Vegetable Polenta Kebobs with Chimichurri Sauce

By Alexandra Caspero on May 23, 2016

Vegetable Polenta Kebobs with Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect for cookouts this summer! Served with herbed rice, this vegan and gluten-free dish is a must make.

It’s officially grill season! Which, for two vegetarians, means lots of kebobs, veggie burgers and corn on the cob.

Even though I roll my eyes at the typical grilled vegetable platter, there is something fancy and almost cathartic about threading hunks of vegetables onto a skewer. I knew I wanted to elevate the basic vegetable kebob, but I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to head in. I danced around the idea of halloumi, tofu and tempeh before settling on the tube of pre-made polenta that I had sitting in my fridge.

Jackpot. Sweet, caramelized vegetables with crispy hunks of polenta are absolutely perfect together.

Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

Since Sunday night has officially become our Game of Thrones date night, I try to come up with a special dinner and dessert that we can enjoy together on the couch. It’s like CineBistro with much better food and none of the distracting waiters.

Last week, I made a DIY burrito bowl which BL loved so much, he asked for it again last night. Of course, I suffer from ABC (always be changing) syndrome, and have a really hard time creating the exact same dinner that we had exactly one week ago. Where is the creativity in that? Yes, it’s really this annoying to be me. 

But, I’ve also learned the art of the compromise. So, I paired our vegetable and polenta skewers with the same herbed rice that we enjoyed in our burrito bowl. Um, honestly this so-easy-a-4-year-old could-make-it rice has quickly become my favorite side dish.

As a dietitian, this is the part where I’m supposed to tell you how much better for you brown rice is over white but, the texture. I can’t do it. I will whole-wheat and whole-grain just about anything else, but not when it comes to my white rice. I added in a healthy serving of vegetables though, so we can call it even on the fiber front.

Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

Then! To top these beauties off, we had a healthy portion of fresh chimichurri sauce. If you like pesto and/or herbs, then you will love these gorgeous green sauce. It tastes like you’ve dragged your kebobs through an herb garden- in the best possible way.

I think traditionally Chimichurri sauce is served with steak, but since vegetables are my steak- I choose this route. This sauce makes a lot, which is always a good thing in my book. I’ve mentioned this a thousand times before, but as a condiment fanatic, I want my food to always be covered in sauce. So, enjoy the extra to heap on leftover kebobs and every bite of this white herbed rice.

Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

Lastly, a tip. You have to be fairly careful when it comes to threading your polenta on the kebobs so that it doesn’t break. To me, I made sure to cut a wide piece of polenta so that their was room on either side for potential breakage.

If this seems like a huge headache to you, then simply slice your polenta into 1″ rounds and grill separately. To serve, place your rice on the bottom, kebob vegetables and polenta slices on top. Then it drown in the Chimichurri sauce.

Veganpolentakebobswithchimichurrisauce1Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.comVegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

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Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

Vegetable Polenta Kebobs with Chimichurri Sauce

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, grill, cookout, healthy, main
  • Cuisine: vegan, glutenfree

Description

Vegetable Polenta Kebobs with Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect for cookouts this summer! Served with herbed rice, this vegan and glutenfree dish is a must make.


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, grill, cookout, healthy, main
  • Cuisine: vegan, glutenfree
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, grill, cookout, healthy, main
  • Cuisine: vegan, glutenfree
Scale

Ingredients

  • Chimichurri Sauce:
  • 2 cups lightly packed parsley leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons white onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Kebobs:
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise and then into 1/2 moons
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 small red onion, sliced into 2” pieces
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced into 12” pieces
  • 8 ounces pre-made polenta (see note)
  • olive oil, for drizzling
  • salt/pepper
  • Herbed Rice:
  • 2 cups cooked basmati rice
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • salt/pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill to medium.
  2. Place all of the ingredients for the chimichurri sauce in a food processor or blender and puree until chunky, it should still have some texture to it- you don’t want it pureed. Set aside.
  3. Alternate threading the vegetables and polenta on the skewers until skewers are 3/4 full. Drizzle the prepared skewers with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Place skewers on a well-oiled grill pan or piece of foil and transfer to hot grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes, turning often, until vegetables and polenta are lightly charred.
  5. Combine the cooked rice, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper together.
  6. Serve kebobs over rice with chimichurri sauce.

Notes

If using wood skewers, soak an hour before preparing.Cut polenta into rough, 1″ square cubes- they should be wide enough to skewer. If your polenta is to delicate to skewer, you can slice the polenta tube into 1″ circles and grill separately to serve with the vegetables and rice.

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Vegan Polenta Kebobs With Chimichurri Sauce! Perfect For Cookouts This Summer! Served With Herbed Rice, This Vegan And Glutenfree Dish Is A Must Make. | Delishknowledge.com

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Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

(19 comments) leave a comment

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    1. Amy_Thoroughly Nourished Life
      May 24, 2016 AT 8:21 pm

      Everything about this is YES!!!! I can already tell this will be a winner in our mixed household (vego living in harmony with an omnivore) and leftover chimichurri sauce is WIN! I always get excited over grilled veggies, so these are right up alley! I do have to say though, I love brown rice, but my fiance can’t do it either, so basmati rice it is 🙂

    2. Cindys Recipes
      May 23, 2016 AT 6:12 pm

      Love all these flavor profiles here, Alex!

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:15 am

        Thanks Cindy!

      2. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:15 am

        Thanks Cindy!

    3. Sinful Nutrition
      May 23, 2016 AT 1:43 pm

      I;m so with you on the brown rice deal. All the jasmine rice, all the time. I am so ready for summer bbqs with some of these skewers now!

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Yes, Jasmine rice is the best!

      2. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Yes, Jasmine rice is the best!

    4. Sinful Nutrition
      May 23, 2016 AT 1:43 pm

      I;m so with you on the brown rice deal. All the jasmine rice, all the time. I am so ready for summer bbqs with some of these skewers now!

    5. Kimberly Hoban
      May 23, 2016 AT 1:08 pm

      Whoa. You had me at polenta! Definitely trying these on the grill this week!

    6. Rebecca @ Strength & Sunshine
      May 23, 2016 AT 12:49 pm

      This meal! Not only stunning, but I can just taste it from here!

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Thanks Rebecca!

      2. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Thanks Rebecca!

    7. Kaleigh @ Lively Table
      May 23, 2016 AT 10:06 am

      This sounds amazing! I love chimichurri on anything 🙂

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Me too! Thanks for the comment Kaleigh!

      2. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Me too! Thanks for the comment Kaleigh!

    8. diane boyd
      May 23, 2016 AT 9:04 am

      I can always count on an amazing vegetarian recipe right here! Love the idea of polenta added to the kebob. .. and the chimichurri sauce looks divine.

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Thanks Diane!

      2. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        May 24, 2016 AT 6:16 am

        Thanks Diane!

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