Vegan Polenta Recipe: Mushroom Ragu

5 from 2 votes

This Vegan Polenta Recipe is an easy and delicious take on traditional ragu. Packed with flavor, your guests will never know it lacks meat!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Vegan / Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 247kcal

You guys are going to love this I promise. The ragu is all made in one cast iron pan and the polenta in one pot so cleanup is a breeze!

2.5-3 cups mixed mushrooms if you cannot find mixed, then use cremini
1-2.5 cups of kale I like a lot of kale in mine, but, if you don't, you can do less!
3 cloves garlic minced
½ large onion
2 tablespoon tomato paste
5 tablespoon olive oil
1 can 28 oz can diced tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Polenta:For vegan polenta do the following:*Follow the instructions on your polenta depending on how much you are making*
1. 1 can 13.5 oz coconut milk2. ¼ cup nutritional yeast3. 1 ½ cups water 4. 1 teaspoon salt5. 1 cup polenta
For Vegetarian polenta:1. 2 cups milk2. 1 tablespoon butter3. 1 cup polenta4. ½ cup gruyere5. Parmesan salt, and pepper to taste

In a cast iron pan on medium high heat, add your olive oil to the pan and allow it to heat up. Add your chopped onion and cook for 10-15 minutes. You may want to lower the temp a little bit, you want the onion to be a light brown by the time we add the garlic. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add your spices and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the wine to your pan and deglaze the pan. Let the alcohol burn off for a couple of minutes. Add your mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the can of diced tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 15 minutes. The tomatoes will break down and seem watery at first but the sauce will thicken. At around 10 minutes in begin to make your polenta. I can only advise you to follow the instructions on the polenta you buy as different grains (instant polenta vs coarse) take different times to cook.
Once the ragu is nice and thick, add the lemon juice and kale. Spoon your polenta into a bowl once finished and top it with the mushroom ragu. Serve immediately!