Creamy polenta forms a pillowy bed for a mixture of caramelized leeks, tender zucchini, and sweet spring peas. Lemon zest and dill add brightness and a lovely herbal contrast. This gluten free and vegan main dish is packed with flavor and ready in under 30 minutes!
Last week I brought home first of the season leeks AND zucchini! It was such a celebratory moment that I knew I wanted to create a special dish to mark the occasion. Since caramelized leeks are one of my favorite things EVER, I built the recipe from there. Tender zucchini was added to the leeks along with lightly blanched spring peas. To lighten and brighten the veggies, I stirred in some lemon zest and dill once I removed them from the heat. Creamy polenta adds a filling and comforting element. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- It’s a celebration of spring flavors on a bed of creamy, dreamy polenta. What’s not to love?!
- It’s gluten free, vegan, AND ready in just 30 minutes.
- You only need 10 ingredients, none of which are hard to find.
- It combines the comforting component of polenta with light and springy vegetables so you get the best of both worlds.
How to Use Leeks
Caramelized leeks form the sweet and savory flavor base for the vegetables in this recipe. In case you’re not familiar with them, leeks are one of the more mellow members of the onion family. They have a lovely sweetness that intensifies when they’re caramelized!
Since leeks have the tendency to harbor soil between their layers, I make sure to clean them well before using them in recipes. To use leeks, remove the darker green top portion. This part is better used for making stock as it’s more fibrous. If there are still roots attached, cut off and discard them. Cut the remaining white and light green portion of the leek in half lengthwise. Then, slice each half into half moon shapes. Place your chopped leeks in a colander and run them under cool water, agitating them with your fingers to separate the layers. Make sure to rinse well to remove all of the soil, then pat them to dry before moving on with your recipe.
Tips for Making the Creamiest Polenta
I can’t remember where I first read about this technique, but I make my polenta in two distinct steps: whisking continuously at first until it thickens, then putting a lid on it, lowering the heat, and letting it cook for about 15 minutes. It’s soooo much better than standing there the entire time to whisk it! Allowing it to cook with the lid on traps the steam inside which yields a much creamier polenta in my opinion. After the 15 minutes are up, I remove the lid and stir in some vegan butter to make it extra luscious. Just make sure to serve it right away as it will firm up as it cools down!
Tips for Re-heating Your Polenta
As polenta cools down, it firms up. If you have leftovers and put them in the fridge, you’ll notice that they are completely solid once chilled. There are two different ways you can heat polenta back up:
- Cut it into slices and sear it in a pan over medium heat OR heat the slices through in a toaster oven.
- Put the polenta in a small pot along with a few splashes or stock or milk. Heat over medium, stirring and breaking up the polenta to encourage it return to a creamy state.
Polenta with Caramelized Leeks, Zucchini, & Peas
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Creamy polenta forms a pillowy bed for a mixture of caramelized leeks, tender zucchini, and sweet spring peas. Lemon zest and dill add brightness and lovely herbal contrast. This gluten free and vegan main dish is packed with flavor and ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of shelled peas
- 4 cups of veggie broth
- sea salt, to taste
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 small or 1 large leek
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
Start by blanching your peas. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt and the peas. Allow them to boil for 2 minutes, then strain them. Set the peas aside for now.
Prepare your leeks by removing the dark green portions. You can save these for making stock. Remove any roots that are attached, then slice the white and light green portion of the leek in half lengthwise. Slice these halves into half-moons, then rinse them well, making sure to remove any dirt between the layers. Pat them dry and set them aside.
Start your polenta next. Add the broth and a big pinch of salt to a pot. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the broth is boiling, pour in the polenta and reduce the heat to medium. Whisk the polenta constantly until it thickens and begins to spurt. This will take no more than 5 minutes. Once it thickens, place the lid on the pot, kick the heat down to medium-low, and allow the polenta to cook for 15 minutes.
While the polenta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, the leeks, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until they begin to caramelize. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Add the diced zucchini and another pinch of salt. Cook until the zucchini are just tender, about 3 minutes, then add the peas. Cook just long enough for the peas to warm through then remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and dill. Then taste the veggies and add more salt if needed.
Once the polenta is done, remove it from the heat and add the vegan butter and nutritional yeast. Whisk vigorously to incorporate the butter.
To serve, ladle a bed of polenta into each bowl, then top it with the veggie mixture.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen peas. If you use frozen peas, thaw them first and skip the blanching step.
- To re-heat your polenta, add some to a pot along with a few splashes of stock or milk. Stir, making sure to break up the polenta with the back of your spoon. Keep stirring until it is creamy and warmed through, adding more stock or milk as needed.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: main
