We’ve all heard of leek and potato soup, but few people incorporate leeks into their everyday cooking — a grave mistake. Leeks have blessed us with their year-round seasonality and superior flavor profile. We can prepare them using a variety of methods, and with a more subtle, sweet, onion flavor, they make a great addition to many dishes.
However, the leek continues to elude many home cooks. How can we add more of this under appreciated vegetable to our diet? The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few simple ways:
On Pizza
Leeks and asparagus go well together, so I used them both as pizza toppings. To make the pizza, I layered on a base of homemade tarragon pesto, ricotta, pecorino, and fontina. I then added asparagus, leeks, shallots, and toasted pine nuts. I used a lot of ingredients, but the leeks really tie everything together. Of course, you can add it to any white pizza in place of onion, but the rest of the ingredients I used complemented the leek flavor especially well.
In Soup
Leeks also make a great addition to soup. Here, I made a quick dumpling soup with miso-ginger broth, steamed chicken gyoza, sautéed leek, mushroom, sesame oil, chili flakes, and sesame seeds. Any soup that could use an onion-y pop could benefit from a healthy dose of leeks.
With Hash Browns
Drawing inspiration from the classic leek and potato combination, I sautéed hash browns and then added pecorino, black pepper, pancetta, sour cream, caramelized shallot, and lots of sautéed leek and asparagus. Any potato product serves as a great base for adding leek, but I chose hash browns because of their crispiness.
These are just a few examples of how to use leeks. Leeks go well with bacon, sausage, pancetta, shallots, asparagus, tarragon, garlic, sage, and potatoes, and so much more! To successfully craft your own leek dish, choose a few complimentary ingredients and a neutral medium to use them: toast, pizza, pasta, quiche, soup, etc. Of course, there’s always plenty of recipes online to follow too! Check out this leek bread pudding, or you can always go for the classic leek and potato soup.