Soft, Creamy Vegan Polenta With Swiss Chard and Mushrooms

Passover is a great excuse to clear the wheat products out of the pantry and make room for other grains and flours, including cornmeal.

What's so great about cornmeal?

Glad you asked.

Corn is the world's third most common grain. It's eaten in huge quantities in South America, as well as in Romania, Turkey, and Italy.

It's naturally gluten-free, though its protein quality is relatively low compared with other grains, such as wheat and rice.

Its fat content is relatively high, and its glycemic index is higher than that of other grains, too.

But let's give corn some credit.

Corn contains plenty of an antioxidant called beta-carotene. Yep, the same one found in carrots and red bell peppers.

It also contains plenty of potassium, an important mineral that supports the nervous system and plays a role in digestive function and metabolism.

Then there's its generous magnesium content. Magnesium matters for active people, blood sugar regulation, normal heart function, and more.

So, no, I'm not calling corn a superfood. But corn and corn products have a place in my pantry all year long—not just at Passover.

A few things about this recipe:

For an extra-soft, creamy texture, I use finely ground cornmeal rather than the coarser kind sold as polenta. You can absolutely use coarser polenta here; it'll just need more cooking time.

Rich, creamy polenta gets a lot of its luxurious texture from fat. That's what makes this dish feel a little special.

For this version, I make a milk from cashews and a few pine nuts, with a little turmeric and garlic.

You can swap the cashews for the same amount of blanched almonds. The result will be a little different, but still delicious.

I top the polenta with lightly sautéed onion, portobello mushrooms, and Swiss chard. It makes for a colorful, company-worthy dish.

Feel free to improvise and use whatever vegetables you love.

If you're making this outside Passover and gluten isn't a concern, you can add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes for a cheesy flavor.

Who wouldn't want a little jar of this?

Nutrition information from Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical dietitian and fitness trainer):

One 70 g (2.5 oz) serving of vegan polenta contains:

365 calories

9 g protein

33 g carbohydrates

24 g fat (including 4 g saturated fat)

108 mg magnesium

235 mg potassium

Vegan Polenta

Keyword cornmeal, corn, polenta, cashews, mushrooms, Swiss chard, portobello

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Calories 550 kcal

Ingredients

For the polenta

• 250 g (8.8 oz) raw cashews soaked in water to cover for at least 2 hours
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts 14 g (0.5 oz)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon Atlantic sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon citric acid don't skip it!
• 1 level teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal 155 g (5.5 oz)

For the topping

• 3-4 Swiss chard leaves white stems removed, leaves chopped
• 3-4 portobello mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 onion sliced
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes
• A pinch of pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing

Instructions

1. Drain the soaked cashews. 

2. Transfer to a blender. Add 2 cups water and the remaining polenta ingredients, except the cornmeal. 

3. Blend thoroughly until thick and completely smooth, with no lumps.

4. Pour the cashew milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring as it heats. 

5. Keep stirring! The mixture can scorch easily on the bottom of the pan.

6. Reduce the heat and add the cornmeal, stirring constantly. 

7. Continue stirring until the polenta is thick, smooth, and slightly sticky, with no lumps.

8. Now make the topping. 

9. In a skillet, sauté the onion, mushrooms, and Swiss chard in the olive oil until the chard is tender.

10. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of polenta into each serving jar and top with a little of the sautéed vegetable mixture. Finish with a pinch of pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil.