Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms

Creamy polenta with mushrooms: a comforting, easy (yet sophisticated!) vegan and gluten free dinner favorite. Pan-roasted white wine and herbed mushrooms are the perfect vegetarian topping for a bed of creamy polenta. Plus, it only takes just over 30 minutes to make!

I've been making some variation of this simple polenta with mushrooms for a few years now. It's one of my all-time favorite easy weeknight dinners, and it's definitely my #1 use for polenta!

Polenta is so underrated. It's easy to make (easier than rice, in my opinion!) and so versatile. You can use it as a base for vegan bolognese, serve alongside grilled tofu kebabs, or even make it into polenta fries. (Guys, polenta fries are (so sorry to use this term) LIT. Especially with this homemade tomato sauce.)

Tips for making creamy polenta

Polenta can be a bit tricky to get right, but once you have the process down, it's a breeze.

The single most important thing is to make sure you're cooking the polenta long enough. When the polenta first starts cooking, it soaks up liquid relatively quickly (within a few minutes), unlike other grains that take a bit longer.

However, that doesn't mean it's done cooking. It needs quite a bit of time to simmer, about 30-45 minutes total.

To start, bring the water to a boil before adding the polenta. I add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to the water. I find this is a better way to season the polenta instead of adding it at the end.

You may still need to add more salt once it's finished cooking; just taste and adjust as desired. I always find that I need more salt than I think.

Once the water is boiling, start whisking while slowly pouring in the polenta. Continue whisking for a minute or two to break up any clumps, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping down the sides.

After 30 minutes, taste the polenta to test doneness. It should be tender and creamy. Once it's finished cooking, stir in vegan or regular butter, vegan or regular parmesan cheese, more salt and pepper to taste. That's it!

You could also sub olive oil for butter. While parmesan is my favorite cheese to pair with polenta, you could also opt for goat cheese, cheddar or another cheese. Optionally, you can also stir in up to a quarter cup of heavy cream (or vegan sub) for extra creamy, rich polenta.

If you have leftover polenta, store in sealed container in the fridge. To reheat, heat over low on the stovetop and stir in more water until it reaches desired consistency. 

What type of mushrooms should I use?

Just about any kind of mushrooms works well in this recipe. We most often use shiitake or baby bella mushrooms (or a mix of the two), since they're most readily available at the grocery store.

However, if you have access to a wider variety of wild mushrooms, this is the perfect use for them! Pan seared wild mushrooms are the BEST. One of my favorite side dishes, especially when they're deglazed in some white wine, butter and herbs.

A few of our favorite wild mushrooms include chanterelles, shiitakes, oysters, enoki, trumpet mushrooms and maitakes (aka hen-of-the-wood mushrooms). Any mix of the above would taste great, or just stick to one or two.

When pan-searing mushrooms, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel

Instead of fully rinsing your mushrooms (which adds a ton of moisture to the mushrooms, making them soggy and difficult to sear), use a damp paper towel to brush off any dirt. It takes a bit longer, but it's worth it for the perfect sear!

Cook plain to release moisture

Start by adding your mushrooms to a hot pan without any oil or salt. Let them cook down for 5-10 minutes until they start to release moisture. You can either pour the liquid out of the pan, or crank up the heat and let it evaporate.

Once the moisture has been mostly removed, you can add oil or butter, salt and white wine to deglaze. Cook down until the mushrooms start to get crispy. You can always add more wine to deglaze – you really can't add to much!

Season at the end

Wait to add in fresh herbs and any other seasonings (more salt and pepper) until mushrooms are finished cooking. This helps preserve the freshness of the herbs, which perfectly complement the earthiness of the mushrooms.

Top your perfectly creamy polenta with your crispy, flavorful, pan-seared mushrooms, garnish with more herbs, cheese and olive oil and you're good to go!

Easy vegan weeknight dinner recipes

• Lemon Rice Soup
• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Taco Salad with Lentil Walnut "Meat"
• Tofu Dan Dan Noodles
• Easy Minestrone Soup
• Miso Glazed Crispy Eggplant over Rice

If you make this creamy vegan polenta with mushrooms, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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