Mediterranean Vegetable Polenta Recipe – Heart-Healthy, Satisfying Vegan Entree with Creamy Turmeric Polenta and a Flavorful Vegetable Ragout
I consider polenta to be one of my ultimate comfort foods. This simple cornmeal mush has been eaten and enjoyed for centuries all over the world. While we typically associate polenta with Italy, it is consumed in various regions and preparations. In France it became popular during the French revolution and was typically served with wild game and cheese or dressed with sauce. 16th century Portuguese brought cornmeal to Africa where it spread along Arab trade routes; it was fed to African slaves during transport because it was cheap and easy to transport. The Pennsylvania Dutch mix it with meat scraps. Romanians dubbed it mamaliga, serving it as a porridge or in small cake form. Romanian immigrants brought it with them to New York, where it became a common dish on Jewish deli menus. It Italy it is beloved both as a porridge and in cake form; it is sometimes mixed with buckwheat in a preparation known as polenta taragna.
When maize was first brought by Columbus to Europe it was looked on with suspicion, even by Italians. However, it didn’t take very long for folks to warm to the concept of corn– it was easy and affordable to grow and could be used in a variety of ways. Formerly known as pulmentum, the ancient Roman name for pottage, polenta became a dietary staple for ancient Roman soldiers. They would eat their polenta rations as a hard cake or a porridge. Polenta grew in popularity throughout the centuries for its simplicity, affordability and delicious flavor.
This polenta topped with a simple, flavorful Mediterranean chickpea ragout makes a filling and comforting meal. I’ve kept things vegan here, opting to add coconut milk and turmeric to the polenta for a creamy, savory flavor. Feel free to add parmesan to the mix if you’re not worried about keeping things dairy free. Enjoy!
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Beauty shots and styling by Bethany Nauert.
Mediterranean Vegetable Polenta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 1 1/2 cups onion diced small (about 1 1/2 onions)
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 3/4 cups diced fresh tomatoes or 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 4 whole medium squash (yellow and/or zucchini) diced
- 1 large eggplant diced
- 1 whole red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (regular or light)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/4 cups cornmeal, fine ground
NOTES
Instructions
- For the ragout: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook until browned, then stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and garlic; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar, scraping the pan to remove any brown bits. Add the chickpeas and 3/4 cup water to the pan along with diced tomatoes, squash, eggplant, bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes, stir well to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste if desired.
- Just before serving, stir in the fresh chopped basil.
- For the polenta: In a medium saucepan combine 3 cups water, coconut milk, 1 tbsp olive oil, turmeric and 1 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth, tender, and creamy, about 15-18 minutes.
- Serve the ragout over the cooked warm polenta. Garnish with additional fresh basil if desired.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Other Great Recipe Ideas
Simply Recipes – Eggplant Lentil Stew with Pomegranate Molasses
Weelicious – Mediterranean Grilled Veggie Wraps
Research Source:
Fussell, Betty Harper. The Story of Corn. University of New Mexico Press, 1992.
Dad says
Followed the directions, turned out perfectly. Excellent favors. Garnished with some shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh ground salt and pepper. A lot of ingredients, so get everything done early and all laid out. Do the ragout first, then the polenta, as it tends to set up as it cools. Ragout recipe says 15 minutes; you may need more time than that. I upped the temp a bit after 15 minutes and cooked an additional 13 minutes or so. Definitely don’t want to over-cook it, though!
Bonny says
Made this today with what I had on hand. No eggplant, yellow squash or sundried tomatoes. It was still AMAZING!!! Can’t believe how good it was. The coconut milk in the polenta was pure bliss.
Trish says
I felt like polenta for dinner this eve so I searched the web and came across this recipe. I have to admit I didn’t have a lot of the vegetables on hand so I made do with what I did have. I kept the spices exact. I only had zucchini, chickpeas, and sun dried tomatoes, so I added some other things I had: artichokes, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and half a jar of a good quality tomato pasta sauce. This was phenomenal. The spices were amazing and everything just meshed together fabulously, and the polenta? I’ve never added turmeric or coconut milk to polenta before and WOWZA! Creamy and dreamy! My polenta has always been a little on the lumpy and dryish side but this was the opposite. Thanks for an inspiring meal! Keeper for sure.
Tori Avey says
So happy you enjoyed it Trish!
charlene Lipchick says
Deeeeeeeeicious.my vegetarian friends loved this one….polenta was smooth and creamy.yum!!! Thank you!
Gloria Danese says
My mom made mamalega, I’m so happy to finally get the directions.
Thank you!
Alice K. says
Can I substitute something (water? milk?) for the coconut milk?
Tori Avey says
Alice, you can simply cook it with water, but it won’t taste as creamy. If you don’t mind adding dairy I would suggest adding butter and parmesan to the mix to help make it taste creamier.
Naomi says
This sounds like a great vegan main course, however some of the vegetables are a bit ‘problematic’ (one of my kids won’t eat mushrooms or eggplant and another won’t eat tomatoes or peppers). Would you have any suggestions for substitutions? Cauliflower? Sweet potatoes? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Naomi– I hesitate to recommend so many substitutions in one recipe. One ingredient is one thing, but four will render it a completely different dish. I will say that you can omit the mushrooms without doing any damage (they simply add a more meaty flavor/texture), and you could probably sub additional squash for the eggplant and pepper. However, tomatoes are a pretty important part of the dish, so I’m not sure how to modify that part for you. If you give it a try let me know what changes you made and how it tasted. Good luck!
Pam says
Naomi, one of my sister’s kids also had problems with tomatoes when young. My sister substituted jarred roasted red peppers or if she wanted to use fresh, just cooked them down a bit in olive oil. I found some children like them even better if they’re peeled. A ‘y’ shaped vegetable peeler works well for peppers.
Marry says
Made this tonight along with your marinated lemon basil chicken breasts. Delicious meal! I halved the ragout recipe and still had enough for 4 generous portions. Tori, your recipes never disappoint. Thank you again.
Tori Avey says
So happy you liked it Marry!
PATRICIA AEH says
I REALLY NEEDED A RECIPE LIKE THIS. I LOVE POLENTA
AND THIS LOOKS GREAT !
Ruchama says
We eat polenta several times a week for breakfast; we always make it with water. I don’t see any reason to use any kind of milk in or on it.
We have a microwave with a 5 minute “oatmeal” setting. We use this for the polenta, cooking right in the bowls we eat from. We’ll try this for a midweek main meal. Looks nutritious and delicious
Tori Avey says
Ruchama, I cook breakfast polenta with water too. I used coconut milk here to give it a creamier, heartier flavor which works well for a dinner-style entree.
Lavinia Netoi says
Looks so nice and delicious!!!
Gina Donza says
You share amazing recipes! Keep them coming!
Patricia Lin says
Yum. Polenta!
Aubrey Shoham says
Yumm!
Melissa Kepecs says
Looks really good. I think I will try this one
Raphael Berko says
I’m coming over
Miriam Marcus says
Thank you and perfect timing! I’m having a vegetarian friend over next week and this is what I will serve.
Lilly Hayden says
Looks scrumptious as usual Tori!
Edward Fox says
Looks good will try
Ayal says
That looks amazing! Never put turmeric in polenta before but I love them both, and your pics make it look mouthwatering!