This wonderfully creamy “hands-free” polenta requires very little prep and easily comes together in the oven. Earthy mushrooms mix with sweet pearl onions and hearty Brussels sprouts to create a vegetable medley that’s warming and satisfying. A quick grated tomato sauce brings acidic freshness to the dish, making this the perfect weeknight dinner when your energy is low but you’re craving a stick-to-your-stomach meal.

By Shelli McConnell,

Ingredients

  • 5½ cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
  • 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
  • 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, broken up (1 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 8 cipollini onions or 16 pearl onions, trimmed and peeled
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added white beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. In a 4-quart Dutch oven whisk together the first four ingredients (through salt). Bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring often to prevent clumping. Transfer the Dutch oven, uncovered, to the oven. Bake for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange Brussels sprouts and onions on a baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in the oven next to the polenta. Bake for about 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven. Add beans and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar; toss to combine.
  • Remove Dutch oven from the oven. Whisk polenta until smooth. Return Dutch oven, uncovered, to oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until polenta is thick and creamy. Remove from oven. Whisk well.
  • Meanwhile, grate tomatoes on the coarse side of a box grater into a bowl. Stir in parsley, remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Spoon polenta into shallow bowls. Top with vegetable mixture. Drizzle tomato mixture around the outside edge of polenta. Sprinkle with additional parsley.

Comments (5)

(4 from 3 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Anna

This was absolutely delicious! Turned out restaurant quality flavors. We loved it!

Lydia

Don't think we'll be making this one again. The polenta was quite tasty but the flavor combinations just didn't quite hit to our palette. The sauce was a bit on the sweet side which didn't mesh well with the creaminess of the polenta and sprout as a rule are hit and miss to me, so I knew this one might not be our favorite but I'm just not quite sure how the flavors are supposed to work together on this one. But I would save the polenta part for another combo sometime!

Gisela Spieler-Persad

Can I use premise polenta?

Nancy McClendon

Unless I missed it, the mushrooms are not mentioned in the instructions. Since they are dried, do you just toss them in the tomato sauce?

KJC

It’s in the first step - add it with the liquid, polenta and salt

About the Author

Headshot of Shelli McConnell

About the Author

Shelli McConnell

Shelli McConnell graduated with a bachelor of science in consumer food science and a minor in journalism from Iowa State University. She began her career as a home economist in the Better Homes & Gardens test kitchen before moving into an editorial position within DotDash Meredith. She has since freelanced for 25 years and has served as an editorial project manager for many books and magazines, including three editions of the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. She has also developed thousands of recipes for publications including Forks Over Knives magazine; Eat This, Not That!; Diabetic Living; Better Homes & Gardens; The Magnolia Journal; and more. McConnell loves to entertain and inspire, so when she’s not in her office, she’s usually in her kitchen. Find her on LinkedIn.
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