Creamy, Spicy (or not) Polenta with Sautéed Summer Vegetables

This is one of my favorite dishes in the world. It is fresh, creamy, and spicy, and is absolutely decadent. It comes together in 20 minutes.

I use miso in this recipe rather than salt. Miso is very salty but evidently doesn’t affect the body in a negative way like salt does. It also adds another layer of rich flavor to the dish and gives the polenta a slightly cheesy taste.

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5 from 1 vote

Sautéed Summer Vegetables

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: cashew, cheese, cream cheese, vegan
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 45kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Onions julienned
  • 10 ounces Button Mushrooms, quartered or sliced about 2 cups
  • 2 1/2 cups Summer Squash 3 small to medium
  • 2 cups Zucchini 2 medium or 1 large
  • 1 cups Red Bell Peppers sliced
  • 1 cup Green Bell Peppers sliced
  • 10 ounces Cherry tomatoes (sliced) about 1 1/2 cups
  • 1 1/2 ounces Fresh Basil chiffonade (essentially, a handful)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons dried basil, if not using fresh

Instructions

  • In a medium to large sauté pan, add onions and peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes on med-high heat. 
  • Add mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are fairly soft but not limp.
  • Stir in yellow squash and zucchini, cooking until half-cooked through. 
  • If you are using dried basil*, add this now as well. Fresh basil, like most fresh herbs, should not be added until the end of the cooking process. 
  • Stir in the tomatoes, and continue sautéing until their skins begin to wrinkle.**
  • Toss in basil chiffonade just before serving. 

Notes

*I prefer this dish with fresh basil, which is always added at the end of the cooking process, once you’ve turned off the heat. If you don’t have fresh basil on hand, you may certainly use dried, but add this toward the beginning of the cooking process. It is more expensive to use fresh basil, especially in winter months.
**These are the vegetables I like to use. You can use whatever you like.
***You will have plenty of sautéed vegetables left over. Use these the next day in a vegan omelet, frittata or quiche, or add to your favorite sauce to serve over pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1242IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Creamy, Spicy Polenta

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, American Comfort Food, Italian
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 423kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of water. Whisk in miso and cashew cheese until fully incorporated. Bring to a boil.
  • Alternatively, In a high-speed blender, add miso, cashews, and 2 cups water. Blend until smooth. (If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews for an hour in hot water. Drain and add to blender.) Transfer to a 2qt saucepan with a lid and bring to a boil. Stir to prevent scorching.
  • Stir in polenta gradually, to avoid lumps. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and stir frequently to prevent scorching. Add water as needed from the reserved 2 cups to prevent the polenta from becoming too thick. You may make the polenta as creamy or as thick as you like. I prefer mine thicker than my husband does, so I usually make it to his tastes for convenience. They are both good.
  • Stir in red pepper flakes.
  • Divide polenta into two bowls and spoon Sautéed Summer Vegetables on top. Serve immediately. 

Notes

 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 822mg | Potassium: 1264mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3812IU | Vitamin C: 125mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 8mg

Below are the equipment and products I used in this recipe. Click on the photo to order yours through my affiliate link with Amazon.com, for which I receive a small advertising fee. Please visit my Store for more information.

Vitamix 5200 Blender

All-Clad 5-Ply Stainless Cookware

This is a good basic set that will serve most of your needs.