Creamy Polenta and Garlic Green Lentils

Name: Creamy Polenta and Garlic Green Lentils
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 150 g polenta; 1 litre vegetable stock; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp olive oil; 200 g mixed greens (such as chopped cabbage ); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 400g tin green lentils (drained and rinsed); 1/8 tsp chilli flakes (optional); black pepper

Polenta is such a wonderful underrated dish that, if seasoned right, is perfectly delicious. Top with some sautéed greens and garlicky lentils and you have a wonderful light dinner or side dish.

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Polenta: The Corny Comfort Food You Didn’t Know You Needed

Polenta is one of those foods that you might not have heard of, but once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. It’s a traditional Italian dish made from ground cornmeal that can be eaten creamy, grilled, or fried. It’s a versatile comfort food that can be dressed up or down depending on your mood. So, let’s dive into the world of polenta and discover how to cook it.

The first thing you need to know about polenta is that it’s not just any old cornmeal. It’s a finely ground, yellow cornmeal that’s been boiled in water or stock until it forms a thick, porridge-like consistency. It’s typically flavoured with butter, cheese and herbs to create a creamy dish, but here we use some plant-based ingredients to keep it vegan.

To make polenta, you’ll need to start by bringing a pot of water or stock to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, you’ll slowly whisk in the cornmeal, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pot, which should take around 20 to 30 minutes.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add in some grated nutritional yeast – such as Marigold Engevita – or even truffle oil to give your polenta a rich and decadent flavour. Or, you can keep it simple and season it with just salt and pepper. Either way, it’s going to be delicious.

Once your polenta is cooked, you can eat it right away as a creamy side dish. Or, you can pour it into a greased baking dish and let it cool until it’s firm. Once it’s solid, you can cut it into slices and grill it until it’s crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It’s like a savory polenta cake!

And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can even fry your polenta slices in a pan until they’re golden and crispy. Serve them with some tomato sauce or aioli, and you’ve got yourself a delicious and unique appetiser.

Ingredients

For the polenta

150 g polenta
1 litre vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp nutritional yeast

For the greens

1 tbsp olive oil
200 g mixed greens such as chopped cabbage
4 cloves garlic minced
1 400g tin green lentils drained and rinsed
⅛ tsp chilli flakes optional
black pepper

Preparation

Start by making the polenta, ensuring to use a good quality stock such as Marigold Bouillon. Use 150g dried polenta to 1litre of stock. Add this to a pan along with 2 cloves of minced garlic and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring until thickened. It will have a nice thick creamy consistency. Once it has cooked, stir through the nutritional yeast.

Directions

The garlicky green cabbage can be made while the polenta is cooking. Add a good splash of olive oil to a wide based pan and stir through the greens, cooking for 6 minutes until soft. Stir through crushed garlic and cooked green lentils until warm and a good grind of salt.

Serve in a bowl by spooning up the polenta and topping it with the greens. Finish with a good grind of fresh black pepper and chilli flakes.

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