Polenta with Mushrooms and Kale

Coming into fall, we’ve been starting to crave heartier and warming meals and this polenta dish definitely satisfies that craving. In fact, Eric said “this is the best one in a long time,” meaning the best new recipe we’ve had in a long time. High praise. My dad liked it, too. This is a soft polenta dish prepared separately and then served with sautéed vegetables on top (in this case, mushrooms and kale). We served it up in the beautiful new bowls I received from my mother-in-law as a birthday present this year. This is quite easy, and just requires time long enough to cook the polenta (about 45 minutes or so).

The Recipe

Serves 5-6

For the polenta:

olive oil

1 1/3 cup dry polenta (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

5 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables:

5 cups sliced mushrooms (I used crimini and portobello)

1 large head of kale, washed and  chopped (I used dinosaur, but any kind will do. Spinach would be good, too)

olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Using a medium to large pot, saute the onion until soft. Add garlic.

Stir in the polenta and mix well with the oil and onions. Add the stock and water and stir. Add some freshly ground pepper [Note: you can use all stock, but unless you’re using a low-sodium stock, I imagine it might be quite salty. I found that I did not need to add any additional salt to the polenta, but you should just go by taste and how you like it.]

Bring the polenta to a boil, stir, and turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer the polenta for 40 minutes, until the consistency is a thick porridge. Stir frequently!

While the polenta is cooking, slice the mushrooms and chop the kale. When there are about 10 minutes left on the timer for the polenta, heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the kale and stir in the garlic powder, salt and pepper (you can, of course, used fresh garlic here, if you prefer). Cook until the kale is soft (just a few minutes)

The two dishes should finish cooking at about the same time. Taste the polenta and the vegetables, keeping in mind they will be served together. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Serve polenta in bowls with the vegetables on top and enjoy!

A warm, seasonal meal for fall. What fall foods are you excited about right now?