Benvenuto, meatless Monday! This is a vegan adaptation of traditional Italian creamy polenta and thick ragu full of vegetable proteins. Bake leftover polenta slices and top with any leftover ragu for bite-sized appetizers.
Ingredients
- boiling water: 2 cups
- dry lentils: 1 cup
- texturized vegetable protein (TVP): 1 cup
- vegetable broth: 1 cup
- olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- yellow onion: 1 piece (diced)
- medium carrot: 1 piece (diced)
- stalk celery: 1 piece (diced)
- red bell pepper: 1 piece (diced)
- hot pepper: 1 piece (minced, fresh, optional)
- oregano: 1 Tbsp (dried)
- bay leaf: 1 piece
- vegan red wine: 0.25 cup
- tomatoes: 1 can (14.5 ounce can, diced)
- vegetable broth: 2 cups
- water: 1 cup
- salt: 1 tsp
- Italian coarse-ground polenta cornmeal: 1 cup
- vegan butter: 4 Tbsp
- vegan white cheese: 0.25 cup (shredded)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Combine boiling water and lentils in a bowl and set aside for 1 hour. Combine texturized vegetable protein and broth in a separate bowl and set aside until liquid is absorbed.
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Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, red bell pepper, and hot pepper. Cook and stir until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add drained lentils and undrained texturized vegetable protein. Stir and add oregano and bay leaf. Add red wine and continue stirring, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Stir and simmer ragu until thickened and lentils are soft, 5 to 10 minutes; add a bit more water if needed.
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Bring vegetable broth, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle polenta into the water, stirring constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add vegan butter, stirring constantly.
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Distribute polenta evenly among 4 pasta bowls. Remove bay leaf from ragu and discard. Top each bowl with equal amounts of ragu. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon vegan white cheese over each bowl and serve warm.
