• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Simply delicious oil-free vegan recipes

  • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Category
    • Recipes by Tag
    • Recipe Box
  • About Me
    • Press
  • NewsBites
  • Shop!
  • Website

Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale

February 6, 2007 By Susan Voisin 87 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

Jump to Recipe Share on Facebook

Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale

You know I really like a recipe when I make it two days in a row. I first made this dish for dinner last night, and though I liked it and my husband thought it was “outstanding,” I still wanted to tinker with the recipe. It was good, but I thought it could be incredible. So this morning I got to work, making a couple of small changes, and boy am I glad I did. A good recipe got even better—and I got an amazing lunch!

Like Rustic Red Kale and White Bean Soup, this recipe is a devious attempt to get you to eat your leafy greens. Kale and portabella mushrooms are sautéed with garlic and then mixed with a creamy “cheese” sauce before being baked between two layers of polenta. (Fans of my Eggplant Parmesan will recognize the sauce from that recipe.)

Despite the long list of ingredients, this dish is pretty easy to put together, especially if you use packaged polenta and jarred marinara sauce. You’ll probably spend the most time preparing the kale, but you can even cut out that task if you substitute bagged spinach instead.

Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale

5 from 6 votes
Print SaveSaved! Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box

Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale

If you use packaged polenta, slice it into 18 thin slices. If you make your own polenta, spread the cooked polenta out on a baking sheet and use a spoon or your moistened hands to spread it no thicker than 1/4 inch. When it has solidified, either cut it in half and use each half as one layer or cut it into an even number of pieces that you can fit together to fit your baking dish.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1 18-ounce package prepared polenta or 1 recipe of Quick Microwave Polenta
  • 1/2 large onion chopped
  • 1 large portabella mushroom cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups, chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • 1/2 bunch kale about 8 ounces after trimming, center rib removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces (may substitute spinach or other greens)
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Cheese sauce below
  • 1 1/4 cups marinara sauce homemade or in a jar
  • 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives chopped
  • vegan soy parmesan optional

"Cheese" sauce:

  • 1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp. cashew butter or tahini
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp. salt optional
  • 1/8 tsp. white pepper
  • 2 tsp. corn starch
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 8×8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place the cheese sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
  • Sauté the onions and portabellas in a non-stick skillet until the mushrooms begin to exude their juices. Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute.
  • Add the kale, basil, and 1/4 cup water. Sauté until the kale is wilted and tender and the water has evaporated. Add the cheese sauce and cook, stirring, until thickened. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Remove from the heat.
  • Cut the polenta into 1/4-inch thick slices. Line the bottom of the baking dish with half of the slices, overlapping slightly if possible. Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the polenta, and then spread the kale mixture over the sauce. Sprinkle the chopped olives over the kale and top with the remaining polenta. Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the top and sprinkle with soy parmesan, if desired.
  • Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.
  • Makes 6 servings—if you can resist eating the whole pan yourself!

Notes

You can lighten this up a little by using low-fat silken tofu and fat-free soymilk.
Nutrition Facts
Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 182 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Sodium 691mg30%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 4g17%
Protein 7g14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Vegan
Keyword vegan polenta lasagna
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Share by Email

Kale and portabella mushrooms are mixed with a creamy vegan cheese sauce before being baked between two layers of polenta in this vegan polenta lasagna.

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Recipes Tagged With: Casseroles, Gluten-free, Greens, Higher-fat, Soy

Get NewsBites!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive new recipes & tips by email!

Privacy Policy
Previous Post: « Rustic Red Kale and White Bean Soup
Next Post: Vegetable Love »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim

    November 12, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    I’m allergic to tomato. What could I use for a sauce substitute?

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      November 12, 2012 at 9:38 pm

      You could use just about any sauce that you can eat. This would probably be good with just some extra “cheese” sauce.

      Reply
  2. Casey

    November 18, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    This was delicious! Well should I say still is…I’m eating it as leftovers for lunch this week. Thanks Susan 🙂

    Reply
  3. Megan

    January 21, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    So good! I’ve made this before per the recipe, but tonight I made it with a loaf of “quinoa polenta” I found at the store. Also added some white beans for extra protein. Quite delish! Thanks for your great recipes.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      January 21, 2013 at 6:37 pm

      I’ve never heard of quinoa polenta, but I’ll have to look for it now. Thanks for mentioning it!

      Reply
  4. Berit

    February 10, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    Hi Susan,
    Thank you very much for posting this fantastic recipe! 😀 I used GF lasagna plates instead of polenta (as I realised that I’d forgotten to get the latter in the store..) and eggplant instead of mushrooms, which worked out great. An omnivorian couple who came for dinner absolutely loved the dish, and asked where I’d gotten this delicious recipe from! I’ll send them a link to your inspiring blog 😉

    I served the lasagna with a puy & rocket salad, with vinaigrette from this recipe http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2006/11/cheap-caviar-1/ .

    Reply
  5. lizzie

    February 15, 2013 at 2:14 pm

    i made this last night and it was SO GOOD. my boyfriend doesn’t like mushrooms, so i used zucchini and carrots instead, along with subbing the kale with a chard/spinach/mustard greens mix and skipping the vegan parm out of convenience. the base of this dish is just so good, i feel like it could be made so many ways! this is about to become a staple. thanks!

    Reply
  6. Lexi

    February 24, 2013 at 10:26 pm

    I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it the other night and it is so delicious! I used kale from our local produce man and felt really healthy and great eating this meal, which lasted me for days. Thank you for sharing your recipe, I look forward to making it again!

    Reply
  7. Claudia

    March 11, 2013 at 5:20 pm

    Hi Susan!
    I don’t have silken tofu. But I have Daiya cheese
    Do you think I could use that? Maybe adding the broth, milk, and cornstarch?

    Reply
  8. Kristin

    July 15, 2013 at 9:49 am

    Susan, I’ve been making your recipes pretty much daily for the past six months, and they’ve nearly always gotten rave reviews. This one, though, has been dubbed by Boyfriend as “the best thing you’ve made since we started this.” (or possibly, “the best vegan dish I’ve had”. Can’t remember exactly, but you get the point). Definitely a huge winner, either way!

    I did have a question, though. I made your microwave polenta and it did end up with some lumps. Not a complaint, I just consider those concentrated areas of polenta-y goodness, but I did wonder, do you use the really fine ground cornmeal or the more course grind? I used the fine, and wondered if that might have made the difference.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      July 15, 2013 at 10:36 am

      I’m so glad to hear how much your boyfriend liked this! For the polenta, I used Bob’s Red Mill brand, and I would say it’s on the coarse side. I’m not sure how much difference that might make, but I’m glad to hear that the lumps didn’t ruin the whole dish.

      Reply
  9. Kristin

    July 18, 2013 at 6:49 am

    That did it! I used the course-grind cornmeal (I can never seem to find stuff labeled “polenta” that isn’t quite cost-prohibitive, so just get the cornmeal at the Latin market) for the next batch of quick polenta and it worked beautifully. Thanks, as always!

    Reply
  10. Ginny

    July 24, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    I made this amazing dish tonight using swiss chard. Having just had braces put on my teeth, I needed something soft, but satisfying, and this was the perfect comfort food (that I will make again.)

    Reply
  11. Avra

    August 1, 2013 at 8:05 am

    This looks amazing and I’m dying to make it! One Q before I begin: I’m not sure what extra-firm silken tofu is – on-hand I have both extra-firm tofu and silken tofu – which should I use for the cheese sauce? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kristin

      August 1, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      Hi Avra,

      I had the same question when I started making Susan’s (and other vegan) recipes. I was terribly confused about what extra-firm silken tofu might have been. The kind this recipe refers to is the shelf-stable kind in the aseptic packages like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LKZ84C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=fatfreevegank-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000LKZ84C

      It’s different than the refrigerated kind of tofu that’s packed in water. Hope the link comes through when I post, and hope you enjoy this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Avra

        August 2, 2013 at 11:00 pm

        Thank you so much for filling me in, Kristin! While I’m definitely going to invest in some mori nu in the future, I was dying to make this tonight – knowing I had no work and to celebrate the end of the week. I used the extra-firm tofu I had in the fridge and…OMG this lasagna is heaven in an 8×8 pan! Love love love it! For the fifth time/recipe now Susan has done it again! So happy to know about this blog. Hats off to you, Susan!

        Reply
  12. Lisa

    March 5, 2014 at 9:31 am

    I just made this and ate half the pan in one sitting. So tasty. I can’t wait to make this for a church potluck. My gluten free friends will love this.

    Reply
  13. Sara

    November 17, 2014 at 6:05 pm

    Hi Susan, this is one of my favorite recipes on your site and I make it all the time! I was wondering if you have any tips to make it serve 20. I’ve doubled the recipe before and baked it in a 9×13 pan, but I need to make an even larger one for a holiday party. I also need it to be easily transportable because the party isn’t at my house. If you have any advice, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      November 17, 2014 at 6:15 pm

      I’m so glad you like it! I think doubling it is about as far as you can go and still be sure it cooks all the way through, so I suggest making 2 9×13 pans. Anything bigger and it probably won’t get done in the middle without burning the edges.

      Reply
      • Sara

        November 19, 2014 at 2:30 pm

        Thank you! I was worried that it wouldn’t get right if I made it in a giant pan, so I think your suggestion to do two 9×13 pans is perfect. I know everyone at the party will love this as much as I do 🙂

        Reply
  14. Erin

    January 25, 2015 at 10:11 pm

    Hello!!! I’m a flexitarian and my roommate is vegan. We have roommate dinners once a week, alternating who cooks. I made this recipe this week and it was AMAZING!!! We both loved it so much! I brought the left overs to work and had my coworker try it. He’s a meat eater and gluten-free (which this recipe is totally gluten free too!)…. He thought it was really really good and he doesn’t usually even like lasagna!
    Thank you!!!!

    Reply
  15. Debra Drew

    February 10, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    I tried this tonight, but instead of using tofu for the sauce, which has a chalky taste I’m not fond of, I made a batch of OMG Walnut Sauce from “My Beef With Meat”. It uses walnuts which are lower in fat than other nuts, and I added some yeast seasoning. It made a great tasting dish!

    Reply
  16. Jerri

    March 1, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    I made this and also added shaved broccoli. This recipe is amazingly delicious! Am going to try it next time with still warm polenta layers. I think it will hold it together better!

    Reply
  17. Leah

    April 21, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    I’m so excited to try another one of your amazing lasagnas! Any thoughts on how to make this eat-to-live friendly? Thanks, Susan!

    Reply
  18. Laina

    September 27, 2015 at 11:58 am

    Hi Susan,

    I’m browsing your recipes this fine Sunday morning.

    I’ve made this recipe a few times before and LOVE it – it’s a favorite! But I was wonding what I can sub for the mori-nu tofu. I usually have some on hand, but don’t and the HFS isn’t close. Do you think upping the cashews would work or do you have another idea?

    Thanks a bunch!!! 😋

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      September 27, 2015 at 12:34 pm

      I think extra cashews would make a really delicious sauce.

      Reply
  19. Sara

    December 25, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    I made this a few weeks ago and it was DELICIOUS! Even my very picky and “health food”-leery husband loved it. I did use pre-cooked tube polenta (sliced), frozen spinach instead of kale, ground oats instead of cornstarch, pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) in place of cashews, and 1 chopped zucchini in place of the mushrooms (because it was going to go bad). I heartily recommend that substitution! Also, a whole jar of Rao’s “Garden Vegetable” tomato sauce made this dish simply irresistible. I plan to save this recipe forever and make it for other guests. Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Laina

    December 30, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    Hi Susan!

    I so love Italian food and because I make this so often, I got to wondering if you have a category for Italian recipes.

    As always, thanks so much for continuing your blog. The photos are spectacular and the recipes more than satisfy the taste buds!!! You make vegan eating so doable and flavorful!

    Thank you, thank you, yhwnk you!!! 😃

    Reply
  21. Mary McC

    March 9, 2016 at 8:23 am

    THANK YOU so veryvery much for your specificity on the amount of kale…I am so annoyed by recipes that just say ‘1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped’ which is especially unhelpful when the ‘bunch’ comes from my gatden. This looks delicious!

    Reply
  22. Karen

    March 24, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    I made this the other day, and I have to say, this is my favorite vegan recipe I’ve made in 30 years! So good. I brought it to work and shared it with non-vegans and it was a hit! Can’t wait to try your other recipes.

    Reply
  23. Teresa

    May 31, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    I just made this again, and every time I make this it is as wonderful as it was the very first time. I am stunned at how good this cheese sauce is, and the mixture of kale and mushrooms makes it spectacular. I think I’m going to try this with eggplant instead of polenta the next time I make it — something tells me it will be just as good. Thank you for such a great recipe — I always double it so I have lots of leftovers.

    Reply
  24. Janet jones

    July 1, 2017 at 7:26 pm

    My husband and I love this. I use 2 big mushrooms and almost a whole jar of Trader Joes fat free marinara. Only use 1 tbsp of tahini and leave out the olives and cheese because we need to follow a very low fat diet. Incredibly delicious!

    Reply
  25. nancy alling

    December 14, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    can this recipe be frozen before baking? if not can you recommend a recipe I can make in advance for a vegan family member that is coming for christmas dinner. My children will be eating a more traditional (aka meat and dairy) meal so I am looking for something I can make in advance
    Thank you
    Nancy

    Reply
  26. Claudia Ferriday

    March 21, 2018 at 11:15 pm

    Another hit recipe! I was craving polenta on this very cold and rainy day. So I did a quick recipe search and realized I had all the ingredients for this dish on hand (though I did sub brown mushrooms for the portabella and spinach for kale). I have made similar cheez sauces before, but there was something extra delicious about this one. Mixed in with the spinach and mushrooms, I could have eaten the whole pot just like that! But I remembered that the polenta was what brought me here, so I proceeded with the recipe, and it turned out perfectly. Super easy and quick to make too. I’ll be making this again. Thank you, Susan.

    Reply
  27. Mark Barbernitz

    May 6, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    Wow, that was REALY good! and yes I had two pieces! the “cheese” sauce gave it a great texture and flavor. Rally glad I tried it,

    Reply
  28. Leslie Fuller

    March 3, 2019 at 4:59 pm

    Great recipe! I also added chopped roasted red peppers when I added the garlic. I doubled the recipe and put it in a 10×16 pan. Seemed to cook just fine, but I needed more than 2 of the polenta rolls, so I made some thick grits to fill in the gaps. Thank you for your recipes!!

    Reply
  29. Kelly

    March 6, 2019 at 9:36 am

    Thank you for this delicious recipe! I came across it from your Facebook feed while I was making my grocery list.

    I followed the recipe exactly, only used unsweetened coconut milk (from the carton) as I never keep soy milk (just never like the taste of it). The coconut milk definitely made the cheeze sauce taste a little… off… but I found adding a bit extra salt, white pepper and onion powder helped with that. I also used regular refrigerated silken tofu – I’d forgotten there are shelf-stable versions that vary in firmness – so the sauce was definitely quite runny, but it still tasted delicious.

    I’m going to make this again – hopefully this time I can find the correct tofu. And at 180-odd calories per serving, there’s definitely NO need to feel guilty eating two servings in one sitting!

    Reply
  30. Barbara

    February 11, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    I would love to try this recipe! I was wondering if pesto sauce would go well with this recipe?

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to My Kitchen!

Susan VoisinI'm Susan Voisin, and I love creating delicious whole foods plant-based dishes with no added oil. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Find It Fast

  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Ridiculously Easy Recipes
  • Weight Watchers Recipes
  • Recipes by Tag (ingredient, gluten-free, etc.)
  • Complete Recipe Index

Find a Recipe

Allergens

All of my recipes are vegan, dairy-free, and fish free. To find recipes free of other allergens, click on an icon below.

Gluten FreeNut FreeSugar FreeSoy Free

Footer

Fall Favorites

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin

See More Fall Favorites

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Photos, original recipes, and text © Susan Voisin. All rights reserved. Do not republish content without permission.

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers™️ and cannot guarantee accuracy of Points™️.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · Susan Voisin · Privacy Policy· Log in