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Breakfast

Corn to Be Wild: Creamy Polenta Breakfast Bowls

Creamy vegan polenta breakfast bowl topped with blistered cherry tomatoes, white beans, wilted spinach and fresh basil

Creamy golden polenta is topped with garlicky white beans, blistered tomatoes and tender spinach for a bright, cosy breakfast that also works beautifully for lunch.

Grab this

  • 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (398 mL) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 cups baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil

Do this

  1. Bring the vegetable broth to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta, then reduce the heat to low.
  2. Cook the polenta for 5 to 8 minutes, whisking often, until thick and creamy. Stir in the nutritional yeast and half of the olive oil, then cover and keep warm.
  3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until blistered and beginning to burst.
  4. Add the garlic and beans to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring gently, until fragrant and warmed through.
  5. Add the spinach a handful at a time and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until wilted. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
  6. Divide the creamy polenta among four bowls. Spoon the tomato, bean and spinach mixture over top, finish with basil and serve right away.

Easy swaps

  • Use regular polenta instead of quick-cooking polenta and follow the package cooking time; for gluten allergies, confirm the polenta and vegetable broth are certified gluten-free.
  • Swap cannellini beans for chickpeas or cooked brown lentils.
  • Replace nutritional yeast with 1 tablespoon white miso for savoury depth; miso contains soy, so omit it for a soy allergy.
  • This recipe is naturally nut-free when made with a nut-free vegetable broth; always check packaged broth and nutritional yeast labels for cross-contact warnings.

Estimated per serving

Nutrition at a glance

Calories
315
Fat
5g
Saturated fat
0.7g
Carbohydrates
55g
Fibre
10g
Sugars
5g
Protein
14g
Sodium
480mg

The white beans, spinach and polenta provide a satisfying mix of plant protein and fibre; values are estimates and vary by brand and portion size.

Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.