Edamame Polenta with Turmeric Lime Walnuts

This edamame polenta isn’t just a side dish, it’s the full meal. I love polenta, but I have always been looking for a more interesting, flavorful and filling way to make it. Enter scene, my favorite bean – edamame. These bright green boiled soybeans are perfect for adding extra protein to this polenta blend, and I threw in some jalapeño, onion and garlic for extra flavor. Add even more flavor with easy golden turmeric lime walnuts, and you have a 15-minute dinner that’s pretty hard to beat.

Why use edamame in this polenta?

Edamame is such a versatile ingredient. It is one of my favorite things to toss into salads, or even make the whole meal. In this recipe, the edamame adds some much needed protein, as well as a gorgeous green color.

It also adds a thickness and richness to the polenta that you wouldn’t otherwise achieve without adding a fat source of some kind, think butter or oil. And while I love love LOVE both of those things, it is so crazy that a little soybean can do the exact same job.

So the edamame carries this recipe with both protein and color, but the other ingredients in the edamame blend are what pack the flavor. It’s like a tag-team deal 🙂

Ingredients for this edamame polenta

• 1/2 cup edamame beans
• 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water plus more as needed
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make the edamame polenta

Polenta can be a long process, or it can be a quick process. I like my polenta similar to risotto texture, so it takes about 15 minutes to bring this part of the recipe together. Here’s a step-by-step:

• Add the edamame, jalapeño, onion, garlic and water to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth.
• Put a large pan on medium heat, add the cornmeal and the edamame mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Make sure there are no clumps.
• Stir continuously as the cornmeal comes to a simmer. It will begin to thicken in the first few minutes. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, the polenta will continue to get creamier and creamier.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add water as needed and continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until you can no longer taste any graininess in the cornmeal.

Ingredients for the turmeric lime walnuts

These are simple, but the flavors are insanely amazing. Add it to some kale for a vegetable filled topping that adds texture and a hit of spice.

• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 lime, for juicing
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup kale, optional

How to bring this recipe together

First make the turmeric lime walnuts:

• Put a small pan on medium heat. Add a glug of olive oil to the pan.
• Add in the turmeric and salt to the oil. Let the spices bloom for 30 seconds, stirring gently.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add in the walnuts and toss to coat them in the spice. Squeeze in the juice of one lime and toss again. Continue to cook until the walnuts are toasted, about 1-2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
• Put a handful of kale in a bowl. Add the walnuts and any residual oil to the bowl, and toss to coat the kale. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

To plate the edamame polenta:

• Spoon the polenta onto a plate, it should be creamy enough to spread slightly, but still hold its shape, similar to a risotto.

Looking for other easy dinner recipes?

Here are a few I’m obsessed with right now:

And that’s it for this edamame polenta!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3