Polenta is an Italian dish of cornmeal made in a variety of ways. You can serve it hot and creamy or allow it to cook then solidify before grilling, baking or frying. For my vegan friends I chose to share a vegan polenta recipe that uses a plant-based ragù of mushroom, spinach and beans (among other aromatics). You are going to love the smooth and silkiness of creamy polenta and how it blends well with the other textures in the plate.
Yields:
4 servings
Ingredients:
- Black-eyed peas, 1 cup cooked (with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in 4 cups of water)
- Onion, 1 medium, diced
- Porcini mushroom, 6-8 pcs, sliced
- Tomato, 1 medium, diced
- Bird’s eye chili, 1-2 pcs, sliced (option to modify heat level)
- Garlic, 2 cloves, minced
- Spinach, 1 bunch
- Plant-based butter, 2 tbsp.
- A/P flour, 1 oz.
- Vegetable broth or water, 4 cups
- Polenta, 1 cup (cooked in garlic oil and 4 cups of salted water)
- Salt and pepper to taste
What you’ll need:
- Small pot (to cook beans)
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Sauté pan
- Wooden spoon
- Non-stick soup pot (for polenta)
What to do:
Begin with a pot of boiling water seasoned well with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, add in the black-eyed peas, then simmer for an hour until tender. For a timesaver version, this step can be prepped ahead of time or substituted with canned beans of your choice.
Clean and cut all the veg. Dice the onion and tomato, slice the mushrooms and chili pepper, mince the garlic and tear the spinach into sizeable pieces (not applicable if using baby spinach).
Begin cooking the vegan sauce for the polenta by heating the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. When it starts to bubble, add in the mushroom and onion. Let the mix cook to lightly caramelize then add in the tomato, pepper and garlic. Lower the heat and cook to soften the tomato.
When the tomato starts to break down, add in the flour, stir to coat all the veg and cook out for a couple minutes. Slowly add in the vegetable broth and stir continuously to avoid flour lumps. Cover and cook on a medium low heat for 10 -15 minutes, adding in the spinach and the black-eyes peas halfway through.
To make the polenta, directions are typically listed on the packaging. However, my personal spin is to start with heating 2 tbsp of garlic oil until fragrant before adding in the 4 cups of water. Season with salt and once boiling, add in the corn meal very slowly while stirring with a slotted wooden spoon. Take your time and lower the heat as needed to cook out the corn meal. Add more liquid if needed to get a smooth and creamy texture. Plate the polenta together with the ragù and serve hot.