Creamy Vegan Polenta

By Lidey Heuck

Creamy Vegan Polenta
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(111)
Notes
Read community notes

While traditional Italian polenta is typically finished with butter and grated Parmesan, the porridge-like texture of simmered cornmeal makes for a dish that’s creamy and comforting without dairy. This recipe uses a few tablespoons of vegan butter (any kind will do) to lend richness, and substitutes nutritional yeast for Parmesan. Use the nutritional yeast sparingly: The right amount beautifully mimics the nutty, fragrant flavor of Parmesan, but use too much, and it can overpower. This dish is a versatile side, but can easily be turned into a main, like this creamy vegan polenta with mushrooms and kale, with the addition of sautéed or roasted vegetables.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Polenta

    • 6cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • 1½cups polenta, medium- or coarse-grind cornmeal, or corn grits
    • 3tablespoons vegan butter
    • 1 to 2tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

330 calories; 12 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 8 grams protein; 968 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring 6 cups vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta, then turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the polenta has thickened to your liking, 10 to 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Off the heat, stir in the butter and nutritional yeast and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately. (Leftover polenta can be reheated over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water.)

Ratings

4 out of 5
111 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Anna

Holy cow. I made this for breakfast so I used oat milk + water instead of vegetable broth, but the addition of nooch and butter and seasoning was next level. Why did I just cook polenta plain all these years??

Hank

I added a small can of tomatoes, a chopped up leftover meatball, and some roasted eggplant. This made a good meal for us.

Hannah

I only had very fine polenta, which I went ahead with, but it was hard to add it to the water without it clumping into little balls. It took forever to cook, therefore, and in the end I had to blend it with a stick blending to get the lumps to break up! I think I'll use the stcik blender idea at the very start if I end up needig to use fine polenta again - it does make a very nice dish!

Pam M

I made a half recipe which was more than enough for two people. Cooked for a little over ten minutes and the texture was perfect.

anya

Could half the recipe for 3

Anna

Holy cow. I made this for breakfast so I used oat milk + water instead of vegetable broth, but the addition of nooch and butter and seasoning was next level. Why did I just cook polenta plain all these years??

Pam M

I made a half recipe which was more than enough for two people. Cooked for a little over ten minutes and the texture was perfect.

Hannah

I only had very fine polenta, which I went ahead with, but it was hard to add it to the water without it clumping into little balls. It took forever to cook, therefore, and in the end I had to blend it with a stick blending to get the lumps to break up! I think I'll use the stcik blender idea at the very start if I end up needig to use fine polenta again - it does make a very nice dish!

Hank

I added a small can of tomatoes, a chopped up leftover meatball, and some roasted eggplant. This made a good meal for us.

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