It is four-thirty.
In the morning.
I am up way too early.
And went to bed way too late.
And, I’m not just up.
I am already at the airport.
I am here catching a flight back home to New York right now.
Because my best friend is getting married!
And so, I am going to try to keep this really short and sweet.
Today is all about pumpkin.
And this creamy pumpkin polenta with balsamic roasted beets. Have you ever worked with or eaten pumpkin in a savory application before? If you haven’t, keep in mind that pumpkin puree tastes nothing like pumpkin spice.
If you’re expecting a crazy, wild, punch you in the face, over the top fall flavor here, then this is not the recipe for you. Conversely, if you are looking for a cozy, comforting, bold, savory fall flavor, this is indeed the right recipe for you.
Pumpkin, as we know, is a member of the squash family. And it has a similar in taste to other mild fall and winter squashes like acorn or delicata. But with the texture closest to butternut squash. So with that combination it is a really dreamy vegetable to work with. And it really is the perfect squash, as far as I’m concerned.
Pumpkin, in my humble opinion, should be used more in savory ways. But this is coming from me, a girl that has never and will never be into pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin spiced drinks of any kind {coffee or tea or espresso or chai or anything really over PSLs always}. Pumpkin should be for pie. Or pumpkin polenta.
This creamy pumpkin polenta topped with roasted balsamic beets is a great fall and winter meal. And comforting in so many ways. The pumpkin polenta is comfy base that holds the vibrant, complex, flavor bomb balsamic roasted beets perfectly. It’s an easy meal that your entire family will love, and it comes together in just thirty minutes.
Today Sara from Cake Over Steak has rounded up about seventy bloggers all in the name of the pumpkin. You can get all the pumpkin recipes by visiting Sara’s blog. And below are some of my savory favorites from today’s pumpkin party.
These pumpkin ricotta gnudi from Sonja at Ginger and Toasted Sesame.
These pumpkin stuffed turnip ravioli from Grace at Earthy Feast.
This pumpkin flatbread from Alanna at The Bojon Gourmet.
This caramelized onion galette from Cynthia at Two Red Bowls.
This pumpkin swirled mashed potatoes from Amanda at Heartbeet Kitchen.
And, this pumpkin goat cheese polenta from Lily at Kale and Caramel.
Pumpkin Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Beets

A creamy pumpkin polenta recipe topped with balsamic roasted beets. A naturally vegan and gluten-free meal for fall and winter.
Ingredients
Beet Ingredients
- 3 medium red beets
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Polenta Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Scrub the beets clean, trim the ends and peel (if desired). Dice into small pieces and set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Place the beets on the lined sheet pan and then pour the balsamic mixture over top. Toss them lightly with your hands to coat and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and flip the beets. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes. When they're done set them aside until plating.
- Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add in the olive oil, shallots and garlic and sweat for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium, add in the broth and bring to a simmer. Then add in the polenta one-third cup at a time, stirring constantly to avoid clumps. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes while stirring frequently until the water is absorbed and the polenta is soft.
- Turn the heat to low and add in the pumpkin, thyme, sage, paprika, salt and pepper, and stir. Continue to cook the polenta while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- To plate, portion the polenta into 4 bowls and top each with an equal portion of balsamic beets. Garnish with fresh thyme and black pepper if desired and serve warm.
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Rachel says
God, this looks like a hug in a bowl.
Haley says
I am beyond excited about this recipe. What a perfect savory pumpkin combo! Girl, you’re killing the pumpkin game.
Lisa says
A recipe totally to my liking! xo, Lisa
Liora says
I have never thought of flavoring polenta. This looks absolutely amazing!
Lindsey says
Love these colors together – they are so representative of the beautiful fall foliage, love love. And pumpkin polenta sounds like just about the coziest thing ever. Have a great time in NY, xo!
Diane says
This is a fantastic idea, and I love that it is vegan. I just bought a blue hubbard squash, so I will give it a go with that. If it’s as delicious as it sounds I hope you don’t mind if I post it on my blog {giving you credit of course}. I’m a new blogger on a restricted diet, and this recipe is perfect for me, and I would love to share it.
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
This is my kind of fall bowl. Happy pumpkin day – everyone did such amazing work!
Anonymous says
It’s so cool to see all these takes on polenta! Being Italian, I’ve seen it around quite a lot and never really loved it (I loved the toppings though, especially the stewed beans). Adding in pumpkin actually sounds like a wonderful idea! I think the quality of the polenta really makes the difference in creaminess and taste. In any case, the added pumpkin and that beet topping really makes me want to give polenta another chance.
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well says
You are always so creative with the simplest of ingredients, Sherrie! I just love this. Have the best time home with your fam this weekend! We are going home to visit ours too but in AZ – hugs!
Lily | Kale & Caramel says
Pumpkin polenta 4 lyfe, girlfriend! This sounds amazing. I can totally taste that tangy sweet balsamic beet concoction, and it’s making me salivate. YUM! I think the two of us should just have a pumpkin polenta party, and make a million different kinds. I’m obsessed. It’s so good!
Edlyn says
Polenta is the way to my heart. I absolutely love the colours in your photos. So gorgeous, Sherrie! You do such wonderful work with the ingredients placed in your care. Thank you for sharing this. I’m virtually ripping it and pinning it on my fridge for future inspiration.
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
I am all about the pumpkin. You had me at creamy polenta, but then there was pumpkin and it became 100xs better. Cannot wait to recreate this in my own kitchen! Safe travels + enjoy home, Sherrie! xo
Jodi says
What a combination, Sherrie! The colors alone are enough to make me want to dig right in. Perfect cozy meal for the beginning of the cold. Have a wonderful time in NYC. Another beautiful recipe, xx.
Caroline says
I seriously just want to sit here and stare at that bowl all night! Okay, so that sounded creepy, right? Seriously, so beautiful and I love how you’ve paired creamy polenta with the richness of pumpkin and those bites of earthy beets. I’m am so making this!
Sofia | From the Land we Live on says
I love this, Sherrie. You’re so creative! Yay, pumpkin party! Off to check out some of the other recipes. Happy fall, xo.
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Pumpkin and polenta are a perfect combination!
Alanna says
STUNNING (and thanks so much for the shout out)!
rachel @ atheltic avocado says
This is all of my favorite things combined – pinned for later!
Mary says
This recipe is very original, and looks delicious!
Susannah says
I have to admit I’ve never made anything savory with pumpkin, just soup. So many culinary adventures ahead of me!
Erin says
Pumpkin and beets are two are my favorite foods, and together?! YUM! I’m definitely going to have to make this. Perfect for a chilly fall day.
Sherrie says
Hi Diane, congrats on starting your blog. I do not allow my recipes to be reprinted, but I don’t mind if you share an image with a link back to my website for the ingredients/recipe in full. Best of luck to you on your blogging endeavors!
Sherrie says
Hey Valentina! My mother-in-law lives in Bologna, and used to make polenta for my husband a lot when he was growing up. It was his love for polenta that ignited my own. The pumpkin gives it an extra layer of savory earthiness. I hope you try it and enjoy, xx.
Sherrie says
Best compliment ever, Jessie. xx
Sherrie says
Your comment made my day, thanks so much Edlyn, xx!
Amanda Paa says
These scenes are the prettiest! Savory pumpkin FTW. I love how the stain of the beets just jumps off the yellow polenta. And thanks for mentioning my mashed potatoes. I hope you had fun back home at the wedding. I’m sure you miss it! But, the Midwest likes having you here, xo.
Barrie says
Wow! Yummy looking and can’t wait to try your newest creation. Another masterpiece Sherrie!
Sherrie says
Thanks Mom, xo.
ADI says
You’ve incorporated two of my favorite things into one savory meal: pumpkin and beets. Thank you!
Diann Garnett says
Made this last night and it was fantastic and just as delicious {with a little crumbled chèvre on top} for a work lunch today. Thanks for the great new recipe!
Sherrie says
I bet that goat cheese was the perfect addition! I’m so glad you liked this Diann.
Aysegul says
Pumpkin Polenta…genius! I am loving the roasted beets on top. You are so creative Sherrie.
Pure Ella says
This looks and sounds amazing Sherrie! So inventive, I just love it. xo
Sonja says
*gasp!* You listed my gnudi as one of your savory faves?! Thanks for the shout out, Sherrie!
By the way, a creamy base like polenta topped with something roasted and delicious is kind of one of my favorite dishes ever. I make variations of this type of dish all the time but I never thought of adding pumpkin into my polenta. The bright purple-red of the beets is gorgeous on top of that pumpkin polenta, too!
Phoebe @ Feed Me Phoebe says
I’m making this tonight!! going to top with some beet greens and maybe some sausage because I’m crazy like that. xo
Anonymous says
This looks devine! Perfect for this rainy east coast weather I have right now. I have a question, is there a difference between polenta and cornmeal? The 1 cup polenta in the recipe, is that just dry cornmeal? I thought polenta was the result of cooking cornmeal, but I just want to clarify. Thanks!
Sherrie says
Hi Jen – you are right. Technically polenta is a dish, not a grain. But, cornmeal is often packaged and sold as polenta, meaning that the grind of corn is appropriate to make the polenta dish. Feel free to substitute medium or coarsely-ground cornmeal instead. I hope this helps!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak says
So pretty! I love the photo with the window handle poking in all blurry-like. Thanks for being a part of this.
Sherrie says
Thanks Sara, and thanks for hosting such a fun pumpkin party girl.
Jenny says
Beautiful photos and styling. I wanted to reach in and have a bite! I’ve never thought of adding pumpkin to polenta, but now I must. Thanks for sharing!
Kate says
This was okay. I was really excited about the flavor combo but it wasn’t very flavorful (sad face!). In defense of the recipe, I didn’t use veggie broth which would have punched up the flavor quite a bit. I also used canned pumpkin, which I don’t like but forget that every time I use it – I bet fresh would be killer in this recipe. I also wish I had snuck some garlic in with the shallots! It was our first time using beets and we will be roasting them ourselves again, yum! Overall, beautiful dish but I don’t think we’ll make it again. Thank you for the fun recipe and the chance to try something new!
Marry says
I love this! I’ve eliminated junk food sweets lately from my diet and this is always what I’m craving but in a healthy way-rich starch and sweet. I used homemade veggie broth and roasted kabocha squash puree. I also cook my polenta by adding a few tablespoons of boiling water to it when it starts getting thick and it comes out super creamy. My beets totally caramelized too, yum! Thank you Sherrie.
Britt says
Sounds delish, but I’m concerned you say to roast the beets on parchment paper with the oven at 450. All parchment I’ve ever used has a top heat range of 420, considering that paper catches on fire at 451, I’ll stay on the safer side and do longer cooking at a lower heat, but looking forward to trying the recipe!
Sherrie says
Hi Britt, I roast veggies on parchment at 450 degrees all the time without any issues, but if this is concerning for you, by all means you can lower the temp to 400.
Sherrie says
Hi Kate. I’m glad you enjoyed the beets, and good for you for going outside of your comfort zone! I must say that using garlic, vegetable broth and fresh pumpkin (very different than canned) would have made a big difference in depth of flavor. Thank you for stopping by – I do appreciate your feedback!
Summer says
I’m going to a potluck and the theme is “it sounds weird, but its sooooooo good”. I was searching Pinterest for ideas, I knew I wanted something with beets. I stumbled upon this and I’m super jazzed to give it a try. My potluck friends are all foodies so this is right up their alley.
Mary says
This recipe is delightful. I added a handful of toasted walnuts for a little crunch, and it got rave reviews! Thanks for sharing.
Carrie O. says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made this tonight (found you through Pinterest) and my family loved it. This is such a lovely, lovely dish. My six year old even said it is now his best favorite meal.
Laura says
Can you double this recipe?
Sherrie says
You sure can!
Sherrie says
Oh my – I love that. And, so glad you found me too.
Doreen says
Looks amazing! Making today but not sure if the shallots are minced or diced?
Sherrie says
Hi Doreen, the shallots can be minced or diced, but I’ve edited the recipe to clarify. Thanks for pointing that out! Happy cooking, xx.
Sherrie says
Haha, I love that.
Krissie says
Yum! I mean wonderful dish, Sher!
Carrie says
Made this for a vegan Thanksgiving menu today. I used Earth Balance to keep a buttery flavor and went with rosemary for my fresh herb (added that with the pumpkin purée), and served it alongside sautéed kale. Outstanding! Will definitely make it again.
Sherrie says
Carrie this made my day! I’m so happy this recipe ended up on your Thanksgiving table, what an honor. xx
Sherrie says
Yes – I’m so glad you liked this Mary!
Sherrie says
I’m so glad you liked it Mary!
Linda says
My daughter and I made this for dinner tonight. We used butternut squash instead of pumpkin and less broth for the polenta. The flavor was terrific and the color contrast between the polenta and the beets was beautiful!
Sherrie says
I’m so happy it was a hit, Linda!
Jessica says
This recipe is fantastic! My three year old loved it too!
Rachael says
Hi! Are you peeling the beets here? Wasn’t sure if I should be eating the skin after roasting or if you remove skins before serving. Dumb question I know, but I’m new to beets!
Sher says
Hi Rachel – no dumb questions! I added some clarity in the instructions. I typically peel my beet prior to roasting. But if you scrub them clean, the peel is edible.