Go Back
+ servings
A bowl of vegan polenta and greens.
Print

Creamy Vegan Polenta and Greens

We love polenta and grits in our family, and my husband requests them every weekend. (The main difference between polenta and grits? Polenta is made from yellow corn, and grits are made from white corn.) Nelson spent his childhood in the South and was raised by a southern mama, so he deserves a lot of the credit for this recipe. I took some lessons from him on seasoning up a pot of flavorful polenta and styled a cozy breakfast bowl packed with plenty of mushrooms and spinach for added nutrients.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword polenta, polenta and greens, vegan polenta recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 202kcal
Author Kim Campbell

Ingredients

For the polenta:

  • cups water
  • 1 cup instant polenta (such as Bob's Red Mill)
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the veggies:

  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 8 ounces mushroom (any type) sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 15-ounce can white navy beans drained and rinsed
  • 5 ounces spinach roughly chopped

Instructions

For the polenta:

  • In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and slowly stir in the polenta, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, whisking continuously. If you add the polenta too quickly, lumps will form.
  • Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring the polenta for 1–2 minutes to avoid lumps. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the polenta is too thick, add a bit more water and stir.

For the veggies:

  • Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, sauté the onion and mushrooms over medium heat. (The mushrooms have a good amount of moisture, so you shouldn’t need to add water to prevent sticking. However, if sticking and burning occur, add a small amount of water to deglaze the pan.)
  • Add the garlic, tamari, vinegar, beans, and spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes or until the spinach is thoroughly wilted.
  • Serve the polenta topped with the spinach and mushroom mixture.

Notes

You can replace the spinach with other greens, such as kale, broccoli, or collards. Sometimes I like to top this dish with shredded carrots for added color and nutrients. Make this your own recipe and change up the veggies for what’s in season or whatever you have on hand.

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3409IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg