Polenta with Vegetables and White Beans

Name: Polenta with Vegetables and White Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Polenta; 6 cups water; 2-2 ½ tsp fine grain kosher salt; 4 tbsp vegan butter; 1/4 cup grated vegan parmesan; 3 tbsp olive oil, divided; 2/3 cup finely diced shallots or yellow onion; 1 tbsp garlic, finely minced; 6 cups chopped mixed greens (Swiss chard, spinach, kale); 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly; 1/4 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes; 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/2 tsp fine grain kosher salt; Black pepper to taste; 1 14.5 oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed; 1/3 cup fresh parsley; 3 tbsp fresh basil; 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1-1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice; 1/4 tsp fine kosher salt (adjust to your preference); 1/8 tsp ground black pepper (adjust to your preference)

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This creamy vegan polenta with vegetables is topped with sautéed garlicky greens, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, white beans and a vibrant parsley and basil herb oil. Ready in 30 minutes, it's a delicious and filling vegetable-packed dinner for any occasion, and it's naturally gluten free!

This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are our own.

overhead view of vegan polenta topped with white beans, sautéed vegetables and herb oil.

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Why We Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Step-by-step Instructions
Expert Tips and FAQs
Related Recipes
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Why We Love This Recipe

Easy to make: I love that this polenta with vegetables is actually pretty simple, but it looks (and tastes) like something you'd get at a restaurant! It's perfect for anything from a weeknight dinner to a special occasion like Mother's Day.
Gluten free and vegan: polenta is naturally gluten free, making it a great alternative for other grains or pastas. This recipe is also fully vegan, but has plenty of flavor, fiber and plant-based protein.
Great way to use up fresh vegetables: this polenta with vegetables features fresh leafy greens, mushrooms and garlic. You can easily add in other vegetables like zucchini, broccoli & more.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan polenta with vegetables and white beans:

Ingredient Notes

Bob's Red Mill Organic Polenta (aka Corn Grits): we always use this polenta and it cooks perfectly every time! It's fantastic served with a red sauce like our lentil bolognese or mushroom ragu, or in any recipe that uses grits. It can even be served as a breakfast cereal in place of oatmeal or another cooked grain!
- Bob's Red Mill products are available in thousands of grocery stores nationwide, but you can also easily order online! If you've been a reader for a while, you already know how much we love Bob's Red Mill products – they're the best on the market and we use everything from their granolas to their incredible range of baking products (grains, flours, legumes, etc) on a daily basis!
- NOTE: while polenta is naturally gluten free, this polenta is not specifically tested for gluten cross contamination, so if you have Celiac disease or a serious allergy, opt for this tested version instead.
White beans: navy beans are the best choice here, as they are a bit firmer and hold up better than cannellini or Great Northern beans.
Greens: really any leafy green works in this polenta with vegetables. We love using a mixture of swiss chard, which is nice and sturdy and holds up well, along with baby kale and spinach.
Sun dried tomatoes: I love the depth of flavor that sun dried tomatoes add to this dish, but if you'd prefer, you could use halved fresh cherry tomatoes instead. You can use oil-packed or dry sun dried tomatoes, although oil-packed is our choice as it adds more flavor.
Mushrooms: we used shiitake, because we love the more woody, earthy flavor, but you can sub with just about any variety of mushrooms. Anything from basic white mushrooms to a wild mushroom of choice would work well.
Herb oil: we use parsley and basil to flavor this simple oil, but you could also throw in some other fresh herbs like dill, oregano, chives, etc.
Vegan parmesan: if you're not vegan, of course regular parmesan works perfectly fine. If you are vegan, here's the brand we like to use in this polenta.

Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add water and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil. Whisk in polenta, whisking continuously for about 30 seconds to prevent the polenta from clumping together.

(2) Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter and cheese. Taste and add more salt if needed.

what polenta looks like before and after it's cooked in a large pot.

(3) While the polenta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add in mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes.

(4) Add greens, lemon juice and salt and continue cooking until greens are wilted. Stir in navy beans and season to taste with black pepper. Continue cooking for a few minutes.

before and after adding white beans and greens to sautéed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.

(5 & 6) To make the herb oil, add all ingredients to a small food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

before and after blending herb oil in food processor.

Serve polenta topped with sautéed vegetables and white beans and finish with herb oil.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Cook polenta for recommended time: the polenta absorbs the water very quickly, making it look like it's done within just a few minutes. Don't be fooled – the grains aren't quite tender yet. Give the polenta about 30 minutes for the perfect creamy, soft texture!
Variations: you can easily change up this recipe by swapping in different vegetables, greens and herbs. My favorite additions include sautéed zucchini, cherry tomatoes and asparagus.
- To add more plant-based protein, you could also serve with sautéed vegan sausage.
Storage: we recommend storing the cooked polenta and the vegetables separately, as the process for reheating polenta takes a bit longer. Store both components in the refrigerator for 5 days.

What's the best way to reheat polenta?

Reheat cooked polenta in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring in water/milk until it's heated and reaches a creamy consistency. Depending on how much liquid you add in, you may need to add more seasoning.

Is polenta the same thing as grits?

Technically yes – polenta and grits are both made from ground corn. That being said, there can be regional differences, like color (polenta is made from yellow corn, while grits are often made from white corn) and texture (grits can sometimes be finer and smoother than polenta).

What's the difference between dry polenta and tube polenta?

Polenta that comes packaged in a tube is precooked, and is best served sliced into rounds and used more as a patty/cake. Dry polenta, on the other hand, is cooked slowly on the stovetop into a creamy, thick, porridge-like consistency. Once cooked polenta is cooled, it will set and can be used in the same way as precooked tube polenta.

close up view of vegan polenta topped with white beans, sautéed vegetables and herb oil.

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