Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms, Chickpeas, and Olives

6 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Hands-on Time
30 Mins
Total Time
45 Mins
Yield
Serves 6 (serving size: about 1/2 cup polenta and 1 cup mushroom mixture)
By Jeanne Kelley
March 2015
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Look for stone-ground polenta or grits for this dish. Admittedly, they take a bit longer to cook, but the results are worth it, adding a creamier texture and hearty, nutty flavor to the dish.

Ingredients

  • MUSHROOM MEDLEY
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 ounces sliced wild mushrooms (about 7 cups)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large red onion, vertically sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup organic vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 mixed olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • POLENTA
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup stone-ground polenta or grits
  • 2 ounces grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), divided
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 251
  • Fat 6.6g
  • Satfat 2g
  • Monofat 2.5g
  • Polyfat 0.4g
  • Protein 10g
  • Carbohydrate 35g
  • Fiber 4g
  • Cholesterol 8mg
  • Iron 2mg
  • Sodium 510mg
  • Calcium 159mg

How to Make It

Step 1

To prepare medley, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, garlic, onion, and thyme; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add wine and vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, olives, and chickpeas; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Step 2

To prepare polenta, bring 3 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to low; cook 30 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 ounce cheese.

Step 3

Divide polenta evenly among 6 shallow bowls. Top evenly with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 ounce cheese and parsley.

Chef's Notes

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

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Ratings & Reviews

Good recipe

JNBank
August 24, 2015
Subbed goat cheese for parm which was a good idea. There was too much liquid so I'd recommend using 1/2 cup broth

Interesting...

steponme
June 27, 2015
This is okay but I'm not sure the end result was worth the effort for us. It's a little bland if you prefer strong, bold, spicy flavors.

Decent Meatless Dinner

Danielle71
April 10, 2015
This was quick to prep and prepare.  I have to say I enjoyed this more the next day for lunch topped with low fat feta cheese rather than the parmesan suggested.  Also, instead of 3 cups of water, I used 1 cup of non fat milk and 2 cups of water in my polenta.

Great dish made of simple ingredients

sukeedog
March 31, 2015
I deducted one star for the polenta cooked in water (really?); instead I made "real" polenta with fresh-milled popcorn, slow-cooked over the stove in milk.  I didn't have parm so I stirred some goat cheese into the polenta and used Gruyere to grate over the dish.  I also didn't have white wine so I subbed 1T of the balsamic with white wine vinegar.  I also reduced the onions by half (I agree that 1 cup would have been too much).  Despite these changes I think the dish was close to recipe; and it made a tasty, homey and filling vegetarian supper, served with steamed sugar snap peas.  With the exception of the polenta and onions I would make this to-recipe next time. 

TexasEx2001's Review

TexasEx2001
February 27, 2015
The taste of the vegetables was remarkably delicious. I added more olives because I love them and next time I would decrease the onions. There were tons. The polenta was a little plain too but mixed in with the vegetables it was ok. Next time I would add more water and seasoning to it. Great vegetarian dish.

Danielle71's Review

detailaddict
February 19, 2015
Very delicious! I used cornstarch to thicken te sauce.