Leeks Recipes

LeeksLeeks lend flavor, texture, and color to soups, rice dishes, and mashes. Leeks align perfectly with potatos (the famous potato-leek soup), mushrooms, chicken, cauliflower, sweet potato or winter squash, eggs, cabbage (think Irish colcannon) and seafood, including salmon.

Leeks belong to the allium family of vegetables, like onions and garlic. They have the typical sulfur-containing nutrients of alliums, and there’s research that supports including at least one serving (1/2 cup) of an allium in your diet every day for heart health.

To cook leeks, we recommend cutting them lengthwise and holding under running water as you separate the layers to clean out any dirt that may have gotten inside as the leeks grow. Then slice thinly and use as you would an onion. You can use both the white and green parts. If you feel the outside green leaves are too chewy, put them in soups or stocks for a real flavor boost! Like onions and garlic, let leeks sit for at least 5 minutes after cutting and before cooking to enhance their health-promoting qualities.

Leeks contain important antioxidents and help protect your blood vessels from free-radical damage. They are also high in the B vitamin folate. The entire plant from top to bottom contains these nutrients, and when they are grown organically, the green parts can be very tender.

Nash’s Pork Chops

Pork Chop and FriendsAbove are the ingredients for Nash and Patty’s dinner yesterday evening. It took only 1/2 hour to prepare, was almost entirely local, and tasted delicious. First we preheated the oven to 350°F. In went the small potatoes to start baking. The pork chops were seasoned with garlic salt and pepper, and browned in a skillet in Nash’s camelina oil for 3 minutes per side. Then they were transferred to an oven-proof pan and put in the oven for exactly 10 minutes. Meanwhile, we splashed a little Olympic Cellars Working Girl white wine in the skillet, and put in some chopped leeks to soften and flavor the wine. Then we added the kale and covered it to simmer. The purple sprouting broccoli went into a steamer.

After 10 minutes in the oven, the pork chops came out to sit for 10 minutes. By the end of that, the broccoli and kale were done, as were the small potatoes. We put the white wine bottle on the table, along with a little Alpenfire vinegar to sprinkle on the veggies, and voila! A tasty, local meal, that’s healthy and easy to prepare. Everything but the potatoes, salt and pepper came from the Olympic Peninsula. We are so lucky to live in a place where that is possible.

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English Bacon, Leek, and Potato Soup

leeks

Leeks add wonderful flavor to soup.

2 Tbsp. butter or ghee
2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 lb. English-style bacon, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1½ quarts chicken bone broth
2 Tbsp. chopped chives

Melt the butter in a heavy stock pot over medium. When it foams and froths, toss in the sliced leeks (save the rest of the leeks for flavoring stock) and fry them in the butter until they soften and become translucent. Stir in thyme and bacon, and continue cooking until the bacon renders its fat and is cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Dump the carrots and potatoes into the pot, stir in the broth and simmer, covered, until the vegetables become tender in the heat of the soup, about 40 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls, top with chopped chives and serve.

We thank nourishedkitchen.com for this recipe.

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Braised Spring Carrots and Leeks with Tarragon

Bunch carrots

They’re BACK! Bunched carrots are coming out of the greenhouse and into your tummy!

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled, halved or quartered lengthwise if thick, then cut in 2-inch lengths
½ cup water
Salt to taste
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan or lidded skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently until just about tender, about three minutes. Do not allow leeks to color. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add carrots, water and salt to taste, and lower heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until carrots are tender when pierced with a knife. Stir in lemon juice and tarragon. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot, or at room temperature. Sprinkle with additional fresh tarragon just before serving.

We thank cooking.nytimes.com for this recipe.

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Sunchoke Soup

sunchokes

Sunchokes are a knobby but delicious root vegetable. Not to be confused with ginger, which is a common mistake, sunchokes offer a sweet and nutty crunch to your winter menus.

2 pounds sunchokes
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
7 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Ground white pepper
Shelled and roasted pumpkin seeds

Rinse and scrub sunchokes to remove all soil. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and garlic; sprinkle with salt and sauté until soft and translucent, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Cut sunchokes into 1-inch pieces. Add to onion mixture and sauté 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, increase heat to high, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chokes are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Return to pot. Rewarm soup, adding more broth by 1/4 cups, if needed, to thin. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and white pepper.

This soup can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm before serving. Divide soup among bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds; top with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil and some sautéed mushrooms, if desired.
 
Recipe adapted from epicurious.com.

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Easy French Leek Pie

leeks

Aw yeah, leeks ‘n’ cheese!

Prep: 10 min, Cook 40 min, Ready in 1 hour

1 9-inch pie crust
2 teaspoons butter
3 leeks, chopped
1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup light cream
1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese

For the pie crust, consider using the pie crust recipe at the bottom of this recipe.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190° C).

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and cheese, and warm through. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes, or until custard is set and golden on top. Allow to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

We thank allrecipes.com for this recipe.

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Leeks Braised with Garlic and Wine

leeks

This dish is a nice transition from winter to spring. Sometimes we still need comfort food, especially when we’re tired and not quite ready to embrace longer, warmer, sunnier days. This dish can be tossed with pasta or with hearty greens.

4 big leeks, well washed and patted dry
4 big cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
6 tablespoons butter
2 wineglasses of white wine
1 cup chicken stock
Half a lemon, sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Trim the brown ends of the green leeks off and discard. Then cut the rest of the fresh, green part of the leeks away from the round white bulbs. Finely slice the green parts and reserve. Rinse the white parts well and slice into 1-inch rounds.

In a large shallow frying pan melt the butter over medium heat. Slowly fry the garlic in the butter with the dark green leek tops until the garlic is softened but not colored. Go slow and let the garlic infuse the butter.

Add the pieces of white leek and toss them in the flavored butter. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss as well. Pour into a baking pan, squeeze the lemon over and toss it in, then pour the wine and stock in and cover with a square of baking parchment.

Bake in the oven at 350°F for 35 minutes or until tender and tasty. The butter should emulsify with the stock and wine to create a slightly shiny broth. Pour over a batch of pasta, or eat directly from a bowl with a large spoon!

Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com.

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Shepherd’s Pie

This version of shepherd’s pie is quite reminiscent of the dish from Britain with a few small tweaks to make use of all the gorgeous produce we have as we move into spring.

1 tablespoon high heat oil
2 leeks, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 pound ground beef or Nash’s ground pork
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1 cup diced broccoli, broccolini, or Nash’s purple broccoli
2 pounds Nash’s huckleberry gold potatoes, cut into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (any fat content — I prefer full fat, you can also sub yogurt here)
Kosher salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the leek, carrot, and meat. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Throw the diced garlic and broccoli in after 5 minutes. Drain the fat and add the broth, tomato paste, and herbs. Simmer until the juices thicken, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside.

Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk (or yogurt) and salt. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com.

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Diana Fava Bean Soup

diana fava beans

This simple soup is delicious. Serve alongside Nash’s roasted root vegetables for a nourishing winter meal.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion or 2 small leeks, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, pulled from stem and chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked Nash’s diana fava beans
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, divided
Freshly ground black pepper

Cover 1 3/4 cups dried favas with water and soak overnight. Drain, rinse, cover with water and cook for 45 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion, rosemary and thyme and sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, beans and salt. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano and then puree soup with a hand immersion blender or pour into a blender and puree (ensure the soup is cool enough and puree in small batches to avoid splatter). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

We thank Virginia Newman for this recipe.

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Creamy Garlic Soup

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 leek, white and tender greens, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
8-10 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (2 tablsepoons)
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 slices good quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablsepoon canola oil
1 cup milk (whole or skim)
Finely chopped fresh chervil, chives, tarragon, parsley or basil

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large saucepan, heat the peanut oil. Add the leek, onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, potato chunks, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low cover and summer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the bread cubes with the canola oil. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 6 minutes, or until golden.

Strain the soup into a clean saucepan. In a blender or food processor, puree the vegetables with a little of the liquid until smooth. Return the puree to the pan and stir in the milk. Bring the soup just to a simmer over moderately high heat. Season with salt and pepper and serve in shallow bowls, garnished with chopped fresh herbs and the croutons.

We thank Jacques Pepin for this recipe.

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Hearty Mushroom and Oat Groat Soup

Whole Grain Naked OatsIt’s a great time of year to get your natural source of vitamin D in mushrooms. Snuggle up with a warm cup of this soup!

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms, rehydrated
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium leeks, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms
6 cups vegetable stock or canned low-sodium broth
1/2 cup oat groats, soaked overnight and drained
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium parsnip, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley

In a heatproof bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in the boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and reserve the liquid separately. Thinly slice the mushrooms.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Thinly slice the fresh mushrooms and add them and the reconstituted mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and the stock, oat groats, carrots, parsnip, balsamic vinegar, thyme and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the oat groats are tender, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve piping hot.

Recipe adapted from foodandwine.com.

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