Creamy Vegan Polenta with Mushrooms and Kale

This polenta stays rich and creamy with vegan butter and a spoonful of nutritional yeast in place of the usual butter and cheese. Mushrooms and kale braised in red wine turn it into a full meal.

Serves 4 · 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the polenta

• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1½ cups polenta, medium- or coarse-grind cornmeal, or corn grits
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

For the mushrooms and kale

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ⅔ cup full-bodied red wine
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 large or 2 small bunches curly kale, Tuscan kale or Swiss chard (about 10 ounces), stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. Bring 6 cups broth and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it's as thick as you like. Off the heat, stir in the vegan butter and nutritional yeast, season with salt and pepper, and cover.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium. Cook the onion for about 4 minutes, until translucent.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms and rosemary. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally and adding a little oil if the pan looks dry, until the mushrooms release their liquid and soften.
4. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens to a rusty brown and starts to stick to the pan.
5. Pour in the wine and cook, scraping the pan, until it reduces by about half.
6. Add 1 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Add the kale a handful at a time, letting each batch wilt. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid thickens.
7. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and season to taste. Rewarm the polenta over medium-low with a splash of broth if it has stiffened, then serve it in shallow bowls with the mushrooms and kale on top and a sprinkle of parsley.

Tips

• Some wines are filtered with egg or milk proteins, so choose a bottle labeled vegan if that matters to you.
• Go easy on the nutritional yeast. A little reads as nutty and cheesy; too much takes over.
• Reheat leftover polenta over medium-low with a splash of broth or water.

Adapted from Lidey Heuck, NYT Cooking.