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This easy mushroom polenta is creamy, comforting, and on the table in about 30 minutes. Smooth polenta gets topped with garlicky mushrooms in a simple tomato sauce, so it feels like a restaurant dinner with pantry ingredients. If you love polenta, try my simple polenta fries too!
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The mushroom topping is a quick ragu-style sauce made with soy sauce, lime, and tomato paste, and it pairs perfectly with instant polenta. Thank you to Gina and Jeremy for developing this recipe!
Quick Glance
- Recipe Name: Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Sauce
- Why You’ll Love It: An Italian-inspired dinner made with simple pantry ingredients.
- Time and Difficulty: About 30 minutes, easy.
- Method: Stovetop.
- Texture and Flavor: Creamy polenta with savory, garlicky mushrooms in a rich tomato sauce.
- Quick Tip: Use instant polenta to have dinner ready fast.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Mushroom Polenta So Good
This recipe tastes like something you’d order at an Italian restaurant, but it comes together with just a handful of ingredients.
Love polenta? Try my spinach polenta pie, or make my creamy brown rice risotto for another Italian-inspired dinner.
Quick with instant polenta: The polenta cooks in minutes while the mushrooms simmer.
Big savory flavor: Soy sauce and tomato paste give the mushrooms a rich, savory sauce, and a squeeze of lime balances it out.
Budget friendly: Polenta, mushrooms, and pantry staples make a filling dinner for less.
Easy to customize: Add greens, beans, or tofu to make it your own.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Polenta: I use instant polenta because it’s ready in minutes. Regular polenta or coarse cornmeal works too, but it takes longer to cook.
- Water or broth: Cooking the polenta in vegetable broth or no-chicken broth adds extra flavor.
- Olive oil: Half goes into the polenta for richness, and half is for cooking the mushrooms.
- Mushrooms: Cremini, chestnut, or portobello mushrooms are my go-tos. Wild mushrooms like oyster or chanterelle are delicious too.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce big flavor.
- Soy sauce: It adds savory depth. For gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Lime juice: A squeeze balances the rich sauce.
- Tomato paste: It thickens the sauce and gives it that ragu-style flavor.
- Black pepper: Freshly ground, to taste.
- Plant-based milk (optional): Stir in a splash if the polenta thickens before serving.
You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Fresh herbs: Add fresh thyme or rosemary to the mushrooms, or top with chopped parsley.
- Cheesy polenta: Stir vegan parmesan, vegan butter, or nutritional yeast into the polenta.
- Onion or shallots: Sauté them with the mushrooms for extra flavor.
- Greens: Stir in spinach at the end until it wilts.
- Protein: Add tofu, chickpeas, or white beans to make it heartier.
- Extra creamy: Stir a little coconut milk into the polenta.
How to Make Mushroom Polenta
Step 1: Cook the polenta: Cook the polenta according to the package directions. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, cover, and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the mushrooms: Heat the remaining olive oil in a lidded pan over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Step 3: Make the sauce: Stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, water, and tomato paste. Pour it over the mushrooms, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a splash more water if the pan starts to dry out.
Step 4: Season and serve: Season the mushrooms with black pepper. If the polenta has thickened, stir in a splash of plant-based milk. Spoon the polenta onto plates and top with the mushroom sauce.
Common Problems To Avoid
- Lumpy polenta: Add the polenta to the liquid gradually while whisking.
- Polenta too thick: Polenta firms up as it sits. Stir in a splash of plant-based milk or warm water to make it creamy again.
- Dry sauce: Keep an eye on the pan while the mushrooms simmer and add water as needed.
- Gritty mushrooms: Wipe them clean with a damp paper towel instead of soaking them.
- Bland polenta: Cook it in broth instead of water.
FAQs
I usually use cremini, chestnut, or portobello mushrooms. Wild mushrooms like oyster, chanterelle, or enoki are delicious too.
Yes! Sautéed mushrooms with garlic and thyme make a simple, tasty topping for creamy polenta.
For creamy polenta, use about 4 parts liquid to 1 part polenta, unless your package says otherwise.
Both are made from ground corn. Polenta is an Italian dish usually made from yellow corn, while grits are a Southern dish often made from white corn or hominy.
Yes. Use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos, and choose a polenta that’s certified gluten-free.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: A crisp vegan Caesar salad.
- Greens: Sautéed Swiss chard or wilted spinach.
- Vegetables: Oven charred broccoli or roasted asparagus.
- Extra mushrooms: A side of sautéed mushrooms with garlic and thyme.
- Bread: Easy no-knead bread or vegan focaccia bread for soaking up the sauce.
Storage Instructions for Mushroom Polenta
- Fridge: Store the polenta and mushrooms in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm the polenta on the stove with a splash of plant-based milk or water, stirring until creamy again. Reheat the mushrooms in a skillet.
- Leftover polenta: Chilled polenta firms up, so slice it and pan-fry it until golden for an easy next-day meal.
Other Vegan Dinner Recipes to Consider….
Vegan Dinners
Sautéed Lime Tofu
Vegan Dinners
Curried Chickpeas
Vegan Lunches
Quinoa Burritos With Black Beans
Vegan Dinners
Orange Ginger Tofu (Marinated to Perfection!)
If you tried this creamy polenta with mushrooms recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms
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Ingredients
- 1 cup instant polenta (about 170 g)
- 4 cups water (960 ml)
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound sliced mushrooms (454 g)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (30 ml)
- ½ lime juiced
- ½ to 1 cup water (120 to 240 ml)
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (16 g)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Plant-based milk as needed (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the polenta in the water or broth according to the package directions. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, cover, and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a lidded pan over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, water, and tomato paste. Pour it into the pan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more water as needed so the pan doesn't dry out.
- Season the mushrooms with black pepper. If the polenta has thickened, stir in plant-based milk until creamy.
- Spoon the polenta onto plates, top with the mushrooms, and serve right away.
Notes
- Cook the polenta in vegetable broth for extra flavor.
- No instant polenta? Regular polenta or coarse cornmeal works too. Simmer it over low heat, partly covered, whisking often, and plan on extra time.
- Add the polenta to the liquid gradually while whisking to avoid lumps.
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos and certified gluten-free polenta.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I just made this recipe and thoroughly enjoyed it for a weeknight meal. The mushrooms were so flavourful! Will make this again for sure!
That’s so awesome to hear! It’s such a yummy dish!
So yummy!