Veggie ragout with creamy cheese polenta
image courtesy of vecteezy
This Veggie Ragout & creamy polenta makes us feel SO warm and cozy as the weather gets colder.
By building flavors and adding ingredients in layers, you will find that this Ragout will give you both depth of flavor and a bright surprise at the end with the addition of some vinegar.
Make a double batch and freeze half to keep for another day.
It will always make you happy when you are scrambling to figure out dinner and you remember you have a delicious homemade meal in the freezer waiting for you!
As for leftovers…We ALWAYS eat any extra polenta with our eggs in the morning. YUM!
The Polenta can be made with vegetable stock and no cheese to make this a vegan option.
As with all of our recipes, measurements are NOT important.
We always urge you to taste as you go and use your instincts. If you don’t like an ingredient or want to swap for another vegetable you have – Go for it!
You know what you like!
Veggie Ragout with Creamy Cheese Polenta Recipe
Servings: 6 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
2 pieces onion, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
2 whole carrots, chopped
1 whole bell pepper (any color), chopped
1 whole sweet potato or white potato, chopped
1 bunch spinach
1 can chickpeas (you can use 1.5 cups of cooked, dried beans)
2 T paprika
1 T ground coriander
2 bay leaf
8 oz whole plum tomato, canned (usually 1/2 large can or 1 small can)
1.5 cups red wine, optional
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1.5 cup polenta
1 cup Astoria Bier & Cheese Gruyere
4 cups milk
1 stick butter
Instructions
Veggie Ragout
1. Chop all your vegetables to the same size and set aside Keep onion & garlic separate from other veggies
2. Heat a pan to with olive oil using low heat. Add onion, garlic with salt & pepper. Cook until soft.
3. Add all other veggies (except spinach & parsley)
4. Season with paprika, gr. coriander, salt & pepper & cook for about 3-5 min. until the veggies begin to soften.
5. Add red wine to deglaze the pan and cook down for another 3-5 min.
6. Add canned tomato and crush tomato with spoon or hands. Let cook for another 3-5 min.
7. Add bay leaf & chick peas and re-season with spices and salt & pepper to taste.
8. Cook down at a simmer (uncovered) for about 20min. You want the vegetables to be soft, but not mushy. The ragout sauce should be a bit thick & have a deep flavor, similar to that of a stew.
9. Finish with chopped spinach & parsley
Cheese Polenta
1. Add 3 cups of milk & 2 cups of water & stick of butter to a medium sauce pan and warm.
2. Once liquid is warm, season with salt to taste & add polenta
3. Allow to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, while stirring occasionally. As the polenta thickens and cooks you will need to stir more often.
4. As the polenta cooks, it will likely need more liquid before it is completely cooked through. Add more milk as necessary throughout the cooking process.
5. Taste the polenta as you go and it will begin to soften. Once cooked, add cheese.
*The cheese will thicken the polenta more, so if you need to add a bit of milk to it to thin it out a bit, go right ahead!
6. Re-season with salt & black pepper and enjoy Your final polenta should be smooth and creamy.
Recipe Notes
Items that can be prepared ahead: Chopped vegetables and Polenta.
This is a great meal to make a few days ahead and the flavors will just get better as it sits.
Pro Tip: To make this dish vegan - use vegetable stock instead of milk & leave out the butter.
If you like coconut flavor, you can finish the polenta with some coconut butter (not oil).
