How to Cook Leeks (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to prepare a leek? ›

Mostly just the white and light green parts are eaten, though the darker green parts have plenty of flavor and can either be cooked longer to tenderize them, or used when making homemade soup stock.

To cook: Leeks can be boiled, braised or steamed. Sliced leeks should be cooked for 5-7 minutes until tender but still firm. Whole small leeks should be cooked for 10-15 minutes until tender but still firm, top with a cheese sauce and then brown under a preheated grill for 5 minutes or until golden.

Soak the stalks in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes or so, then rinse under cold running water in the sink. The long soak allows the water to penetrate the leek's many layers, clearing out all the bits of debris. Once your veg is all cleaned up and dirt-free, it's time to get cookin'.

Season leeks with soy, maple, sesame oil, and mirin. Top with sliced garlic and a few knobs of butter around the outside of the pan. Add just enough stock to cover leeks halfway, bring to a boil and pop into over to roast until caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife.

What Do Leeks Taste Like? Leeks taste like a mild sweet onion, but with their own distinctive twist. Let's put it this way: shallots and onions taste much more alike other than leeks and onions do. It's that sweet-not-exactly-onion flavor that chefs love and seek out.

Avoid leeks with cuts or bruises. The dark green tops of leeks should look fresh. Avoid leeks with yellowing or wilting tops. Choose smaller, younger leeks when you want to eat them uncooked.

They are low in calories (54 for 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) with no fat and no cholesterol. Leeks are an excellent source of antioxidants like vitamins C, K and beta-carotene that have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits.

Good leeks should feel firm and look healthy from root to tip. The stems should be white—we eat the tender white parts, so the longer the better—with no dark or soft spots. The dark green parts should be very dark with no yellowing or brown spots. Avoid anything that's limp, wilted, or starting to shrivel.

FAQ: Can you eat the green part of leeks? Yes, you can eat the green part of leeks. While the white and light green parts are commonly used in cooking, the dark green leaves are also edible and can be used in various dishes.

Why do you put leeks over onions? ›

Leeks look like overgrown green onions, but have a milder, more delicate flavor than onions. The white base and green stalk are used for cooking in creamy soups, fresh, stocks and more. Leeks can be direct seeded outdoors or started indoors and transplanted into the garden.

Lifting and Show Preparation

Remove the collars from them and if they are ok lift them. Using a spade push it down into the bed all around the leek about 10 inches away from the base. Once you have lifted it up a bit work your fingers in around the roots to re- move some of the soil.

The common wisdom is that leek greens are so tough, they should only be used to make stock. I agree that leek greens are great to throw into stock, but that's far from their only use. Yes, the fact is that they are tough.

Leeks belong to the allium family along with garlic, shallots, and all types of onions. The sharp flavor of raw leeks turns sweet and mellow when they're cooked—so sweet and mellow, in fact, that they can be eaten on their own, like a vegetable.