Tex-Mex Green Chile Grits
Grits are just coarsely ground corn, a whole grain when you buy them stone-ground rather than the degermed instant kind. They belong as much to Tex-Mex and the wider South as to any single kitchen, and the green chile version leans on the roasted poblano and Anaheim that grow across Texas and New Mexico. The two moves that carry the bowl are patience and char. Stone-ground grits will not soften in five minutes no matter how hot the pan, and the roasted chiles need their skins blistered and pulled so the flesh turns sweet and smoky instead of grassy. Simmering in unsweetened soy milk gives the creaminess that butter and cheese usually supply, and a spoonful of nutritional yeast plus a squeeze of lime handles the seasoning without salt. Eat them for breakfast, or under a pile of beans for dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Polenta / coarse cornmeal, stone-ground, not instant
- 1 Poblano
- 1 Anaheim
- 2 cups Unsweetened soy milk
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seed, toasted and ground
- 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 3 Scallions, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
Method
- Char the poblano and Anaheim directly over a flame or under the broiler until the skins blister black all over. Steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins and chop. Roasting is what turns a raw green pepper into the sweet, smoky chile that defines the dish.
- Bring the soy milk and 2 cups (475 ml) water to a bare simmer with the garlic. Using plant milk for part of the liquid is what makes the grits taste rich without any butter or cheese.
- Rain the grits in slowly while whisking, so they scatter instead of clumping. Drop the heat to low and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until thick and tender. Stone-ground grits need real time to soften, and rushing them leaves a gritty bite.
- Stir in the toasted cumin and the nutritional yeast. The yeast brings a savory, almost cheesy edge that lets you skip the cheese and the salt both.
- Fold in the chopped roasted chiles at the end so they keep their texture, then finish with scallions, lime, and black pepper. The lime lifts the whole pot and does the seasoning salt would.
- Serve hot and loose. Grits firm up fast off the heat, so loosen with a splash of hot water if they stiffen before you get to the table.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 200 calories, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber, 60 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
