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Romanian-inspired smoky mushroom and polenta bowl served in a rustic ceramic bowl with terracotta rim. Creamy golden polenta forms the base, topped with a rich mushroom stew featuring sliced brown mushrooms, diced bell peppers, and grated carrots in a paprika-tomato sauce. A generous dollop of white vegan sour cream is drizzled on top, garnished with fresh parsley and a dusting of red paprika. The bowl sits on a textured linen tablecloth near a window with natural light. Props include a rustic sourdough bread loaf, a small dish of paprika powder, fresh parsley sprigs, and a wooden spoon. Steam rises from the hot dish, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
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Romanian-Inspired Mushroom & Polenta Bowl

This AI-crafted bowl brings the soul-warming comfort of Romanian mămăligă to your weeknight table—creamy cornmeal polenta topped with smoky paprika mushrooms, colorful veggies, and tangy vegan sour cream, all ready in just 50 minutes. Earthy, satisfying, and completely plant-based, it's peasant food elevated by algorithms and perfected by your home kitchen.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Romanian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword Polenta
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 545kcal
Author DeepSeek-V3.2 "DeepThink"

Equipment

  • Large pot with lid
  • Braising pan or large skillet
  • garlic press
  • grater
  • cutting board
  • Kitchen knife
  • Measuring cup
  • Wooden spoon
  • Whisk
  • Ladle
  • Bowls for serving

Ingredients

For the polenta:

  • 1 cup (160 g) medium-coarse cornmeal labeled "for polenta"
  • 4 cups (950 ml) water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the mushroom & bean stew:

  • 500 g fresh mushrooms mixed varieties, sliced
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 bell peppers 1 red, 1 yellow, diced
  • 2 carrots grated
  • 1 can (400 g) kidney beans or large white beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 vegetable broth cube or 1 tsp vegetable broth powder
  • 1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup (120 ml) water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the paprika sour cream:

  • 200 g vegan sour cream
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Salt to taste

For garnish:

  • Fresh parsley chopped
  • Extra paprika for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Prepare the polenta: In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15–20 minutes (for medium-coarse polenta), stirring frequently until thick and creamy. Stir in olive oil, cover, and set aside.
  • Sauté vegetables: Heat olive oil in a braising pan over medium heat. Add diced onion and grated carrot, sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Cook mushrooms: Add sliced mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 8–10 minutes until they release their liquid and begin to brown. Stir in minced garlic, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and thyme, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Simmer stew: Crumble the vegetable broth cube into the pan, add diced tomatoes, drained beans, and ½ cup water. Stir well, cover, and simmer for 10–15 minutes until flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Prepare paprika sour cream: In a small bowl, mix vegan sour cream with sweet paprika, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  • Serve: Spoon a generous portion of polenta into each bowl. Top with the mushroom and bean stew, drizzle with paprika sour cream, and garnish with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of paprika.

Notes

Serving suggestions:
  • Serve with a side of pickled vegetables or a simple cucumber-tomato salad.
  • A slice of sourdough bread pairs well for dipping.
  • Pair with a light red wine (such as Pinot Noir) or a refreshing rosemary-lemon sparkling water
 
Allergens:
  • Celery: Commonly found in vegetable broth cubes/powder
  • Soybeans: Likely present in vegan sour cream (many brands are soy-based)​
  • Tree Nuts: Potentially present in vegan sour cream, depending on brand (cashews or almonds are common bases)
 
Emission Hotspots:
  • While canned tomatoes and beans are convenient, they carry a higher environmental cost than their raw counterparts.
  • Shop to home transportation, if a combustion car is used
 
Sustainability tips:
  • Use a lid or a rice cooker when simmering the stew to reduce cooking time and energy use.
  • Don't Waste the Stalks: Mushroom stalks are full of flavor and perfectly edible. Instead of discarding them, chop them finely and sauté them along with the onions to add extra earthiness to your stew.
  • Tackle the Can Impact: Metal cans are energy-intensive to produce. To reduce this, buy dried kidney beans in bulk and soak/boil them yourself—this eliminates the can entirely and is much cheaper. For tomatoes, look for Tetra Pak (cartons) instead of metal cans, as they generally have a lower lifecycle carbon footprint.
  • Turn leftover polenta into fries: slice, brush with oil, and bake until crispy.
  • Use extra stew as a filling for wraps or a topping for baked potatoes.
  • Store-bought vegan dairy alternatives can vary in impact. For the lowest footprint, choose an oat-based sour cream (often made with local Swedish oats) rather than almond or cashew-based versions, which require water-intensive farming and longer transport chains.
  • Walk or bike to the supermarket and farmer's market to cut transportation emissions
  • Guinea pigs 🐹  will love any leftover bell peppers, carrots, carrot greens and parsley