Meal prep like a vegetarian boss and make these Roasted Brussels Sprout Polenta Bowls fully equipped with caramelized onions and kale!
How is it already the week of Thanksgiving? Mark and I got into Milwaukee last night and will be in town until tomorrow night. Then, we’re heading south to my parent’s house in the Chicago-land area for Thanksgiving…WOOT. On top of Thanksgiving itself, we’ve got a really fun long weekend planned, which includes:
- Running a Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving
- Going to STOMP on Broadway in DT Chicago
- Going to the Gopher/Badger game in Madison
Oh, and I get to see Ambitious Kitchen for a couple of hours. YASSSSS plz. So follow along on the FitFoodieFinds Snapchat to get insider on what I’m up to! It’s gonna be a fun one.
Otay recipe time. Get this- this is the first time I’ve actually ever made polenta in my own kitchen. It’s taken me a whole 26 years. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always been afraid of polenta…even though it’s super simple to make and cook with! All you need is a tube of polenta (I prefer Ancient Harvest
) and some chicken/vegetable broth! Slowly add broth to your polenta over a medium-heat burner until creamy.
IT’S THAT EASY.
I’ve been on a mission to eat vegetarian once a week…not for any other reason but to EAT MORE VEGGIES. If I take away my animal protein, then it’s easier to force myself to eat more veggies. Sad but true. To this day, I still have a hard time eating enough vegetables to meet the quota. Dats why I LOVE BOWLS. If it’s prepped…I will eat!
So these polenta bowls are made with:
- FFF’s Balsamic Sea Salt Roasted Brussels Sprouts (bc they’re a reader favorite)
- Caramelized Onions
- Sautéed Kale
- Micro Greens
- Harissa Sauce
If you’ve never tried harissa sauce…GET ON THAT. It is LYFE. My favorite brand? Stonewall Kitchen
.
Roasted Brussels Sprout Polenta Bowl
Ingredients
For the Brussels Sprouts
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts halved
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Caramelized Onions
- 1 large red onion finely sliced
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt to taste
For the Kale
- 4 cups kale deboned and packed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Polenta
- 1 18 oz. tube of polenta
- 1-2 cups vegetable broth
Toppings
- Micro greens
- harissa sauce
Instructions
For the Brussels Sprouts
- Follow the directions for FFF's Balsamic Sea Salt Roasted Brussels Sprouts
For the Caramelized Onions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over low/medium heat.
- Add sliced red onion to the pan. Let cook for 6-8 minutes (stirring occasionally) over low/medium heat until onions are translucent.
- Season with salt to taste and set aside.
For the Kale
- In the same frying pan as the onions, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add kale.
- Season with garlic powder and salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Just long enough to wilt the kale, before it gets soggy. Set aside.
For the Polenta
- Open one tube of polenta, cut it into chunks, and place into a medium pot.Turn to medium/high heat.
- Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth at a time to the polenta and mix continuously until creamy (about 1-2 cups in total, depending on how creamy you like your polenta). Once creamy, remove from heat and set aside.
Nutrition facts
Similar recipes:
I hope you all have THE BEST Thanksgiving ever! If you make any FFF recipes this week…don’t forget to tag @FitFoodieFinds and #FitFoodieFinds! I love seeing your creations.
This is a super yummy pairing of foods. Really goes well together. But if you want to say you “make” polenta, then you don’t get it out of a tube…..which is pre-made polenta. Polenta is very easy. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Put 1/2 cup dry polenta (very coarsely ground cornmeal) in a glass measuring cup or small dish. Add a touch of cold water and mix until the corn meal is just wet. Once the water boils, add the wet polenta meal. Lower heat to simmer. Stir frequently 10 minutes. Voila! You’ve actually “made” polenta. Wetting the dry polenta before adding it to the boiling water keeps it from lumping out. Thanks for the recipe!
Why is there chicken broth being used?!?! Or even Suggested on a vegan blog??
Hi! We are not a vegan blog, which is why we suggested chicken broth if you don’t have veggie! You’ll not in the actual recipe, we prescribed vegetable broth! Hope this helps <3
I love Stranger Things, and I think you did such an amazing job with the costumes and all of these photos! You make a great Eleven, Keiko!
Holy smokes, this is such a gorgeous bowl! The Brussel sprouts and caramelized onions atop of the creamy, fluffy polenta look like the perfect combo of healthy and tasty ingredients!
I really enjoyed this recipe. I used corn grits and made them with veggie broth and milk instead of using the tube polenta. Healthy and delicious!
Great idea!!! I’ve actually never used con grits!
This looks great, but why not use cornmeal instead of the tube polenta? It’s so much cheaper and lasts forever in your pantry. I love making polenta with milk and a bouillon cube on the stovetop, then pan frying Brussels sprouts in a bit of bacon grease. Then put the crumbled bacon and some Parmesan cheese on top. It’s my favorite vegetarian meal.
Wow! That all sounds amazing 🙂
It’s not vegetarian if it has bacon all over it!!!!
Amazing Recipe…
Yum….that looks so good
mmmm.. I haven’t had polenta in forever! Love this vegetarian meal idea.