy!)

Creamy Polenta with Spring Veggies ...

Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepp...

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Mushroom ...

Vegan Polenta with Balsamic Roasted...

Polenta with Lemony Asparagus and C...

Polenta Recipe

The most viewed vegan polenta recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine