creamy pancetta leek risotto : a small batch recipe for two (2024)

FAQs

What part of the leek do you eat? ›

Mostly just the white and light green parts are eaten, though the darker green parts have plenty of flavor and can either be cooked longer to tenderize them, or used when making homemade soup stock.

Leeks taste like a mild, sweet onion, but with their own distinctive twist. It's hard to describe a specific flavor beyond onion-like, but once you've had leeks, you'll recognize the differences between them. Let's put it this way: shallots and onions taste much more alike other than leeks and onions do.

Most recipes call for the white and pale green parts of leeks, but the dark outer greens are equally delicious in stews, sautés, and pasta and grain dishes. In French cuisine, leek leaves are used to season broths, soups, and stews as part of a bouquet garni.

Edibility: Flowers have a mildly bitter flavor and like young leaves can be eaten in small quantities raw in salads and sandwiches or cooked in tea and soups. Bulbs and stems can also be eaten raw or cooked.

In addition to their great flavor, leeks are also a good source of dietary fiber, and contain large amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. They have laxative, antiseptic, diuretic, and anti-arthritic properties and are easier to digest than regular onions.

Leeks are also a good source of folate, a B-vitamin that's essential for cell growth and development. In addition to vitamins and minerals, leeks are also high in fibre. This can help to keep your digestive system healthy and may reduce the risk of constipation, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

Nutrition. In terms of what's good for you, both leeks and green onions have tons of vitamins and nutrients, but overall, leeks are more nutrient dense, with more fiber, and much more of manganese, Vitamin K, Beta Carotene & Iron.

Grill or roast them and enjoy them as a side dish. Serve them with romesco sauce, basil pesto, or the Mint Pesto on page 179 of The Love & Lemons Cookbook. In soups. Leeks are famous for their ability to add depth to soups, stews, and stock.

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.

Soak the stalks in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes or so, then rinse under cold running water in the sink. The long soak allows the water to penetrate the leek's many layers, clearing out all the bits of debris. Once your veg is all cleaned up and dirt-free, it's time to get cookin'.

What part of the leek do you not eat? ›

First, slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Then, chop off the stringy roots and dark green leaves. You won't use the tough tops in most leek recipes, but still, don't toss them! They add delicious oniony flavor to homemade stock.

The green part of leeks is very edible. Some recipes will call for only the white part of the leeks, where color is important, like for example if you'd be doing a white sauce, you'd use white pepper, so not to detract from the overall color.

In the US, England, and most other English-speaking areas, the dark green portion of the leek is fibrous and often has a "soapy" flavor which detracts from the flavor of the dish. It's not a good idea even to use those for vegetable stock, as the overall flavor is unpleasant.

While the whole leek is edible, primarily just the white and light green portions are used. The top leafy part is tougher to eat but still has flavor. If your recipe doesn't use the leek's dark green tops, save them for homemade veggie stock.