A unique and colorful vegan twist on the Traditional Thanksgiving stuffing that packs a festive flavor punch with the use of polenta instead of bread. The polenta cubes make this stuffing feel so hearty you won’t even miss the meat. The combination of polenta and cauliflower with the traditional Thanksgiving flavors of sage and pine nuts blend together in a flavorful vegan stuffing wonderland. This polenta and cauliflower vegan stuffing will even please carnivores with its unique flavor profile.
About the ingredients that make up this polenta cauliflower vegan stuffing:
Polenta: Polenta rolls are available in most supermarkets, usually in the produce section so no need to spend extra time cooking your own. The pre-packed polenta definitely has a lot of flavor included so be careful in adding too much salt to this dish.
Cauliflower: You can absolutely use a traditional white cauliflower and the flavor of the stuffing will not be altered. If you can, however, definitely try to the colorful cauliflower called for in the recipe. Cauliflower comes in purple, orange (cheddar cauliflower, yes it’s really called that!) and green (called romanesco). Some of these colors even have more nutritional benefits than the traditional white cauliflower. These colorful cauliflower can be found in stores such as Whole Foods and Safeway but the Farmer’s Market is probably a good bet as well. If you are having trouble finding any, Trader Joes sometimes sells purple cauliflower in the frozen aisle. Another tip if you are having trouble finding all three colors is to either use just one like purple and use enough to make up the full amount of cauliflower included the dish. If you do get the colorful cauliflower, make sure to reserve some for garnish.
Fennel Seeds: Fennel seeds are used in my favorite brand of plant based sausage and it feels like they really help to add the authentic sausage flavor without the use of any actual meat. As most traditional Thanksgiving stuffing contains sausage, in this stuffing the fennel seeds help to add a similar flavor.
Sage: This recipe uses fresh sage. Using dried may change the flavor.
Pine nuts: The pine nutty flavor plays well with the polenta flavor. I have not tried this dish with any substitutions but almonds, hazelnuts or sunflower seeds may work okay if you cannot find pine nuts. If you are planning to make this dish for Thanksgiving try to buy your pine nuts early!
Salt: Depending on the brand of polenta and vegetable broth you use the salt will also vary so make sure to taste before adding.
Polenta Cauliflower & Pinenut Vegan Stuffing
Equipment
- Stovetop cooking pan deep enough to saute and add vegetable broth as well.
- 9 x 5 inch baking pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 1 1/2-2 heads of cauliflower, chopped into small florets. You can use a combination of different colors of cauliflower to achieve the equivalent of one full head of cauliflower. I used a combination of purple and yellow cauliflower and romanesco. Chop some extra for garnish if desired.
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into med pieces
- 1 med onion, chopped med
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 lb. polenta roll, chopped into cm cubes
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil. You can use butter if desired
- 1 1/2 oz. Toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup chopped sage, plus more garnish
Instructions
- Add the oil or butter, fennel seeds and sage to the pan and turn on the stove to med. heat.
- Once the seeds start popping a bit, add the onions. Saute for a few minutes.
- In a separate pan, turn on the stove to low-med heat. Once warm, saute the polenta cubes for a few min. Turn off the cubes and set aside.
- Once the onions are a bit softer, add the cauliflower, bell pepper and salt and stir.
- Turn up heat to med-high for about 5 minutes and stir often.
- Add the polenta and pine nuts and stir.
- Lower heat to low and let it cook for 7 min, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth.
- Raise heat to high and stir continuously until the broth is cooked down.
- If serving immediately, transfer the mixture to a pre-greased baking pan or skillet and bake it in the oven for 375 degrees for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, switch to broil for 10 minutes. IF you are not serving immediately cool the mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, transfer the refrigerated mixture to the pre-greased baking pan and follow heating instructions above.