23 Leek Recipes You'll Want to Bookmark

Whether you’re a seasoned leek fan or a newbie who has always wondered what to do with (what looks like) those overgrown scallions in your market basket, this deep dive into cooking with leeks will be a great inspiration. Some background: Leeks are members of the allium family, like onions and scallions, but they have a deeper savoriness and sweetness than either. Tried-and-true recipes, like potato-leek soup, take advantage of this quality, pairing a bland vegetable with body (the potato) with another that has a subtle oomph (that would be the leek). Steaming or boiling leeks, another classic preparation, leaves you with a silky vegetable side dish that needs no more than a light dressing to really wow. One caveat: Be sure you clean the leeks well, as they can contain sand among their layers. Trim off the tougher dark green tops and outer leaves and wash in running water; slice and soak grittier leeks in several changes of water.

One of the best things about leeks is how they play so well with other delicate flavors, being both delicate themselves but also just a little more interesting than your usual onion (sorry onions, we love you too). Here, they underline the richness of salmon in a simple frittata.

This quick, creamy pasta pairs savory pancetta with tender leeks for a rich yet balanced dish that feels both comforting and elevated. Finished with white wine, cream, and plenty of Parmesan, it comes together in about 20 minutes, making it an easy, flavor-packed option for weeknight dinners.

This cozy, creamy soup combines tender potatoes and mellow leeks simmered in a savory broth, then topped with crispy bacon and golden croutons for added texture.

Just roll out your puff pastry, top, and bake, for a tart that looks chic and tastes terrific.

These leek-y mashed potatoes—herbal and creamy—are the perfect home run to bring to a potluck, and are straightforward enough for a weeknight side.

Bracing and bright, this salad alternative will be a gorgeous partner to steaks or chicken.

We all know that the secret to a great French onion dip is the envelope of soup mix, and Kardea Brown is no exception! But her inclusion of caramelized leeks takes the nostalgic flavors and elevates them to something new entirely.

Shot through with fresh ginger and leek, garlic and chiles, these mushroom spring rolls from Ming Tsai are sure to disappear almost as fast as you can fry them.

What grows together goes together, like these two springtime partners, asparagus and leeks. Pancetta, hot chiles and honey punctuate their union.

In Great Britain, where savory pies have a serious devotion, it’s understood that they usually include leeks (they are, after all, an emblem of Wales). These decadent individual pies will chase away the winter chills.

File this in the recipe box under "minimal effort, maximal impact." You might not detect the secret ingredient—vanilla—if you had not prepared the dish yourself, but you will appreciate the dimension of aroma that it contributes to this quick and easy side.

Ree Drummond’s little quiches are insanely simple to prepare, ridiculously cute, and so versatile—they can be the main, served in threes and fours, at a fancy brunch, but they would also be a big hit as bite-size hors d’oeuvres on a luncheon buffet.

Leeks play two parts in this succulent dish, providing moisture and imparting savory flavor to the Arctic char, and then, quick-crisped with garlic for a “frizzled” topping that you might start looking to incorporate into other dishes.

Ina Garten does it again, with a savory cousin to stuffing that will not need to drown in gravy to have everyone clamoring for those last bits stuck to the side of the dish.

A quick braise in apple cider brings out the natural sweetness in fennel and leeks, and provides an unusually good go-with to juicy pork chops.

This weeknight-friendly pasta is a bowl of everything good—mezzi rigatoni, bacon, leeks. Simmer with a little cream and shower with grated Parmesan. Yes, please.

Though you can swap leek in for onions in many recipes, it’s hard to imagine an onion pinch-hitting for the leek in a dish as perfectly balanced as this one. The bright, clear flavors of this soup are nourishing and umami without being too heavy.

Patricia Heaton’s spin on onion dip—make it hot, make it leeks, and make it cheesy—might be the ideal entertaining staple, easy to make but with serious crowd appeal.

This lentil salad, good served warm or cold, can make a satisfying lunch with a piece of buttered sourdough, or dinner main or side to grilled sausages.

In this super-simple preparation, a few ingredients work together to make rice more special, allowing you to focus on the other dishes you’re preparing.

This unusual brisket pot roast from Alex Guarnaschelli will make you a believer of both leeks and parsnips.