3 Easy Ways To Cook Leeks: {Plus Tips}

Leeks are a member of the onion family and most often used for soups, but they are also delicious cooked and served as a side dish. Here are instructions for three different ways you can prepare them…

Preparation:

• Cut the green top leaves off to just where they begin to flatten together.
• Remove any roots and a thin slice of the white end (if tough).
• Wash thoroughly, being sure to remove any soil between leaves.

Method #1 – Boiled

• Tie in loose bunches just as you do with asparagus.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per 1 qt. of water)–use enough water to cover them completely.
• Once water is boiling, plunge them into the pot and cook uncovered until done (about 25 minutes for large ones, approx 18-20 minutes for small tender ones).

Method #2 – Grilled

• Grilling these is very similar to doing so with asparagus, after cleaning and preparing them, coat them with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Lay each piece sideways across medium-hot grill so they won’t fall through (you can also skewer them together before laying on grill).
• Turn them occasionally so they don’t char, remove them when done (they should be nice and tender and brown all over). Time will vary according to thickness, typically 5 to 12 minutes.

Method #3 – Steamed

• Clean and trim into 1″ to 2″ pieces.
• Place in steamer basket above 1″ of boiling water.
• Cook for 10 minutes or until tender then remove from heat (time will vary according to thickness).
• Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper then serve.

A few tips:

• Serving ideas: Drain well and serve with cream sauce; cheese sauce; butter or dripping sauce.
• Quantity: Allow approximately 4-5 small tender leeks per person or 3 large per portion.
• When boiling, try placing a piece of stale bread on surface of water to absorb odor.
• They combine well with any vegetable that takes kindly to onions.
• Medium sized stalks are done whole, large ones are sliced in half lengthwise.

Source: Portions of this article were adapted from the booklet “Vegetable Cook Book” by McFayden Seeds (1948)