• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Live-In Kitchen logo

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Work Together
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Vegetarian Mexican Recipes

    Grilled Polenta Cakes with Pico and Grilled Vegetables

    Lindsay Moe

    3824 shares

    These Grilled Polenta Cakes with Pico and Grilled Vegetables are an exciting way to enjoy a meatless meal!

    Grilled Polenta Cakes with Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo and Grilled Vegetables on a plate
    Jump to Recipe

    Dietary restrictions can make it tricky to navigate through the world.

    Luckily being vegetarian is a choice for me rather than a necessity. If I’m at an event and can’t find something meatless to eat I have the choice of giving in to the (probably delicious) meaty lasagna or snacking on the nuts in my purse and hitting a drive-thru on my way home.

    A few weeks ago I was able to enjoy a beautiful night out celebrating a friend who was about to be married. We went to Piggy’s, a very nice restaurant in town well known for their steaks and seafood. They only had one vegetarian option on the menu, a grilled polenta cake with grilled vegetables and a black bean avocado fajita.

    Grilled Polenta Cakes with Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo and Grilled Vegetables on a plate.

    I was so, so happy to be a vegetarian when my meal came. Had I not been a vegetarian I surely would have picked something meaty for my plate and missed out on this amazing meal. The polenta was crisp and slightly spicy while the vegetables were perfectly cooked. I couldn’t wait to get home and try making this for myself.

    This grilled polenta cake was my (somewhat deconstructed) attempt to replicate that amazing meal. I currently don’t have time to make polenta from scratch so I used a ready made tube, but I can assure you that if you have time to make the real thing it will be well worth it. I’m absolutely crazy about the combination of vegetables here. Between the corn, peppers, and onions the dish really takes on a sweet taste.

    What is your favorite vegetarian restaurant pick?

    Grilled Polenta Cakes with Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo and Grilled Vegetables on a plate next to a bowl of black beans and avocado, lime, and cherry tomatoes.

    If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

    sign up for our newsletter graphic
    Grilled Polenta Cakes with Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo and Grilled Vegetables on a plate next to a bowl of black beans and avocado, lime, and cherry tomatoes.

    Grilled Polenta Cakes with Pico and Grilled Vegetables

    Crunchy grilled polenta covered in savory veggies and pico de galllo!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 221kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    Ingredients

    • 1 red bell pepper,, sliced
    • 1 bunch broccolini,, trimmed
    • 1 medium red onion,, sliced
    • Olive oil
    • Coarse kosher salt
    • 36 ounces pre-cooked polenta,, sliced into ¼″ discs
    • Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo
    • 1 avocado,, diced

    Instructions

    • Preheat a grill pan or panini press to high.
    • In a large bowl, toss bell pepper, broccolini, and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until thoroughly coated. Season with salt and grill in the panini press in a single layer until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
    • Remove the vegetables from the panini press and set aside. Lightly brush both sides of the polenta with olive oil, then grill, flipping once, until crisp and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
    • To serve, place a spoonful of vegetables on a plate, top with a few slices of polenta, and top with oven roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo and avocado.

    Notes

    Inspired by Piggy’s Vegetarian Creation
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 1599mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1740IU | Vitamin C: 39.8mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

    More Vegetarian Mexican Recipes

    • Sheet Pan Vegan Tacos
    • Black Bean and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
    • Five Minute Breakfast Burrito
    • Southwest Veggie Breakfast Skillet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Gillian @ The Haas Machine says

      October 31, 2013 at 1:21 pm

      So pretty! I love all these bright colors on this dreary day!

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        October 31, 2013 at 2:22 pm

        Thanks Gillian!

        Reply
    2. Kendra says

      October 31, 2013 at 8:31 pm

      Love Piggy’s and this looks delicious and I’m not even a vegetarian. My kids just had polenta for the first time at school and they liked it so I may have to try this recipe.

      Reply
    3. Heather says

      January 08, 2015 at 11:08 pm

      My family and I recently switched to vegetarian. We wanted to go out to eat to a place we haven’t been in a while (Chili’s). When we arrived, we realized every dish contained meat. We were about to order a dish and just tell them no meat……….then I noticed you could get a burger and substitute a black bean patty. So, we gave it a shot…………AMAZING! I had the guacamole “burger”. It was so yummy!

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        January 12, 2015 at 2:32 pm

        God bless the black bean patty! Yum!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    lindsay moe in a kitchen with glasses on shelves behind her

    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Vegan Cookie Dough for One
    • Buttery Nipple Shot
    • Zesty Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
    • Single Serving Lemonade

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Lindsay
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Extras

    • Newsletter
    • Resources
    • On the Side

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Wild Flour Media

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 The Live-In Kitchen

    Please read my Privacy Policy.
    3824 shares