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.
Sautéed Summer Vegetables
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
Creamy, Spicy Polenta
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 423kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1/4 cup Danielle's Versatile Cashew Cream Cheese may substitute 1/3 cup raw cashews and two cups water, blended
- 2 tablespoons White soy miso may substitute garbanzo bean miso
- 1 tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 3/4 cup Organic Polenta aka Grits
- 4 cups Sautéed Summer Vegetables
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.
Hallo Danielle, how long do you need to cook, polenta for. I have freshly milled supply from a corn mill in Italy, but I find it burns in the pan terribly easily.
Hi, Lindy!
That’s a good question. It should only take five minutes or so to cook the polenta in this recipe thoroughly. If it burns in the pan, you are cooking it on too high a heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the polenta and other ingredients, then reduce the temperature to low. Be sure to stir it often. If it starts clumping, use a whisk to bring it back to a creamy state. Good luck!
Danielle