Wild Mushroom and Parsnip Ragout With Cheesy Polenta

Very tasty- I did not use miso paste, added more parsnips, and used chicken stock instead of wine. I also added rosemary and thyme and a bit of butter. Amazing! Going to serve with seamed broccoli and herb chicken breast.

• Sarah M

• Boston, MA

• 10/23/2023

AMazing, have made it several times.

• jennyknight2353

• NZ

• 8/2/2021

I added fennel and roasted all of the vegetables before adding to the mushrooms. Also added lentils. Awesome vegan winter meal minus the cheese, didn’t miss the meat at all.

• nikujaga

• Boston

• 2/24/2021

Qualifier- I love parsnips. I doubled the recipe, used leek instead of onion, and also added 1 extra clove of garlic. When my 2 medium-large and 1 medium parsnip were weighed, they were under the 14 ounces called for in the recipe. Yet it was enough- even for a person who loved parsnips. I didn't use cornstarch and hence cooked it longer- much longer to reduce. Everything was very well cooked at that point. I added the miso then instead of cooking it, it did help thicken a bit more even when not cooked with the rest of the dish. In hindsight, the water should have been reduced if cornstarch was omitted. Next time, I will again double the recipe again, use 3 tbsp miso and 3 tbsp of tomato paste as well as 1 cup of wine but only 1 cup of water.

• Anonymous

• New Orleans

• 1/18/2021

Excellent recipe! I recommend grating the parsnip - much faster than chopping and the flavor and texture blend more into the ragout. I used a regular polenta made with cornmeal and water and did not miss the milk. Also substituted soy sauce (2 tbsp) for miso and skipped the cornstarch, cooked longer to thicken as others have noted.

• suebob746

• 12/23/2020

This was a big hit! I served it with couscous as I didn't have polenta on hand. I did make the roasted hazelnuts, but I will skip that in the future.

• sophia.nilsson7598

• Kelowna, BC

• 11/15/2020

OK, people, this is seriously amazing. I'd give it 10 forks if possible. I make this more or less as written though I double the recipe and quadruple the miso and tomato paste. I've used various mushroom combos from plain cremini and shiitake all the way to chanterelles. Whatever mushroom combo, I've loved it every time. It's super high in umami, so you won't miss the meat. Pinky swear. I find that by simmering a bit longer, I can omit the cornstarch, since the tomato and miso act as thickeners in their own right. I've served this over polenta, risotto and used it as a hash base with roasted potatoes and any leftover meats I need to use up. Served with a fried or poached egg, it's a killer breakfast/brunch way to use up any leftovers. Freezes pretty well, too. This is flat out scrumptious and I make it multiples times a year.

• suzinsf

• San Francisco

• 1/13/2020

Delicious! Would definitely make again. Yes, parsnips can be overpowering but they add a very interesting dimension to the flavours. Dice smaller so they will just blend in.... I had leftovers and wanted to expand the next day so i made chicken breasts with same flavour ingredients and put on top. It was delicious. ...

• ticasaad

• Montreal, Canada

• 11/2/2018

I really wanted to love this, because I love the ingredients, but somehow it missed the mark. I didn't think making the polenta in milk made any difference. The parsnips were oddly sweet. It called out for bacon!

• ffran

• VTVT

• 3/15/2018

Absolutely delicious flavor! I doubled the recipe but when I make it again (and I will!) I will start out with the 1-1/2 cups water and go slowly from there. I doubled the water to 3 cups and had to make a slurry. However, the three cups of water did not in any way diminish the flavor. I also used dried thyme--1-1/2 tsps. One note for for those who are not crazy about the flavor of parsnips: Since the oven was on to toast the nuts (husband hates hazelnuts so used almonds), I decided to roast the parsnips, too. After peeling, I cut them into french fry size to roast more quickly and roasted with a little olive oil and kosher salt for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I could have eaten the roasted parsnips by themselves. Delicious! After they cooled, I finely chopped the parsnips and proceeded through the remaining steps. Made for a subtler parsnip taste but added beautifully to the overall flavor of the ragout.

• dkonchel

• Troy, MI

• 2/23/2018

I followed the recipe but wished for more flavor. The miso color was not indicated and I used white - maybe red or brown would have deepened the flavors more. Parsnips diced fine didn't bother me. And maybe tomorrow as the flavors meld I'll like it better. Maybe add a dollop of heavy cream and more fresh thyme. I'm going to top it with the toasted hazelnuts and roasted sliced shiitake.

• beeswing

• Greenwich, NY

• 9/29/2017

Like another comment below, I found the parsnip overpowered the other flavours and ruined the dish. I removed the pieces of it I could find and had the leftovers for breakfast and it was delicious. I normally like roasted parsnips but they took on a nasty texture and flavour in this dish. I will make it again but use fennel instead of parsnip.

• ardy1

• Australia

• 3/6/2017

The mushroom ragout was fabulous--used a mixture of shiitaki and cremini mushrooms. The next time I think I will add another parsnip. A good red wine is key to best flavour. Didn't make the polenta but served the ragout with pork chops, roasted golden beets and steamed beet greens.

• beauce

• Toronto, ON

• 3/5/2017

A perfect comfort food recipe. I prepared my polenta without dairy products. It worked. Next time I would add a sliced red bell pepper in the mushroom/parsnip mixture for some color. Be prepared to make more as there will be requests for seconds!

• Anonymous

• Tahoe

• 2/28/2017

A beautiful & hearty vegetarian recipe - fantastic! Made as written minus the hazelnuts. Served with a simple arugula salad. Will make again and again.

• caarin

• montclair, nj

• 2/26/2017