I don’t think there’s anything more comforting than warm polenta, golden from the broiler and topped with salty olives and tomatoes.Easy to make and beautiful to look at, polenta can serve as the base of a wide variety of both side and main dishes.
It’s also something you can make with items your probably already have in your cabinets and refrigerator. Serve the polenta warm with maple syrup, topped with garlicky greens, or cool it for a few hours and make this recipe that’s a stunning appetizer or late night snack.
What You Need To Make Polenta With Olives and Tomatoes
- medium grind cornmeal
- vegetable broth
- water
- nutritional yeast flakes
- salt
- olive oil
- vegan butter
- Kalamata olives
- capers
- tomatoes
Broiled Polenta with Olives and Tomatoes
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 6 appetizer servings
A simple pot of polenta is the base of this easy-to-make delicious snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium grind cornmeal
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh tomatoes
Instructions
Bring the vegetable broth and water to a lively simmer (not a full boil). Gradually whisk in the polenta, stirring constantly. Lower the heat if the polenta starts to bubble and splash out of the pot. Add the nutritional yeast and salt. Keep stirring until no lumps remain, and simmer the polenta for about 20 minutes more or until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pot. Use a spatula at this point to add the olive oil and vegan butter, and stir until melted and combined. Taste for salt; if you used commercial vegetable broth you might not need any more salt.
At this point you can serve the polenta immediately topped with sautéed greens, but for this recipe, pour it into an 8” x 8” lightly oiled or non-stick baking pan and use a spatula to create an even surface. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and chill the polenta for a few hours or until completely cooled.
Mix the tomatoes, olives, and capers together and keep chilled until ready to serve the polenta.
When the polenta is cool, carefully lift it from the pan and put it on a large cutting board. Using a thin sharp knife, cut the polenta into triangles 1/2” across at the widest point. Place the triangles on the baking sheet and rub them across the olive oil, then flip them over and repeat. You want a light coating of olive oil on the surfaces. Broil the polenta on the middle rack of the oven for about 8 minutes, watching them carefully for any burning. Turn the polenta over and broil for about another 4 minutes. They should be lightly crisped and golden.
Serve warm topped with the olives, capers, and tomatoes.
Notes
You can use all water instead of broth, or any type of plant milk as long as it's unsweetened and unflavored. I like oat milk because it's creamier than most plant milks.
Courses appetizer
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