Mushroom Ragout with Creamy Polenta
This Mushroom Ragout is the perfect side dish, or when added to a plate of creamy polenta it makes a fuss-free and delicious meal.
Mushroom Ragout is a Perfect Meat-free Meal
If you are looking to cut down on meat but not on flavor, then you are going to fall in love with this Mushroom Ragout Recipe. It may seem fussy, but guess what, it’s actually super quick and easy to make. Perfect over creamy polenta. And just the thing to make for Meatless Monday dinner!
How to Make Mushroom Ragout without Dairy
In many ways, Mushroom Ragout is very similar to Mushroom Bordelaise, the classic French brown sauce from Bordeaux. Growing up, my mom made Mushroom Bordelaise often. However, you really do need a good amount of butter to make it taste just right. Here at Clean Cuisine, we want to keep our recipes clean which means it’s butter free.
So, I decided to make a creamy ragout using cashew cream as a dairy-free alternative.
I know the idea of cashew cream might sound a little strange if you have never cooked with it. But, I promise there is no way to tell the finished dish is dairy free. There are not too many dishes on the blog that are plant-based and yet as rich and satisfying as this one!
Make Mushroom Ragout into a Meal with Creamy Polenta
Below you will find directions for the creamy polenta as part of the Mushroom Ragout recipe. The only thing that’s really missing is something green. And no, the rosemary sprig doesn’t count. I would suggest serving with a simple side salad, or a side of garlicky spinach or green beans.
How to Make Polenta
Polenta is simply ground cornmeal boiled with water. The best ratio is 1 part polenta to 4 parts water. However, I do prefer to measure the polenta just a little scant of a full cup.
A great way to add some additional flavor to your polenta is to replace the water with chicken broth. This homemade polenta is a perfect base for any kind of saucy meat but especially this recipe.
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Mushroom Ragout with Creamy Polenta
Mushroom Ragout with Creamy Polenta is creamy, savory and very satisfying. Our Mushroom Ragout is 100% plant based and dairy free.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
POLENTA:
- 6.5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups medium grind cornmeal
MUSHROOM RAGOUT:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups medium grind cornmeal
- 4 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, stems removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
- 1 cup organic vegetable broth
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE POLENTA:
- In a large saucepan, bring 6 1/2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.
- When boiling, whisk constantly and very slowly pour the cornmeal into the boiling water. Bring just to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, for 5 minutes.
- Cover and continue to cook the polenta, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and adding more water if necessary, until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 20-25 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cover and set polenta aside.
HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM RAGOUT:
- In a high speed blender, add 1/2 cup water and cashews; process on high speed until mixture is smooth and creamy. Set cashew cream aside.
- In a large frying pan over medium-heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallot and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to release their liquid, about 8 minutes.
- Once all but about 1 tablespoon of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, add the marsala; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the cashew cream into the mushroom mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.
- To serve, divide the polenta on individual serving plates and ladle the muhroom ragout on top. Serve warm.
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Do you have a good nut-free substitute for the cashews?
Hi Jill! Somehow your comment got lost in the shuffle and I sincerely apologize for the lengthy delay in responding! But you can always try substituting pine nuts or raw macadamia nuts. If you go with macadamia nuts you will want to soak them in water for at least an hour or so to soften them. I hope this helps?
This is unbelievably delicious. My carnivore husband is begging me to make this again next week!
Two issues though: (1) My cashew cream was still kind of chunky–next time I’ll try soaking the cashews overnight the night before and then rinsing them before making the cashew cream.
(2) After 8 minutes there was no “mushrooms releasing their liquid”. I continued another 2 minutes–still no liquid from the mushrooms. I just went ahead and added the Marsala and it was great. Fantastic taste and wonderful consistency.
This makes 4 generous and filling portions (and I’m a hungry gal). I put the recipe in my Weight Watchers calculator and a serving comes out to 13 points. Not bad for such a filling dinner!
Hi Mari! Thank you so much for such great feedback. I am thrilled you and your husband liked the recipe so much =) We are crazy for it over here too! I almost didn’t share it only because it doesn’t photo nearly as well as it tastes, but I am so happy to know you guys liked it as much as we do.
As for your questions 1 & 2 ….
1. Yes, soaking the cashews would definitely eliminate the chunkiness. Quick question though—do you have a high speed blender (like a Vitamix)? If so, then you should definitely be able to make a creamy cashew sauce even without soaking them.
2. Hmmm….not sure what to make about the mushrooms not releasing any liquid. But it’s ok, as long as they are soft when you put the Marsala in then you should be good!
I am not familiar with the Weight Watchers calculations, but so happy to know it came out with a good score =)