This nourishing, colourful Polenta and Vegetable Stack with Oil-Free Pesto is the perfect celebration of whole foods and vibrant flavours. The hearty base is made from creamy polenta, simmered gently with vegetable stock, aromatic onions, garlic, and a medley of fresh herbs. Toasted sesame seeds are stirred in, adding subtle nutty undertones and a satisfying boost of minerals.
Layered atop the polenta, you’ll find a generous stack of perfectly roasted vegetables: wedges of sweet red onion, robust red capsicum, tender courgettes (zucchini), savoury portobello mushrooms, juicy cherry tomatoes, and plump, caramelised garlic cloves. Each vegetable offers its own unique set of phytonutrients and vitamins—ensuring every forkful is as nourishing as it is flavorful.
Crowning the stack is a vibrant, oil-free pesto made from fresh basil, baby spinach, pine nuts or walnuts, sweet tomato, pungent garlic, and savoury nutritional yeast. This dairy-free pesto is creamy and rich, offering bright herbal notes without the need for added oil, making it lower in calories and saturated fat than traditional versions.
Health Benefits
1. Whole Grains & Fibre:
Polenta, made from cornmeal, is naturally gluten-free and provides a complex carbohydrate source for sustained energy. It’s a good source of fibre, promoting healthy digestion and keeping you fuller longer.
2. Antioxidant-Rich Vegetables:
The roasted vegetable medley delivers a potent dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Red onions and capsicum are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, zucchini provides vitamin A and potassium, and portobello mushrooms offer plant-based protein and immune-boosting selenium. Tomatoes provide lycopene, an antioxidant linked to improved heart and skin health.
3. Heart-Healthy Fats & Protein:
The pesto’s nuts and seeds (pine nuts, walnuts, and sesame seeds) supply healthy unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and plant-based protein—all important for cardiovascular and brain health.
4. Fresh Herbs & Phytochemicals:
Basil, parsley, oregano, and chives not only add flavour but also provide essential oils with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
5. Nutritional Yeast for B Vitamins:
The addition of nutritional yeast gives a cheesy flavour without dairy and is a great source of B vitamins, especially B12 (if fortified), which is crucial for vegans and vegetarians.
6. Oil-Free & Lower Calorie:
By omitting oil and using fresh vegetables and herbs, this entire dish is lighter and easier on digestion while still being deeply satisfying and rich in nutrients.
Each bite offers a balance of creamy, crunchy, savoury, and fresh sensations—a dynamic interplay of tastes that delights the senses and supports overall well-being. Serve it as the centerpiece for a nourishing lunch, an elegant dinner, or a show-stopping plant-based entree for guests.
Polenta and Vegetable Stack with Oil Free Pesto
Ingredients
For the polenta base:
- 1 cup polenta
- 3½ cups water
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- a good handful of fresh herbs chopped finely (pasley, chives, oregano, basil) or 1 1/2 tsp italian herbs
Sugggested vegetables for the stack
- 2 red onions peeled and cut into six wedges
- 2 red capsicums (bell peppers) eachvut into eight long strips
- 6 courgettes (zucchini) halved lengthways
- 6 large portobello mushrooms
- 10 cherry tomatoes halved
- as many garlic cloves as you like, peeled.
Oil-Free Pesto
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 3 tbsp pine or walnuts
- 1 med tomato
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
For the polenta base
- .Use a large non-stick pot
- Place water, onion, garlic, onion and garlic powders, stock cube into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes to allow the onion and garlic to cook.
- Bring back to high heat and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking vigorously, so no lumps form. (Watch for splashes).
- Stir in the sesame seeds and herbs.
- Turn heat down again and put the lid on and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
- Press polenta into a baking paper-lined rectangular baking dish and place in the fridge to set for one hour.
For the vegetable stack:
- Turn the oven on to 180°C and line a roasting dish with baking paper. While it is heating, prepare the vegetables
- Place all vegetables in a large bowl. Mix ½ tsp vegetable stock into 3 Tbsp of water.
- Using your hands, mix seasoned water through all the vegetables until evenly coated.
- Lay onions, peppers, zucchini and garlic in a single layer on a roasting dish.
- Roast until softening, then add mushrooms and tomatoes and roast until all vegetables are cooked and golden.
For the OIl-Free Pesto
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Add small amounts of water if it seems too dry.
- Store in the fridge for a week and freezes well.
To Serve
- Cut polenta into triangles, dip each wedge in a little raw polenta to stop them sticking and grill for 5 minutes on each side or place in a sandwich press and cook until golden.
- Place two hot wedges of polenta on a plate and arrange vegetables attractively on top. Place a few baby spinach leaves among roasted vegetables.
- Drizzle the stack with the pesto
