This Creamy Vegan Polenta with Mushrooms, Spinach and Pine nuts makes an easy gluten-free lunch or dinner that is plant-based, healthy and ready in only 15 minutes. It’s also perfect as side dish and you can serve it with any vegetables you like.

My perfect simple weeknight meal is usually packed with vegetables and whole foods, that fills me up, and tastes delicious. I really LOVE pasta and risotto, but sometimes it even happens to me that I want to eat something different. Then this easy Creamy Vegan Polenta bowl comes just right! Honestly, I make it so often because it’s such a perfect meal that you can cook anytime with less effort! To make it even simpler, I prefer using finely ground polenta, which takes only 2 minutes to cook.

How to make a creamy dreamy and yummy Vegan Polenta
The first time I’ve made polenta, it was somehow very boring. But after trying some different variations, I fell in love with this delicious dish! It’s so versatile because you can combine it with any veggies and flavors. Anyways, I like it best served with mushrooms, spinach, and toasted pine nuts. To make it super creamy I use coconut milk but you can also use any other plant-based milk of choice.



Vegan Polenta with Mushrooms and Spinach
I am probably the biggest fan of Mushrooms and Spinach. That’s why I love adding these vegetables to any kind of savory meals, such as Gnocchi, Pasta, Risotto, Dumplings, Empanadas and more. I also like to use them as topping for my beloved Avocado Toast or homemade Pizza. I mean, nothing‘s better than loading your meal with veggies that are tasty, flavorful, and also healthy, right?

This Creamy Vegan Polenta is:
- Gluten-free
- Plant-based
- Dairy-free
- Easy to make
- Super creamy
- Flavorful
- Absolutely delicious
- Perfect as a main dish or side dish



Toasted Pine Nuts for an extra tasty flavor (or use options)
Pimp your meal with toasted pine puts! Trust me, they’ll add such an amazing flavor! I totally love their nutty taste and would never omit them. If you’re allergic to nuts, don’t worry. You can use toasted seeds or grains, such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, buckwheat, etc. instead. Also, toasted gluten-free bread crumbs taste great as a topping.
Feel free to choose the ingredients you like. There are so many possibilities and ways how you can serve your Creamy Vegan Polenta. Just be creative!


Creamy Vegan Polenta with Mushrooms and Spinach
Author:Ingredients
Polenta (Basic Recipe):
- 1 cup polenta (150 g) (see recipe notes*)
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk* (200 ml)
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth (300 ml)
- 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes or vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
Mushroom Spinach Topping:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 7 oz mushrooms (200 g) sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
- salt, black pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp pine nuts (options see text above)
Instructions
*Note: Check out the recipe video for visual instruction!
Polenta:
- Bring coconut milk and vegetable broth to a boil in a pot. Stir in polenta by using a whisk.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to whisk for 1-2 minutes to avoid lumps.
- Then cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes (or according packaging instructions*), stirring occasionally. (If the polenta thickens too much you can add additional milk and/or water and stir to thin.)
- Once the Polenta is creamy and smooth, remove from the stovetop. Add nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan and stir (optional).
Mushroom Spinach Topping:
- Heat oil in a skillet or pan. Add mushrooms along with onions and fry for about 3 minutes on high heat or until beginning to get golden-brown.
- Add minced garlic and roast for 30 seconds longer. Then add soy sauce and spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of fresh lime juice, if you like.
- Toast pine nuts in a small pan without oil until lightly browned.
- Serve polenta with mushrooms, spinach and pine nuts.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make it even simpler and creamier, I prefer using finely ground polenta, that takes only 2 minutes to cook. If using regular yellow corn grits please read the cooking time stated on the package. Otherwise you could also use cornmeal.
- Instead of coconut milk you can add any plant-based milk. Add 1 tbsp vegan butter, if using low-fat milk.
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Just want to make a comment. Polenta is the finished food, after it has been cooked. What you pour into the water to make the polenta is the grain, ie. corn meal, farro, corn grits, etc.
Never thought for 1 minute it would be soooo good. I wanted to use up polenta I bought to have polenta plums and hunted for a savoury recipe. This will definitely be a regular in our household. Very reasonable on the purse strings too
Great! That makes me very happy! Thank you very much! 🙂
Did you use canned coconut milk or from a carton? I am so excited to try this!!
I used canned coconut milk from a can! 😉
I LOVE this recipe! So good. Next time I make it, I will add a lot more spinach. I did add more of the coconut milk to thin out the polenta. I could live on this meal.
Thank you so much! 🙂 Glad you love it! 💖
This is on the menu for tomorrow. My daughter had it a friend for lunch, and raved about it. Sounds really good.
I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
Hello, & Good Afternoon….
A little backstory leading to this recipe of yours. I did some stock checking in my kitchen last week, and found an unopened pack of polenta lying around in my cupboard. I did forget about it completely hehe…so I went back to my saved recipes in instagram, then got to your dish of this creamy polenta and came to your website/blog for more details…
It was a delicios piece frankly, got definitely my personal favourites to make later. I enjoyed the creaminess of the polenta the most, with the hint of sweetness and crispiness of the pine nuts, while the vegetable combo was the icing on the cake…
I am going to look around your blog for more delicios recipies…
Have a nice day…
I’m glad you liked it! 🙂 Thank you.
Have a great new week! ♡