Easy Vegan Polenta Recipes

VEGAN POLENTA

Steps:

• Stir together vegetable broth, 1/2 cup water, oat milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in polenta, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until polenta thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to low and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add vegan cheese and butter. Stir until smooth. Add remaining water, if necessary, to keep consistency velvety and smooth. Pour polenta onto an oiled plate and let stand a few minutes before serving.

VEGAN POLENTA WITH RAGU

Steps:

• Combine boiling water and lentils in a bowl and set aside for 1 hour. Combine texturized vegetable protein and broth in a separate bowl and set aside until liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, red bell pepper, and hot pepper. Cook and stir until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add drained lentils and undrained texturized vegetable protein. Stir and add oregano and bay leaf. Add red wine and continue stirring, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Stir and simmer ragu until thickened and lentils are soft, 5 to 10 minutes; add a bit more water if needed.
• Bring vegetable broth, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle polenta into the water, stirring constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add vegan butter, stirring constantly.
• Distribute polenta evenly among 4 pasta bowls. Remove bay leaf from ragu and discard. Top each bowl with equal amounts of ragu. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon vegan white cheese over each bowl and serve warm.

EASY VEGAN POLENTA (SUPER CREAMY!)

Steps:

• 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!