What Are Leeks?
Plus, how to cut leeks and how to cook leeks.
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By Fraya Berg for Food Network Kitchen
Fraya is a chef and a contributing writer at Food Network.
Chefs delight in gently sautéing leeks in butter and serving them alongside proteins. But the hardy members of the onion family can be prepared at home as well. Read on to learn more.
What Are Leeks?
Leeks are tall, straight members of the Allium family of plants that have fresh and mild onion flavor. When cooked, they become sweet and tender.
You can enjoy leeks for months; prime season runs from early June through November.
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.
What Part of the Leek Do You Eat?
Typically, their white root ends are sliced up and pureed into soup or roasted or sautéed, while their tougher dark green ends can be added whole to soups or stocks for extra aromatic flavor.
Leeks vs Green Onions: What's the Difference?
Leeks look like larger versions of scallions or green onions. They have the same shape and ombre effect of pale green root ends intensifying into dark green tops, but they are not green onions. They are related to one another, but should not be used interchangeably. The entire stalk of the green onion is typically sliced and eaten raw because of its delicate texture and flavor. Leeks, on the other hand, are tougher than green onions and aren't typically eaten raw. Both green onions and leeks soften when they are cook, but leeks take a little longer to get there.
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Can You Use Leeks Instead Of Onions?
In a pinch, you can definitely use leeks instead of bulb onions or green onions when cooking, but keep in mind that leeks are more expensive than regular white, yellow or red onions.
How to Buy and Store Leeks
When you're shopping in a grocery store or farmers market, choose leeks that are straight and firm with bright green leaves. Store in the fridge, unwashed and wrapped in plastic for up to 2 weeks.
How To Clean Leeks
For leeks cut in half lengthwise, trim the root end of the leeks, leaving enough to hold the leaves together, and halve them lengthwise. Rinse the leek halves very well under running water to flush out any grit trapped between the leaves.
If you're going to slice or dice your leeks, slice or dice them first and then rinse the cut pieces. Fill a salad spinner with water, add the leek pieces and swish them around. Lift the basket out, pour out the water, put the basket back in and spin. If you don’t have a salad spinner, a bowl and slotted spoon or small strainer will do.
For a step-by-step guide on how to cut leeks, head over to our story How to Clean Leeks: A Step-by-Step Guide.
How To Cut Leeks
After you slice off the root end, cut off the dark green tops and reserve them for stock (you can stash them in an airtight bag in the freezer until you make some).
The rest of the leek can be cut a number of ways.
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Rounds: Cut straight across the body of the leek into even discs. Then you can sauté them just like that.
Dice: Cut the length crosswise into 4-inch pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthwise to create a flat surface. Cut lengthwise strips, then cut across to get your square dice. Compared to the dice you get from an onion, it’s more of a 2-D dice.
Half moons: Cut the length crosswise into 4-inch pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthwise to create a flat surface. Cut crosswise to get half-moons.
Whole leeks: There are some cases where you don’t cut them at all: see the recipe below for Leeks with Dijon Vinaigrette. Simply cut down the length of the whole leek.
How To Cook Leeks
Sauté: You can cook leeks just like an onion. Sauté them in a pot to create an aromatic base for a soup or a stew.
Steam: Steam them all the way and serve them hot or cold as a side.
Grill: Or, steam them briefly to partially cook them and then brush with oil and grill.
Poach: Poach them whole in a large pot of salted water or broth for 7 to 10 minutes at a high simmer, just below boiling.
Roast: Roast whole halved leeks in plenty of olive oil; they'll crisp up around the edges and become silky and soft in the middle.
Can You Freeze Leeks?
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You can freeze leeks two different ways: cooked and raw. If you’re saving a stash of leek tops to use for stock in a few weeks, you can freeze them after they have been thoroughly washed. Freeze the white part but slicing it and cooking it first.
Recipes for Leeks
While potato leek soup is rightfully famous, there are all sorts of ways to put this elegant allium to use in your kitchen. Here are a few of our favorite leek recipes.
Solid 5-star reviews - the people have spoken. Trust them. Make this pasta.
Steaming the leeks makes them tender and juicy. Try chilling them and serving cold with vinaigrette.
Justin Walker
Risotto with leeks on their own is a delicious dish, so imagine how amazing it is when you add pancetta.
Antonis Achilleos
In French, this soup is called potage bon femme, which literally translates to Good Wife Soup. Trust us, you don’t need to have or be a wife to make and enjoy this classic.
Renee Comet
The Chef-iest recipe in this list, because chefs love using leeks in surprising ways. This recipe makes them the star: they're displayed as whole, long elegant stalks.
Everything’s better with bacon. That is all.
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