The 30-Day Vegan Challenge
Creamy Leek Polenta Recipe
The Buttery texture of the leeks and soft extra of the polenta culminate in creamy perfection.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons nondairy butter (such as Earth Balance), divided
3 large Leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced and diced
2 cups (or more) water
2-1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)
1/2 to 3/4 cup nondairy milk (almond, soy, rice, hemp, oat, hazelnut)
1 teaspoon salt, added gradually (and you may not use all; depends on your taste)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon of the nondairy butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add the leeks, and stir to coat. Cover and cook until leeks soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Add the water and broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta, whilte whisking simultaneously. Whisking is essential, or the cornmeal will clump up.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy. At this point, you’ll want to switch to a wooden spoon, stirring often. As it beings to thicken, add some of the milk, stir and continue cooking. Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue stirring, cooking, and adding more milk and salt, until you’ve got a creamy mixture.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of nondairy butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and divide the polenta among plates.
Serves 4 to 6
Serving Suggestions
I love the combination of mushrooms and polenta, and the chewy extra is a nice foil to the creamy polenta. Slice up some brown cremini, shitake, or porcini mushrooms, saute them in a little olive oil with some tamari, and add to the top of each surveying of polenta.
Leftover Suggestions
One of the brilliant things about polenta is that it sets up once it starts to cool, so whatever creamy polenta you don’t finish can be poured into a serving dish and stored in the fridge overnight (or for a couple days) to set up. Then, you can cut it into squares and fry, bake, or grill it (or just heat up using your favorite method).
Gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free (if using soy-free Earth Balance and milk), tree-nut-free, peanut-free
*NOTE: If you want to make it oil-free, you can eliminate the Earth Balance completely (saute the leeks in a tablespoon of water instead.) The Earth Balance definitely adds more creaminess and salt, so adjust accordingly.
Recipe from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s 30-Day Vegan Challenge. For more information on the 30-Day Vegan Challenge and recipes, visit: The30dayveganchallenge.com
