This bowl is like taking a nap with the windows open on a breezy summer day. Warm, cheesy, creamy polenta topped with roasted poblano, sweet corn, lima beans, and zucchini, charred to perfection.
I’m having an identity crisis because I’ve been craving everything BUT tacos and sandwiches lately. I’ll tell ya what, it makes it a lot harder to decide what to cook! But I’ve been loving big bowls I can dig into, and this polenta does just the trick.
If you haven’t had polenta, I like to think of it as pasta’s cornmeal sister. It’s creamy and deliciously savory, and congeals in the most perfect way once it has a few minutes to cool.
For this recipe I used one green and one yellow zucchini, but use whatever is accessible, on sale, or looking good to you! As always, this recipe is super versatile and would go well with just about any veggies, but the sweet corn and poblano combination is pretty unbeatable. If you’re a hot sauce worshipper like me, Frank’s Red Hot is the way to go with this.
If you try this recipe, let me know by commenting below, or tagging me in your photos on Instagram, @groundedchow!
Summer Polenta
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis cut into quarters
- 1 Poblano pepper
- 2 corns on the cob kernels cut away from husk
- 1 c frozen lima beans
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 c polenta
- 2 c water
- 2 c veggie broth
- ¼ c nutritional yeast
- salt
- pepper
- 1 green onion, sliced
- cilantro for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place Poblano on a baking sheet, and roast until skin looks charred, about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time.
- When the pepper is done cooking, remove from oven and wrap loosely in foil. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then use a fork to scrape the skin off. Cut off the stem and scrape most of the seeds out, then dice the pepper.
- Prepare your polenta: bring water and veggie broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, ensuring it doesn’t clump. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot, letting it cook about 25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the consistency is thick. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn. Once the polenta has reached your desired thickness, stir in the nutritional yeast, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- When the polenta has ten minutes left, start cooking the veggies. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, then add zucchinis, corn, and lima beans. Once veggies are tender, add the poblano pepper to veggie mix. Sauté together until they look slightly charred. Salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, spoon polenta into bowls and top with generous portion of veggies. Top with green onion and cilantro, then enjoy!