Jacob’s Cattle Chili Beans with Creamy Polenta
Healthy vegan chili beans with creamy polenta! A vegan take on chili and cornbread. Delicious and perfect for Fall and Winter!
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup polenta or yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, non-dairy for vegan version, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup minced white onion
- 2 15 ounce cans S&W Jacob’s Cattle Beans, with their juices*
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cups finely shredded kale**
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
Instructions
Make the polenta
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add in the salt and polenta, whisking gently in a steady stream. Continue to whisk until the polenta is thickened. Turn down the heat to low and keep whisking until polenta is thick, about 2 minutes.
- Cover the polenta and keep cooking. Remove lid and give the polenta a vigorous stir every 5-10 minutes, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom. Continue to do this until polenta is super creamy and thick, about 30-35 minutes. Right before serving, stir in the cheese, if using.
While polenta is cooking, make the chili beans
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
- Add in the beans, tomato sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce and paprika and reduce heat to low. Cook another 5 minutes, until mixture has started to thicken. Stir in the balsamic vinegar before serving and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Just before serving, heat a separate skillet over medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add in the kale and minced garlic clove and cook for a minute or two, stirring the entire time, until just wilted.
- Divide the creamy polenta into 4 bowls and top with chili beans and crispy garlic kale. Serve immediately.
Notes
*If you cannot find S&W Jacob’s Cattle Beans, sub S&W Pinto Beans or S&W Kidney Beans. If not using Jacob’s Cattle, drain and rinse before adding to the pot.
**To finely shred the kale, remove the stem and stack the kale leaves on top on one another. Tightly roll, then thinly slice from one end to create thin ribbons.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 970mgPotassium: 273mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3061IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 189mgIron: 1mg