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Even though we don't have any little guys in school, Mack's schedule is such that it feels like he is in school. I pick him up from care at 3:30 and from there it's a long slide into dinner. He's in the kitchen "helping" me but most of the time I'm throwing together something simple so that I can play with him. This sweet corn polenta takes a little prep and time but it's so delicious this time of year, it's worth every bit of time.
Using sweet corn for fresh polenta is nothing like using polenta from the bulk bin. The flavor is all summer corn. Add to that the tomato-avocado salad, it's the best of summer in a bowl. For this polenta, I like to use just-rip avocados. They hold their shape a bit better when cubed and tossed with the warm tomatoes.
Sweet Corn Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Avocado
A perfect summer meal featuring fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, and avocado.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Cuisine: dinner
Ingredients
Polenta:
- 4 ears sweet corn
- 2 to 2 ½ cups corn stock or water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Tomato/Avocado Topping:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ California avocado, cubed
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Remove kernels from the cob. Keep cob to make stock. Place the corn kernels in a pot and cover with stock or water (depending on what you are using), between 2 and 2 ½ cups. Add a solid pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the corn kernels to a blender (high-speed is preferred), leaving any liquid behind in the pot. Puree, adding some of the water/broth as needed, until the kernels have broken down and the mixture is paste-like.
- Transfer the sweet corn back to the pan and stir in with the leftover liquid. Heat oven medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a polenta-like texture.
- While you’re cooking the polenta, preheat oven to 425˚F. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and toss with minced garlic, olive oil, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes or so until the tomatoes have lost some of their juice and are starting to brown. Let cool slightly then toss with avocados, sherry vinegar, basil, and extra salt as needed.
- Divide the polenta into two bowls and top with tomato mixture.
Notes
Tips & Tricks: This polenta is 10x better when using the sweet corn broth- it is such a lovely concentration of corn flavor. I've occasionally added extra time by making the stock first from the corn. It's worth the wait.
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: Avocado, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn
Nutrition: see the information.
Link: Polenta recipe is a riff on this recipe.
Nutrition
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 959
- Fat: 18.3
- Carbohydrates: 59.9
- Fiber: 9.7
- Protein: 16.3
- Cholesterol: 8.1
Sweet Corn Polenta
variations
Crunch: While I love the recipe as written, I'm also a texture person- I like a bit of crunch to my recipes. Try adding a few toasted almond slices or toasted hazelnut pieces.
Cheese: I left the polenta pretty bare because I find all you need is a good amount of salt to really bring the sweet corn flavor to the forefront. However, a tablespoon of butter and/or a ounce or two of goat cheese is a lovely addition.
Topping: anything I've put on top of polenta would work well with this polenta. I also have plans to freeze fresh summer sweet corn so that I can make this polenta during the cooler months.
Explore Avocados
August is usually the time I'm putting avocados into everything. It's the month that schedules being a bit busier and I'm always on the hunt for quick, simple meals/snacks. Avocados are perfect for both (with my preferred snack being an avocado with a light dusting of sea salt and red pepper flakes!
Black Bean Tacos with California Avocado-Sweet Corn Salad
Breakfast Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce
Root Vegetable Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Sauce
Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with California Avocado. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It’s content like this that helps me keep this site running to provide the vegetarian recipes you see every week.
Pmas says
This sounds great! I got a few cobs of Mirai corn from the farmers market recently. How much polenta do you typically use? Do you double the standard serving size? (Mine says 1/4 cup)
Erin Alderson says
When I make traditional polenta, I usually do 1 cup/4 servings but with this version, it's about 2 ears of corn/serving.
Jo Busck says
Hi there, so excited to try this. Sorry if I've missed it, but how do you make the corn stock? Thanks!
Erin Alderson says
Ah, I forgot the link! It's in the notes part of this recipe: https://naturallyella.com/creamed-corn-barley/
Marlies says
This looks fantastic! I'm a little confused about when I add in the broth?
Thanks! Can't wait to try! I bought sweet corn from the farmers market for it this morning 🙂
Erin Alderson says
Ah- that is confusing! I just updated to hopefully clear up the confusion! You can use broth or water.
Marlies says
Just sat down to this for dinner and wow!!! Literally, without a doubt, one of the best things I've ever tasted! I will definitely make this again, probably next week 😉
One question - how long does it usually take to thicken the polenta? Mine never got quite as thick as yours looks...
Erin Alderson says
Mine only took about 15 minutes. In the recipe I adapted this from, they say it can take longer, depending on the amount of liquid left in the pan. Next time you could try taking a bit of liquid out, thickening it, then adding extra back in as needed!