This Creamy Cheesy Polenta with Garlic Mushrooms is a great meal idea when you are craving something hardy and comforting. Not only is it delicious, but it is inexpensive and you can whip it up in 30 minutes.
Polenta is an underrated dinner idea. It is a very versatile ingredient and can be made sweet or savory. One of the more popular ways to make polenta is cheesy polenta. Just because you’re vegan, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Traditional vegan cheesy polenta is made with some sort of vegan cheese, but that comes with a lot of additional fat and oil.
This vegan cheese polenta recipe is oil-free and made with whole plant-based ingredients. Honestly, it tastes just like the real thing and is full of cheesy flavor. This is a great dinner idea that is health-promoting and great for weight loss.
Ingredients for Vegan Creamy Cheesy Polenta
Polenta – Bob’s Red Mill is a great choice because they have many different options to choose from. I chose the yellow corn grits but you can also buy white corn, gluten-free and organic.
Soy Milk – Soy milk is super creamy, perfect for vegan creamy polenta. Make sure you buy unsweetened and no other flavorings.
Nutritional yeast – This is going to give the polenta that cheesy flavor.
Garlic and onion powder
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
This Creamy Cheesy Polenta is
• Vegan
• Oil-free
• Comforting
• Low fat
• Made with whole food plant-based ingredients
How to make creamy cheesy poletna
Following the directions on the polenta package, make the polenta. I recommend using soy milk for a creamier polenta, but to keep the meal lower in fat, you can also use unsweetened almond milk or just water.
After the polenta finished cooking, add in the apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and nutritional yeast and whisk to combine. If the polenta is slightly thick, you can add in a splash of milk to loosen the consistency.
For the garlic mushrooms, saute minced garlic in about 2 tablespoons of water and cook until brown. Then add in the sliced mushrooms and a little more water to saute. Once the water is absorbed and the mushrooms have browned, add in the spinach and red pepper flakes, and cook until the spinach has wilted. This takes about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and put the mixture into a separate bowl.
Add the cherry tomatoes into the dry pan, and cook until the skin starts to blister. This takes about 5 minutes on medium heat. You need to occasionally shake the pan so the tomatoes get burnt. I then like to smash the tomatoes slightly so they burst. Then, add the mushroom and spinach mixture in with the tomatoes and stir to combine.
In a bowl, add in the cheesy polenta and top with the sauteed mushrooms and spinach.
Vegan Creamy Cheesy Polenta with Garlic Mushrooms
Ingredients
Cheesy Polenta
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 cup soy milk
- 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp apple cidar vinager
- 1 tsp salt
Garlic Mushrooms
- 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
- 1 package baby spinach
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring the milk, 2 cups of water, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a low simmer and polenta in a slow and steady stream, constantly whisking to prevent lumps.
- Cook on low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the polenta starts to thicken. If the polenta gets too thick, add in a splash of milk to thin it out.
- Remove from heat, stir in nutrional garlic and onion powder. Season with pinch Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Galic Mushrooms
- Heat up a non-stick pan with a splash of water and add in the chopped garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or until the garlic has turned tranclucent.
- Add in the sliced mushroom with a pinch of salt and cook until softened and browned. Then add in the spinach and let it wilt. Take the mushroom and spinach and transfer to a bowl.
- For the tomatoes, keep them whole and cook in a dry pan. This allows them to blister. Cook on medium to low heat until one side starts to brown and repeat on the other side. You can slightly press the tomatos to allow them to burst.
- Once they finished cooking, add the mushrooms and spinach back in the pan and comdine with the tomatoes.
Assembly
- Pour the creamy cheesy polenta into a bowl and top with the garlic mushrooms. For more spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and enjoy.
