Delicious vegan herby butternut squash polenta with olive oil roasted tomatoes – A creamy, flavoursome hearty one-bowl meal!
Day 18 at home and my appreciation for Polenta is reaching new highs. This versatile pantry ingredient can be made into hundreds of different recipes and right now I’m absolutely obsessed with simple one-bowl Polenta dishes, like this herby butternut squash polenta with olive oil roasted tomatoes.
Polenta bowls only need a handful of ingredients to go from something that could be described as a bit ‘boring’, to something that is out of this world. This is honestly the best polenta recipe for those who have ever called polenta boring before – think again!
With a combination of rosemary, sage, and thyme and the lightly caramelized sweet flavour of roasted butternut squash – this polenta is a creamy sweet-savoury dish with optional dairy-free cheese and/or butter to ramp up the flavour.
In terms of toppings, I love to use my polenta bowls as a way to add lots of healthy nutrients to my meal with the use of raw and sauteed veggies. The classic combination has to be mushrooms and spinach. However here I’ve decided to go for olive oil roasted tomatoes.
How to Make The Roasted Tomatoes:
I haven’t hidden the fact that for a long long while, I hated raw tomatoes. Even now it’s usually a case of hiding them among a dish rather than making them any sort of ‘star of the show’.
Then I discovered these olive oil roasted tomatoes and wow! Becoming lightly charred in the oven, these tomatoes becoming absolute power-bombs of flavour with an incredible depth to them.
When combined with the slightly sweet flavour of butternut squash, the cherry tomatoes burst with savoury flavour and make for a wonderful combination.
And if you’re worried about eating a lot of olive oil – don’t be. Did you know that research shows that cooking tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil actually results in more lycopene in our blood? This improves heart health, our skin’s defence against the sun and even lowers the risk of certain cancers.
In fact, extra virgin olive oil is actually loaded with health benefits including for your brain, heart and even gut health.
So how do you make the roasted cherry tomatoes? It’s simple. Chop the tomatoes in half, drizzle liberally with olive oil and the herbs/seasonings of your choice and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 180C/350F
How to Make the Herby Butternut Squash Polenta:
Once the butternut squash and tomatoes are ready to come out of the oven, then it’s time to prepare your polenta and nothing could be simpler.
Start by boiling your water ( in the kettle or in a small pan). Add the stock tablet and stir, till dissolved.
Pour in the polenta powder gradually, stirring continuously. Stir for a minute or two, until the polenta begins to properly thicken.
Add the butternut squash to the pan and use a hand-held blender to blend, till smooth.
Give a cheeky taste and add additional herbs, if wanted.
Add the optional dairy-free cheese and/or butter and stir, till thoroughly combined.
Spoon the polenta into a bowl and top with some roasted tomatoes and optional avocado slices.
Other Polenta Topping Choices:
I’m all for using polenta bowls as a way to use up veggies in my fridge to quickly saute and voila. However, there are some classic combinations too, including:
- Sauteed Spinach and mushrooms
- Sauteed Spinach & Leek
- Simple veggie ‘hash’ ( with potatoes, onions and carrots)
- Leftover roasted butternut squash chunks
- Some fresh veggies like avocado, mange tout or sugar snap peas
- Herby baked vegetables
And let’s not forget a sprinkle of your favourite dairy-free cheese ( I love using vegan feta) and a sprinkle of omega seeds or crushed nuts.
The Butternut Squash Polenta Recipe:
Herby Butternut Squash Polenta With Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 50 g Polenta
- 1/2 Stock pot tablet
- 200-250 ml water
- 1 Cup butternut Squash
- 1 tsp Rosemary sage, thyme
- Dairy-free cheese to taste
- Garlic optional
- Dairy-free butter optional
Topping Options:
- Rainbow baby tomatoes large handful
- Garlic infused olive oil
- Avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F
- Begin by preparing the butternut squash. Peel it, chop into 1" chunks, season and drizzle with oil then bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, till tender and lightly caramelized.
- Chop your tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil and optional herbs then place in a single layer on a paper lined baking tray.
- The tomatoes need 15-20 minutes in the oven, so place in oven after the butternut squash has been in for ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the herbs by chopping finely ( If you don't have fresh herbs to hand then you can use dried).
- To prepare the polenta start by boiling your water ( in kettle on in a small pan). Add the stock tablet and stir, till dissolved.
- Pour in the polenta powder gradually, stirring continuously and add in the herbs.
- Stir for a minute or two, until the polenta begins to properly thicken.
- Add the butternut squash to the pan and use a hand-held blender to blend, till smooth.
- Add the optional dairy-free cheese and/or butter and stir, till thoroughly combined.
- Spoon the polenta into a bowl and top with some roasted tomatoes and optional avocado slices.
Other Recipes You May Like:
If you want some other vegan polenta inspiration then you might like this Cauliflower ‘Cheese’ Polenta with mushrooms and spinach. Alternatively, you might like these Ve Shepherds Pie Stuffed Aubergine, or Turkish Pide: 2 ways.
As always, I’d LOVE to see your results, so if you try the recipe out then let me know. Feel free to tag me in any pics @MemoirsSoLuciie and #MSLuciierecipes.
Till next time,
