Vegan polenta made in the slow cooker is perfectly creamy, SO delicious, and couldn't be easier! All you need are 5 ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on prep time. Then let the slow cooker do all of the work! Polenta is a welcome side dish or warm breakfast, and the slow cooker method is especially great for entertaining!
Why You'll Love It
Friends, this vegan slow cooker polenta is going to knock your socks off! And not just because it's so much easier than the classic stovetop preparation. The polenta turns out perfectly moist, spoonable, creamy, and full of satisfying corn flavor.
Polenta is one of the world's most perfect comfort food dishes, if you ask me. But just because it's a simple cornmeal mush, doesn't mean it can't also feel absolutely luxurious!
Here's the thing about polenta. The more you read about it the more intimidated you might feel about making it for the first time. Tales of lumps and near-constant stirring will have you feeling like you're tackling the corn version of risotto.
While that may be true for stovetop polenta, the slow cooker changes everything! It traps the moisture inside, slowly hydrating and softening the cornmeal - all with minimal intervention from you! It is absurdly easy and turns out perfect every time.
Some polenta recipes call for chicken stock or milk, so you might think vegan polenta will be difficult to make or not as flavorful. But don't you worry! Since the REAL star of the show here is the cornmeal - just as with cornbread - we're golden! (no pun intended)
The key to the best, most authentic, and deeply flavorful polenta is to use water, not milk or broth. I know that sounds counter-intuitive. I mean, when else do we turn to water to make a dish more flavorful? Pretty much never.
But here, water really is the key to fully hydrating and softening the cornmeal while still allowing the flavors of corn to shine.
How is polenta different from cornmeal and grits?
Polenta, grits, and cornmeal are all made from ground corn but differences in the way the corn is processed lead to differences in texture and flavor.
Polenta is made by cooking coarsely ground cornmeal in water until it becomes a thick and creamy porridge. It's important to note that before corn was introduced to Italy from the Americas, the name 'polenta' simply referred to a porridge that could be made with a variety of grains.
Cornmeal is usually labeled as fine or medium grind and can be used to make a wide variety of dishes, like cornbread, muffins, pancakes, and as a breading for fried foods. Medium grind cornmeal can even be used to make polenta.
Grits are a well-known breakfast staple here in the southern U.S. Made from hominy, the hull and germ are removed from dried corn kernels, which results in grits being much less flavorful than cornmeal.
I was born in Alabama and have lived most of my life in the South. As much I talk about loving all things made from corn, I never really liked grits. Something about the odd lack of flavor always seemed strange. It's also why people tend to add bacon grease and loads of butter to grits. No thanks! Trust me, polenta is a whole different world.
What You'll Need
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- polenta (coarse grind cornmeal) - You'll often find polenta on the grain aisle of the grocery store, but if you don't see a product specifically called polenta, don't worry! If you must, you can also use medium-grind cornmeal to make polenta, although the texture is finer.
- olive oil - Just a touch of good quality olive oil improves the overall consistency and creaminess of the polenta.
- shallot - optional. When I want a more savory polenta, I like to grate shallot on a microplane, which basically turns it into a puree. A small amount adds so much flavor.
- salt and pepper - Similar to cornbread, salt is absolutely critical for the best tasting polenta. This isn't a dish where you want to be skimpy with the salt.
- additions - Instead of the cheeses traditionally added to polenta, I like to stir in a few dollops of plain, non-dairy yogurt, such as cashew, tofu, or almond yogurt. It's a trick I turn to often, including in mashed potatoes, because it lends a subtle tang reminiscent of dairy sour cream or cheese.
See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
Instructions
Preparing vegan polenta in the slow cooker couldn't be easier!
In a large mixing bowl combine the hot water, olive oil, shallot, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. While whisking, pour in the polenta.
Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 1½ hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes.
When the timer goes off, stir in the non-dairy milk and any other additions you want to include. I like to add a few dollops of plain vegan yogurt and a pat of butter. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Cover the slow cooker again, reduce the heat to low or warm, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes or until you're ready to serve the polenta.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan polenta is wonderful for breakfast. Add sauteed spinach or other greens, vegan feta or a spoonful of nutritional yeast for a healthy and savory start to the day.
As a side dish, polenta pairs well with chickpea loaf, Beyond meatloaf, vegan turkey roast and seitan roast.
Serve polenta as the base in a hearty vegan dinner bowl. Top with roasted brussels sprouts, air fryer broccolini, sauteed kale or carrots, and your choice of plant-based protein, such as:
- cooked beans or lentils
- air fryer tempeh or soy curls
- apple cider & herb tofu
- BBQ soy curls
FAQs
Polenta is typically prepared on the stovetop, and you can certainly use the vegan ingredients and tips in this recipe with the instructions in any basic polenta recipe. You can even find recipes online for oven-baked polenta. I haven't tried the oven method yet, but it promises to be much more hands-off and similar to the slow cooker version.
Yes, as long as you don't go overboard adding too much milk, yogurt, butter, or olive oil to the finished polenta, it will be the perfect, thick consistency for slicing and frying later. Spoon the polenta into a dish or glass storage container and let it cool. Once it firms up, slice or cut into rounds.
Related Recipe
Next, be sure to try my healthy vegan butter made from polenta!
I hope you LOVE this creamy vegan polenta as much as we do. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Vegan Polenta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups hot water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated shallot, optional
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups dry/uncooked polenta - coarse yellow cornmeal
- up to ⅔ cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk - I used soy milk
Optional additions:
- ⅓ cup plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt - or more to taste; I used homemade cashew yogurt
- vegan butter - or more olive oil
- vegan mozzarella or parmesan
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the hot water, olive oil, shallot, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Pour in the polenta and whisk very well.
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 1½ hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. When the timer goes off, stir in the milk and any other additions you choose (I like to add a few dollops of plain vegan yogurt and a pat of butter). Stir well. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
- Cover the slow cooker, reduce heat to low or warm, and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes or until you're ready to serve the polenta.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Jen says
Have you ever tried making polenta in a rice cooker? I'm thinking that it might work on the porridge setting.
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Jen - I haven’t tried it in a rice cooker but that sounds reasonable to me!