This vegan breakfast potato polenta bowl is an easy, comforting dish to make for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast (or brunch). Fried potatoes tossed with green pepper, zucchini and blistered cherry tomatoes over a bed of creamy polenta is all you need to wake up in the morning, especially after a late night out!
For those who prefer savoury to sweet breakfasts, this breakfast polenta bowl is for you! If you’ve never thought to have polenta for breakfast, you’re missing out. Polenta is a great vegan substitute for eggs in hearty, English-style breakfasts when you’re craving a proper hot breakfast done right.
Not only that, but polenta is cheap, cheap, cheap! You don’t need to buy a product specifically packaged as Italian polenta, polenta is nothing more than cornmeal and you can get yourself a box of that for just a couple of bucks. Just one cup of cornmeal is enough for four servings of polenta and if it’s not already a staple in your diet, you’ll quickly realize just how versatile it can be for both sweet and savoury recipes.
To keep this recipe as cheap as possible, I cooked my cornmeal with just salt and water. There are lots of other polenta recipes that call for milk, vegetable stock, butter or cheese (all vegan, of course) but I like the simple, delicately sweet flavour of the cornmeal just as it is.
The vegan breakfast potatoes are super easy to make. Take a potato or two and fry them up with your favourite veggies. I used green pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes but eggplant, mushrooms and beans would also work great with these breakfast potatoes. Season with a teaspoon of your favourite herb; again, the choice is yours.
I topped it all off with a couple dollops of prepared salsa and some fresh greens on the side. This vegan breakfast potato polenta bowl is hearty enough to keep you full for hours and you may just want to make it again for dinner!
Got leftovers from this vegan breakfast potato polenta bowl? Use them in these recipes:
Zucchini, cherry tomatoes – Raw vegan noodles salad
Green pepper – Spanish-style vegan lentil stew
Cherry tomatoes, salsa – Vegan breakfast tacos
Vegan Breakfast Potato Polenta Bowl
Print RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups (1 litre) water - $0.00
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided - $0.05
- 1 cup (170 grams) medium-grain yellow cornmeal - $0.40
- 1 tablespoon oil - $0.12
- Half a medium onion, diced – $0.07
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced – $0.06
- 250 grams (9 oz) cherry tomatoes - $0.89
- Half a zucchini, diced - $0.11
- 1 large or 2 medium potatoes, diced - $0.39
- Half a green pepper, diced - $0.11
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (or your favourite herb) - $0.03
- A few grinds of pepper - $0.04
- A small jar of salsa - $1.39
Instructions
Bring the water and ½ teaspoon of the salt salt to a boil in a small pot. While whisking, sprinkle in the cornmeal. Whisk until the cornmeal thickens then reduce the heat to low. Allow to cook until the cornmeal is soft, whisking from time to time – about 20 minutes. If you like your polenta looser, you can stir in more water to reach the consistency that you like.
Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onions and garlic and fry until soft and translucent. Remove to a plate and add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Fry, shaking the pan from time to time, until they begin to split and blister. Remove to the plate then add the zucchini (you may need to add a bit more oil at this point). Fry for a few minutes until they are tender and begin to brown. Remove to the plate.
Add the potatoes (and a bit more oil if the pan is very dry) and cover the pan. Fry, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are nicely browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove the lid and add the green pepper. Fry for a couple more minutes until the pepper is crisp-tender.
Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and zucchini back to the pan with the potatoes and add the oregano, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and reheat the veggies.
Divide the polenta into four bowls and top with the breakfast potatoes. Serve with salsa on the side to dollop on top.
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