Roasted Leeks with Olive Oil and Parmesan - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay cook leeks? ›

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.

Arrange the leeks in one layer in a baking tray or earthenware dish and roast in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden and almost caramelized. Keep your eye on them - I've seen many chefs burn baby leeks when cooking them this way and it drives me mad!

When leeks are sliced or chopped, they can be used in place of onions or shallots in soups, stews, and casseroles. You can also showcase their subtle, sweet flavor in pasta dishes like our Red Lentil Rotini with Silken Leeks and Shiitakes or Vegan Penne with Artichokes, Leeks, and Lentils.

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.

However, washing leeks is particularly essential because they get LOTS of dirt and grit stuck in them during the growing process. Fortunately, a quick slice and swish in a bowl of water easily helps all that dirt fall out of your leeks and into the bottom of the bowl.

Leeks provide several nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and B6. Leeks are very low in calories, but do contain a decent amount of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins like vitamins A, B6, C, and K, and minerals like copper and manganese.

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 should never be browned, or overcooked, because it will turn them into slimy mush. Instead, cook them until they are tender. They need to be cooked carefully and with a watchful eye because it's easy to undercook and overcook them.

“Leeks are a diet food for French women. We boil them and drink the water,” she says. “They're a magic trick, a little secret.” Employee Julien chimes in: “It's a common drink that helps shed kilos.”

Magical Leek Soup is a broth made from boiling leeks in water. It is a mild diuretic and a secret diet food for French women for generations. The practice, as written by Mireille Guiliano in her book, "French women don't get fat" is to sip the broth throughout the day and eat the boiled leeks as the meal.

What is the most popular way to eat leeks? ›

The dark green tops of leeks should look fresh. Avoid leeks with yellowing or wilting tops.

Cleaning and prepping whole leeks

Cut straight through, up to and through the green ends of the leek, leaving the pale part of the leek whole. Rinse: Fan open the leek and place under cold running water. Rinse out any dirt or sand.

Flavor Profile: Leeks offer a milder and sweeter flavor compared to onions. They have a subtle onion taste with a hint of garlic, making them a favorite in soups and casseroles.

Many recipes for leek soup call for just the white part of the leek, probably to keep the soup a paler colour, but the greens have just as much, if not more, flavour, and colour the soup a brilliant light green.

Add the finely sliced leeks and a ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir the leeks to mix and then continue stirring every 2 minutes or so, but keep a close eye on them in between. Leeks don't take as long to caramelize as onions do, but it will still take about 20-25 minutes.