Vegan Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms

Published: Apr 29, 2020 · Modified: Mar 22, 2022 by Emily Miller · This post may contain affiliate links · 32 Comments

Some dishes are so comforting; they're like a hug from your kitchen. This creamy Vegan Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms is one of them. Delicious, smooth, and satisfying, it's the perfect meal for a chilly night.

Plus, it's packed with delicious roasted oyster mushrooms for extra flavor. Serve it as is or with a side of veggies. Either way, you'll love this tasty dish!

overhead view of 2 bowls of creamy polenta with mushrooms and thyme

This creamy Vegan Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms is incredible with oyster mushrooms! Try this gluten-free polenta for an easy weeknight dinner that's ready in thirty minutes. It's a delicious dish for date night, too!

I love to make this polenta as the weather starts to get cooler and when wild mushrooms are available. Oyster mushrooms are my favorite mushrooms for this recipe, although you can try other kinds!

Another creamy and comforting dish you will enjoy is Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta or Creamy Roasted Garlic Pasta. If you'd like something a little lighter, try this Asparagus Mushroom Pasta. These meals are perfect for a busy weeknight.

Jump to:

What is polenta?
What type of polenta?
Ingredients
Instructions
How much liquid?
Substitutions
Variations
Expert tips
Equipment
How to serve it
Storage
FAQ
Recipe
Comments

What is polenta?

Polenta is known as grits or coarse cornmeal. The cornmeal is usually yellow for polenta, but it can be white or blue, depending on the variety of corn.

Polenta is a staple dish of northern Italian cuisine. It is made with coarsely ground or medium-ground yellow corn, which gives it texture. Although some people call polenta grits, the difference is that corn grits are found in American Southern cuisine, and are made with finely-ground white corn.

What type of polenta?

The cornmeal used for polenta can range from fine to coarse ground. I prefer medium-coarse ground polenta. You can find this type of corn meal in the baking section of the grocery store or in the natural foods section.

The version I buy has been partially de-germinated for a lighter texture and shortened cooking time, and has been ground to a medium grind consistency.

Sometimes I can only find coarse cornmeal (stone ground). This is a whole grain and contains corn germ and bran, a source of fiber. For a finer grind, pulverize the cornmeal in a food processor for a few seconds before cooking it to give it a finer texture, similar to that of a medium-coarse grind.

You can use coarse cornmeal, but the cooking time will be longer, about 20 minutes or so. The result will be slightly heavier and not as creamy, but it will have a great flavor!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this creamy vegan polenta with mushrooms:

Oyster mushrooms - brush lightly to clean mushrooms, and remove from base, slice into bite-size pieces.
Extra virgin olive oil or rosemary-infused olive oil.
Sea salt - I recommend Himalayan sea salt.
Organic polenta - medium to medium-coarse grind; a coarser grind works as well. I love to use Bob's Red Mill organic polenta.
Dried thyme - this is optional, or try 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Water and vegetable base to make vegetable broth.
Plant-based milk, plain and unsweetened - My favorite is cashew milk for this recipe, soy milk works also. You can use water if you prefer.
Vegan butter - for added richness; you can use extra virgin olive oil instead. I like to use both in this recipe.
Nutritional yeast for umami flavor.
Red wine vinegar - to stir into the roasted mushrooms.
Fresh thyme - stir it in at the end and save some thyme sprigs for garnish.
Vegan Parmesan as a topping (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the oyster mushrooms by brushing them lightly to clean them. Remove the base, and slice the mushrooms into bite-size pieces.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a baking sheet. Toss the mushrooms with olive oil and salt. Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip and rotate them so they cook evenly, preferably with a metal spatula.
2. Start the polenta. Mix the organic polenta, dried thyme if using (not fresh), water, vegetable broth, plant-based milk, salt, pepper, plant-based butter, olive oil, and nutritional yeast in a saucepan. Let it come to a boil.

Place the prepared mushrooms on a baking sheet to roast.

3. Take the mushrooms out of the oven before they get crispy, drizzle red wine vinegar on them and toss them in the pan. It's nice to have a few crispy bits but you don't want the mushrooms to dry out.
4. Stir the polenta mixture with a wooden spoon. Simmer and stir occasionally, making sure the polenta is not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Cover the pot if the polenta starts sputtering.

Drizzle red wine vinegar on top of roasted mushrooms.

The polenta is ready when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, in approximately 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the polenta you have. It will have a porridge-like consistency. If using fresh thyme, stir it in immediately before serving. For the polenta I use, it usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Stirring creamy polenta with thyme — Stirring fresh thyme into cooked polenta

Taste for seasoning and adjust salt as desired. Serve the polenta in bowls and top with roasted mushrooms and a sprig of thyme for each bowl. If desired, top with vegan Parmesan!

How much liquid?

Depending on how fine or coarse the polenta is ground, the cooking time will vary.

The amount of water will vary depending on how creamy or firm you want your polenta. For 1 cup of polenta, use 4 cups of liquid for creamy polenta. For a firmer polenta, use 3 cups of liquid for 1 cup of polenta.

Substitutions

Oyster mushrooms - you can try roasting other wild mushrooms such as chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms, or baby bellas.

You can combine them, or choose one type of mushroom. Pan-sautéed or pan-fried lion's mane mushrooms or maitake mushrooms (hen-of-the-woods) would be tasty as well.

Red wine vinegar: You can try white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.

Vegetable broth - use water instead. Taste for seasoning before serving; you may need to add another sprinkle or two of salt.

Variations

Spicy - add red pepper flakes, from ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon.

Pesto - top with vegan walnut pesto or this vegan basil pesto for added flavor.

Expert tips

CAUTION: Be sure to use a saucepan with high sides since the polenta can easily splatter once it gets hot. Watch out for flying polenta!

Put the lid on the saucepan if this happens, and reduce the heat slightly. While the polenta is cooking, small lumps can form. Keep stirring and that takes care of it.

When roasting the mushrooms, have some space between each mushroom. Do not crowd them. Give them some space, otherwise, they will steam, not roast.

Equipment

Here's the equipment I can't live without to make this mushroom polenta:

Baking sheet for roasting the mushrooms.
Metal spatula to stir the mushrooms while roasting.
Wooden spoon for stirring the polenta.
Saucepan for cooking the polenta (a saucier or risotto pan would work as well). I recommend at least a 3-quart size. My saucier is 2.25-quarts and I wish it was a quart bigger to avoid spills.
Microplane grater/zester for grating the vegan Parmesan.

How to serve it

Serve with a salad, a side of vegetables, and a glass of wine to round out this fantastic meal. For us, this polenta is a whole meal!

This polenta would also be delicious served with my vegan marinara sauce, or try it with these Easy Vegan Meatballs made with lentils and walnuts.

This vegan mushroom polenta is perfect as a main dish or a side dish. It's also the perfect side dish for holiday dinners!

angle view of creamy polenta with roasted oyster mushrooms

Storage

After it has cooled, place any leftover polenta in airtight containers and place it in the fridge within two hours. It will get thicker and harden as it cools. The leftovers will not be as creamy, but they will still be delicious. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can freeze polenta for up to 3 months. Let it cool and then cut it into slices. Wrap each polenta slice in aluminum foil and put them inside a freezer-safe ziplock bag before storing them in the freezer.

If you have room in the freezer, you can freeze the polenta on a tray, leaving space between each slice. Once frozen, store them in a zip loc bag.

FAQ

Is polenta vegan?

Yes, it is entirely plant-based and vegan. Polenta is made from ground corn and water. However, many restaurants add dairy to it, so be sure to ask how it's prepared when you eat out.

Is polenta gluten-free?

Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free since it does not contain wheat or gluten. If cross-contamination is a concern, buy certified gluten-free cornmeal to ensure that it's completely free of gluten.

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.