Creamy Polenta with Sauteed Greens and Mushrooms
This creamy polenta with sauteed greens and mushrooms is a whole meal by itself! Creamy polenta is topped with a mix of red swiss chard, spinach, and kale, sauteed portabella mushrooms, and lots of minced garlic. This healthy vegetarian meal is filling and delicious and packed with so much flavor!
Polenta is an easy and versatile ingredient that can be used to create a variety of dishes. Cooked kinda like grits, creamy polenta can be eaten plain, topped with shredded cheese, or sauteed spinach and mushrooms to be served for lunch or dinner.
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In cornbread, the cornmeal can be replaced with polenta to create a wonderful texture and flavor. My Rosemary Polenta Cornbread is always a hit with my family.
If you have never made polenta before, it’s not hard or complicated to make. All you need are a few simple ingredients and in just a few minutes you’ll have a flavor-packed dish that you’ll love making again and again.
Key Ingredients in this recipe
Polenta (corn grits) – Polenta is sometimes called corn grits. It’s basically ground corn that has a medium to coarse texture. It can be used as dusting flour for homemade pizzas or boiled into a cornmeal porridge.
Greens – A mix of chopped swiss red chard, spinach, and kale. Swiss chard tastes like a mix between kale and spinach. It has a nice flavor, and lovely color and the stems are perfectly crunchy.
Garlic – Minced garlic adds so much savory flavor to sauteed greens and mushrooms.
Mushrooms – I used 2 portobello mushrooms but cremini or white button mushrooms can be used instead.
Olive oil – Used to cook the vegetables. Extra virgin olive oil has a deep flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients.
Splash of water – The water is used to cook the greens. We don’t want the greens to be dry or risk burning and the little bit of water helps to keep them tender.
How to Make Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms and Sauteed Greens:
Step one: To make the polenta. In a medium pot bring to a boil chicken broth, water, salt, and dried thyme. Slow whisk in the dried polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the polenta has thickened and is tender (15 – 20 minutes). Whisk occasionally to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
Step two: After it’s done, whisk in cubes of butter until the polenta is creamy. Set aside.
Step three: To make the sauteed greens. Start by rinsing and chopping the red swiss chard, spinach, and kale. Roll the leaves then cut them vertically and horizontally.
Step four: In a large skillet heat olive oil. Add in the chopped mushrooms with salt and black pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have released most of their water and are starting to brown. Make a hole in the middle of the pan then add minced garlic. Cook while stirring for 1 – 2 minutes.
Step five: Add the chopped greens to the skillet with a ¼ cup of water to help the greens cook down. Cook until the greens are tender, about 10 – 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Step six: Serve sauteed greens and mushrooms over a bowl of creamy polenta. Enjoy!
Kitchen Items You Might Need For This Recipe
Cooking Tips —
Creamy polenta will thicken as it cools: If your polenta has thickened too much by the time you are ready to serve your polenta, heat it with a splash of water or broth to get it back to your desired consistency.
The cooking ratio for polenta is 4: 1 – 4 parts liquid and 1 part dry polenta: This is the standard ratio for polenta but if you like a looser polenta porridge feel free to add more water or broth.
Cook your greens with a bit of water: When sauteeing any type of leafy greens it is always a good idea to add a bit of water to the pan to help bring out the juices of the greens, otherwise the greens can burn when cooked at high heat or in a dry pan.
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Creamy Polenta with Sauteed Greens and Mushrooms
Ingredients
Creamy Polenta
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup dried polenta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
Sauteed Mushrooms and Greens
- 1 bundle of spinach chopped
- 1 bundle of red swiss chard chopped
- 1 bundle of kale stems, and ribs removed
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 portobello mushrooms cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Cooking the creamy polenta. In a medium pot bring to a boil chicken broth, water, salt, and dried thyme. Slow whisk in the dried polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the polenta has thickened and is tender (15 – 20 minutes). Whisk occasionally to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- After it’s done, whisk in cubes of butter until the polenta is creamy. Set aside.
- Cooking the sauteed greens and mushrooms. Start by first rinsing and chopping the spinach, red chard, and kale. It’s easier to chop the greens when you roll them first and then chop them horizontally and vertically. Set aside.
- Next, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, and add the cubed mushrooms, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the mushrooms start to brown and have released most of their juices, 5 minutes. Make a hole in the middle of the pan then add minced garlic. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and the chopped leafy greens to the skillet with ¼ cup of water. You might need to work in batches. Cook until the greens are tender, 10 – 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve overtop a bowl of creamy polenta. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
