Cauliflower Polenta with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts
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Cozy up with a creamy bowl of cauliflower polenta. This lightened-up take on traditional polenta is made with roasted cauliflower and then topped with sautéed mushrooms and toasted hazelnuts. It’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for fall or winter, and it’s ready in just over an hour!
This cauliflower polenta recipe with mushrooms and hazelnuts is a lighter spin on polenta that’s both filling and flavorful. It’s perfect for chilly nights when all you want to do is cozy up with a bowl of something warm, but you don’t feel like soup.
In this version, we skip the usual polenta ingredients like butter and cream. Instead, we roast the cauliflower with garlic and onion, which gives it a naturally sweet, nutty, and rich flavor. Then, it all gets whizzed in the food processor until it’s creamy.
We spoon it into bowls and top it with earthy mushrooms and hazelnuts for a veggie-packed dish that does not disappoint!
Cauliflower polenta ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cozy cauliflower polenta:
- Hazelnuts – we always toast a few extra and keep them for tossing into salads throughout the week.
- Cauliflower – when roasted with olive oil, cauliflower becomes rich, sweet, and almost nutty. It’s so delicious!
- Mushrooms – we like to use baby bellas or a mix of different mushrooms, but you can use what’s available or what looks most fresh.
How to make cauliflower polenta
This cauliflower polenta with mushrooms and hazelnuts is hearty and easy to make. Don’t be deterred by the cooking time because most of it is hands-off while the cauliflower roasts.
Here’s how we make it in a few easy steps:
- While your oven preheats, toast the hazelnuts for a few minutes until fragrant. Just be sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn! Roughly chop them when cool.
- Get the cauliflower ready by tossing the florets with some olive oil on your baking sheet.
- Chop the ends off the garlic cloves (keeping the skins on), drizzle them with oil, and wrap them in aluminum foil.
- Tuck the garlic packet into the cauliflower and bake it. About halfway through, add the onion.
- While the cauliflower bakes, saute the mushrooms in a bit of oil.
- When the cauliflower is cooked, blend it in your food processor with a bit of water until smooth and creamy.
- Now, divide the cauliflower polenta into two bowls and top with mushrooms, chopped hazelnuts, and parsley. Enjoy!
A few tips for making this recipe
You’ll see that the recipe takes an hour to make, and that might seem like a lot if you want to make this after a long day at work. Most of that time though is hands-off while you’re waiting for the cauliflower to roast. The hands-on time is only about 30 minutes, at most.
Here’s how to save the most amount of time:
- Put the hazelnuts in the oven right away. There’s no need to worry about waiting for the oven to heat up; the hazelnuts can start toasting while it’s heating.
- Once you chop the cauliflower put it and the garlic into the oven right away. Just like the hazelnuts, they can start roasting while the oven warms.
- Start the mushrooms sautéing next. While they’re sizzling in the pan, you can chop the onions and roasted hazelnuts.
- Next, clean everything up, pop the onions into the oven, then go chill out for a bit.
- Once the cauliflower is nice and dark roasted you’ll be eating your cauliflower polenta in only 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
How long do leftovers keep in the fridge?
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the cauliflower polenta ahead of time. To reheat it, we recommend putting it in a pot on the stove, adding a bit of water, and stirring until it’s warmed through. You can also toast the hazelnuts in advance.
What to serve with cauliflower polenta
This cauliflower polenta with mushrooms and hazelnuts is a complete and comforting meal on its own. To make it more filling, add a baked chicken breast or some herbs de provençe chicken.
Cauliflower Polenta with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- ¼ cup hazelnuts
- 1 medium cauliflower (roughly chopped)
- 6 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ medium yellow onion (roughly chopped)
- 3 cups chopped mushrooms
- ⅓ – ½ cup water
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (see notes)
- Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
- Chopped parsley (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the hazelnuts in a small baking dish and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until they are golden and fragrant. Once the hazelnuts are out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Roughly chop the hazelnuts once they are cool enough to touch.¼ cup hazelnuts
- Place the chopped cauliflower on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper and drizzle it with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.1 medium cauliflower
- Cut the ends of the garlic off (keep the skin on) and then place the cloves in a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle them with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and wrap them up tightly.4 cloves garlic
- Add the garlic package to the tray with the cauliflower and put it into the oven. After 20 minutes, add the onion to the baking sheet then put it back into the oven for another 20 minutes.½ medium yellow onion
- While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the mushrooms. Heat the remaining 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, until the mushrooms are dark brown, about 8 minutes.3 cups chopped mushrooms
- Place the roasted cauliflower, onions, and garlic (remove the skin from the garlic first) into a food processor. Add ⅓ cup of water and parmesan and blend until it is creamy. Add more water, if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.⅓ – ½ cup water, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, Sea salt and pepper
- Divide the cauliflower polenta between 2 plates. Top with the mushrooms, chopped hazelnuts, and parsley.Chopped parsley
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
The polenta was very tasty. I would make it again as a mashed potato substitute. The rest of the recipe fell short for us. A bit bland. Had to add a dressing
Just curious, which ingredient(s) cause the carb amount to be so high? Thanks.
The cauliflower and hazelnuts have the most carbs in this recipe. 🙂
I disagree. 80g g of cauliflower is a net 3.7g of carbs and hazelnuts for an ounce is 2g. The real culprit is the onions.
You might be right!
Hi can I use chickpeas instead of hazelnuts?
Sure!
This was insane.
I made your “polenta” with roasted veggies, salmon, and a balsamic reduction and the cauliflower was the best part (when does that happen??)!
I love it! So great when the veggies rule the plate!
Honestly better than regular polenta. My partner and I were looking for something filling rather than just roasted veggies to go with our braised short ribs. This was perfect! We had to cut out the nuts and mushrooms and instead smothered the polenta with the au jus from our meat.
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
Kristen,
Item 7 of the recipe says “add the mushrooms and sauce”. Maybe I’m blind, but which sauce are you referring to?
Hey Sandra,
No you’re not blind! That was a typo and I’m really happy you pointed it out. It was confusing!
I’ve corrected the recipe now so it should make a lot more sense. 🙂
Just to report back, we had this today, and it was ABSOLUTELY wonderful! Thank you so much for the wonderful idea! It was a hit!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit! Hooray!!
Yummmm!!! Such a good idea and this looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it next time I get some cauliflower. Thanks for sharing!
No prob at all, Laura! Hope you love it as much as I do!
Oh, Kristen, I love this roasted cauliflower – polenta idea!
All that roasted veggies with addition of hazelnuts must taste delicious.
I’ll definitely make it these days…
Thanks so much, Jasmin! It’s so great turning veggies into things they’re not traditionally meant to be. 🙂
Thank you so much! It even tastes earthy and woodsy. 🙂
Thanks, Justin!