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Creamy Vegan Polenta Bake

This vegan vegetable polenta bake from Tony Chiodo is like healthy lasagna.

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 356 kcal
Author Tess Masters

Ingredients

sauce:

base:

  • 7 cups (1.68l) vegetable broth 
  • 2 cups (300g) diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 teaspoon (6g) Celtic sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 cups cornmeal 
  • 1/4 cup (16g) nutritional yeast, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) garlic powder, plus more to taste
  • 4 cups (176g) baby spinach
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 
  • 4 cups (300g) lightly steamed broccoli florets

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with a nonstick sheet or parchment paper.
  2. To make the sauce, toss the cubed sweet potato with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl. Spread the sweet potato on the sheet, and roast for about 1 hour, until tender. Set aside. 
  3. Continue making the sauce by warming the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the 2 cups of yellow onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Set aside. 
  4. Transfer the cooked onions to the blender, add the roasted sweet potato, and add the broth, cashews, ginger, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds until smooth and creamy. Tweak salt and ginger to taste. Set sauce aside. 

  5. To make the base, pour the vegetable broth, onions, corn, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Whisk in the polenta, and cook, stirring every few minutes for about 40 minutes, until cooked through. (You may need to add more broth to prevent the polenta from sticking and burning.) Stir through the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Stir in the spinach until just wilted, and then stir through the parsley until well combined. 

  6. Grease a rectangular baking dish with olive oil, and spoon the polenta mixture into the dish until spread evenly. Press the steamed broccoli florets stem down into the polenta so they're arranged evenly. 
  7. Pour the sauce over the polenta mixture, and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the topping forms a slight crust. 
  8. Cut into large pieces, and serve with a salad or steamed vegetables. 

Recipe Notes

Adapted from a recipe by Tony Chiodo