Polenta Pie with Rice and Beans, Salsa, and Guacamole
A hearty porridge that originated in Italy, polenta has a grainy texture that’s often compared to grits. In this dish, it goes really well with the smoothness of the avocado! It's hearty, tasty, and a great dish to make for large groups.
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hr 30 mins
Yield: 4 servings
Reprinted from The China Study Cookbook (BenBellaBooks, 2018)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ¼ cup diced onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1½ cups short-grain brown rice
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup polenta or cornmeal
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups cooked or canned black beans
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 avocados
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Instructions
- 1. Place onions, garlic, tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, and rice in a rice cooker or saucepan. Cook until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
- 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- 3. Meanwhile, combine water, polenta, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium–high heat and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a large pie dish and spread over the bottom and sides of the dish.
- 4. Combine the black beans and rice. Spread rice and bean mixture on top of polenta.
- 5. Spread salsa on top of rice mixture.
- 6. Bake for 30 minutes.
- 7. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5–10 minutes.
- 8. Scoop avocado flesh into a bowl and mash with lemon juice and garlic powder. Season with salt.
- 9. Garnish each serving with guacamole.
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