Creamy Vegan Truffle Parmesan Polenta
This Creamy Vegan Truffle Parmesan Polenta topped with Rosemary Garlic Mushrooms is the fancy-but simple at its finest. It looks and tastes like something you’d pay top dollar for at a restaurant, but it’s incredibly easy to make at home and much more budget-friendly too!
By Nikki Vegan
I use Bob’s Red Mill polenta and cook it in some low sodium veggie broth and almond milk. This combo is a lot more flavorful than cooking the polenta in water because the veggie broth infuses the polenta with savory spices while the almond milk gives it a decadently creamy texture.
Then stir in VioLife vegan Parmesan (my favorite vegan parmesan) and black truffle oil. With truffle oil, a little goes a long way and the flavor pay off is nothing short of spectacular. The moment you stir the truffle and parmesan into the thick and creamy polenta, your entire kitchen will start to smell incredible!
Ingredient Info
- Polenta – Also known as grits, is finely milled corn. Cook in water, broth, or plant milk to create a thick and creamy porridge. Then season with your favorite savory herbs, spices, and vegan cheeses. I use this organic polenta from Bob’s Red Mill.
- Truffles are a luxury ingredient for sure and even truffle infused products like truffle oil and truffle salt can be very pricey. But I recently found these mini bottles of black truffle infused olive oil for less than $10 per bottle. And since my recipe calls for just 1/2 tsp per serving, you get a lot of bang for your buck here. Think of truffle oil as a finishing oil/seasoning rather than an oil you’d cook with, and use it sparingly to add flavor to everything from polenta and pasta to popcorn and roasted potatoes.
I think of this savory, salty, cheesy, creamy polenta as a base for all kinds of fun toppings. I love adding vegan chicken, seasoned crispy chickpeas, grilled tofu with mushroom gravy, or hearty garlic rosemary mushrooms on top.
My favorite topping is garlic rosemary mushrooms sprinkled with lemon zest, extra parmesan, and black pepper so that’s what I’m showing you how to make in this recipe. Lemon zest is often seen as just a garnish…and garnish is often seen as an optional ingredient…but I would not skip it if I were you! Just a little sprinkle on top adds freshness and zing to this decadently creamy dish.
I love to serve this with a glass of red wine. This vegan friendly Malbec Cabernet blend is a delicious paring and really compliments the cheesy flavors and hearty herbs. I talk more about wine pairings in this video if you’re interested.
Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe! It’s a dish I love to make for friends and family and it would be a perfect at-home date night meal.
Creamy Vegan Truffle Parmesan Polenta
INGREDIENTS
Truffle Parmesan Polenta
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 2 cups almond milk unsweetened
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese finley grated
- 2 tsp truffle oil optional
- kosher salt to taste
Rosemary Garlic Mushrooms
- 4-5 Portobello mushroom caps sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Topping
- 3 tsp lemon zest
- black pepper
- extra parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the Polenta
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Combine the veggie broth and almond milk in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Whisk the liquid as you slowly add in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Make sure to stir every few minutes for the creamiest polenta ever!
Make the Mushrooms
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While the polenta cooks, warm a large, dry skillet to medium high heat. When the pan is warm, add the mushrooms and leave to sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the oil and salt. Stir to combine, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan as needed. That’s where the flavor is!
Tip: for extra flavor add 2 tbsp of dry white wine to help lift all of the crispy bits of mushrooms off of the bottom of the pan.
Then add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 2 more minutes.
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Remove from the heat and cover with a lid to keep the mushrooms warm.
Finishing Touches
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Once the polenta is thick and creamy, add in the parmesan cheese and mix well.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the truffle oil, and mix again. Taste and add more salt if needed.
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To serve, divide the polenta between 4 bowls and top with the rosemary garlic mushrooms. Sprinkle generously with lemon zest, black pepper, and parmesan and enjoy!
Venture into the Wild and Taste the Difference
Organic Malbec – Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s an honor to present this deep, yet fruity red blend from Argentine pioneers of sustainable viticulture and socially responsible winemaking. It has a concentrated purple core with a magenta edge and explodes with layers of violets, blackberry preserves, and fresh herbs. The mouthfeel is rich and generous with an exceptional fruit balance, plus plenty of spice and tannins on the cocoa-espresso-tinged finish. It will have your palate doing a Tango while you contemplate your next move.