Spicy Roasted Vegetable Stew with Pepper Jack Polenta
Southwestern-inspired Roasted Vegetable Stew with Pepper Jack Polenta is vegetarian comfort food turned all the way up. It starts with a flavorful base of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices, with caramelized roasted vegetables for added depth, and black beans for protein. Easy, cheesy polenta makes it a complete meal!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
STEW
- 2 medium zucchini (1 pound) ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium yellow squash (1 pound) ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large red bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (1 pound) peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil avocado oil or canola oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 can (10.5-ounce) diced tomatoes with green chiles undrained
- 1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15-ounce) vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
POLENTA
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Pepperjack cheese
Instructions
STEW
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 17 x 11-inch baking sheets with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Place the zucchini and yellow squash on one baking sheet and the red bell pepper and sweet potato on the other. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Gently toss so that all the vegetables are coated with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but not soft. If the sweet potato needs more time, transfer the red bell pepper to the pan with the zucchini and yellow squash. Continue roasting the sweet potato if necessary until you can easily pierce it with the tip of a paring knife. Tilt the pans so that excess oil drains off.
- While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat in a skillet or saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Stir until garlic is fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until thickened.
- When the vegetables are finished, stir them in with the black beans and heat through.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in cilantro. Keep warm.
POLENTA
- Combine broth, polenta, butter, salt and black pepper in a microwave-safe dish.
- Cover, place in the microwave and heat on high for 4 minutes.
- Stir and heat on high for another 4 minutes. Stir and repeat for another 4 minutes.
- Immediately stir in cheese and serve with stew.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- You can substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes.
- Use any color bell pepper you have on hand.
- For a milder dish, you can use plain diced tomatoes or diced fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Can use pinto beans in place of black beans.
- If you’re not concerned with keeping this vegetable stew vegetarian, you can swap out the vegetable broth for chicken broth.
- If using instant polenta, follow the package directions.
- You can substitute plain Monterey Jack cheese for milder polenta.
- Season well and don’t overcrowd—give vegetables space to caramelize, not steam.
- Bloom the spices. Cook them with the onions before adding liquid to bring out their full flavor.
- Don’t overcook. Once added, only briefly simmer the roasted vegetables to preserve texture.
- Flavors deepen as it rests and are even better the next day.
- The leftovers are great in tacos, burritos, or quesadillas!
- Ragout can be made 1 day in advance. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables.
- Reheat in the microwave.
- You can freeze this stew if you need to, but the vegetables will be much softer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 993mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 12994IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 287mg | Iron: 3mg