leek

The actress Natalie Portman was seeking a good vegan matzo ball soup, and the result is this recipe: soft matzo balls that hold together thanks to a little help from chickpeas. Matzo meal, potato starch, a little olive oil and lots of ginger, dill and cilantro lend plenty of flavor, while chickpea water (known as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/11/dining/aquafaba-vegan-egg-substitute.html">aquafaba</a>) provides binding that would otherwise come from eggs. You can use the liquid from canned chickpeas, but the liquid from dry chickpeas soaked, then cooked in water works best. Ginger and nutmeg are characteristics of German-Jewish matzo balls, while the Yemenite addition of cilantro and dill adds even more brightness and flavor. Natalie is right: “It’s a very sad world without good matzo balls.”

Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

matzo meal

potato starch

parsley

cilantro

ginger,

dill

nutmeg

baking soda

baking powder

Kosher salt and black pepper

olive oil

chickpea cooking liquid (from home-cooked chickpeas

vegetable broth

carrots,

celery,

kohlrabi,

leek,

yellow

garlic cloves, chopped

herbs

Zhug

Make the matzo balls: In a medium bowl, mix the matzo meal, potato starch, parsley, cilantro, ginger, dill, nutmeg, baking soda and baking powder with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the olive oil and enough chickpea liquid to make a slightly sticky mixture that’s not too wet or loose, about the texture of oatmeal. (The matzo meal will absorb lots of the liquid.) Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Make the broth: In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the carrots, celery, kohlrabi, leek, onion, olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes, then remove from heat.

When the matzo mix is cold, return the broth to a low simmer. Dip your hands in cold water and form 1 1/2-inch matzo balls, about the size of a large walnut. You should have about 20 matzo balls.

Carefully drop the matzo balls into the broth, cover and simmer without disturbing them until tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Divide among bowls. Garnish with lots of fresh herbs, and, if you want more punch to your soup, serve with some zhug or harissa.

Cheesy Kale and Mushroom Strata recipe | Epicurious.com

sourdough

Tbsp. olive oil

crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/4" thick

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

kosher salt,

tsp. black pepper,

leeks,

curly kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 2" pieces

eggs

Dijon mustard

milk

Coconut Cod Chowder With Seasoned Oyster Crackers recipe | Epicurious.com

1½ lb. skinless, boneless cod or halibut fillets

2½ tsp. kosher salt, divided,

Tbsp. ghee

(3") piece ginger, peeled,

turmeric

coriander

cardamom

serrano chile, thinly sliced

baby Yukon Gold

coconut milk

celery stalks, thinly sliced, plus leaves

oyster crackers

paprika

limes, divided

Potato, Leek, and Pea Pot Pie with Spinach-Arugula Salad recipe | Epicurious.com

sweet Italian sausage (about 4 links), cut into 1/4" coins

all-purpose flour

chicken stock chicken broth

carrots (about 5 1/2 ounces), peeled, cut into 1/4" coins

potatoes

peas,

lemon juice, divided

kosher salt, divided

black pepper, divided

puff pastry,

baby spinach (about 4 ounces)

baby arugula (about 3 ounces)

radishes, thinly sliced

cilantro,

parsley,

almonds

An easy potato-leek soup that takes no shortcuts to deliver the best flavor and texture possible. A touch of buttermilk and potatoes pressed through a ricer are the secret.

The Best Potato-Leek Soup Recipe

unsalted butter

chicken stock

russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (about 3/4 pound)

bay leaf

salt and black pepper

buttermilk

heavy cream

chives

Heat butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until melted. Add leeks, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add stock, potatoes, and bay leaf, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are fall-apart tender, about 15 minutes.

To Finish With a Ricer (Recommended): Remove potatoes from soup using tongs and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. Discard bay leaf. Transfer remaining soup to a blender. Slowly increase blender speed to high and blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Return soup to a clean pot.

Press potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill into the pot with the soup. Whisk in buttermilk and heavy cream. Whisking frequently, bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk in grated nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with chives or scallions.

To Finish With a Blender (Faster): Add heavy cream and buttermilk to pot. Discard bay leaf. Working in batches if necessary, transfer soup to a blender. Slowly increase blender speed to high and blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Return soup to a clean pot, pressing it through a fine mesh strainer or chinois with the bottom of a ladle if a smoother texture is desired. Whisking frequently, bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat. Alternatively, chill completely and serve cold. Whisk in grated nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with chives or scallions.

A creamy tart from MasterChef judge John Torode that makes a great centrepiece at any time of year

Creamed leek tart

plain flour, plus extra for dusting

unsalted butter,

tbsp iced water

leek, sliced lengthways then into 2.5cm/1in pieces

½ tbsp plain flour

double cream

gruyère, grated

tsp English mustard

Pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and water, and bring together into a ball. Do not knead. Roll the pastry in cling film and chill for at least 1 hr.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan, then add the leeks. Cook over a low heat for 20-25 mins until soft, stirring often. Season to taste. Stir in the flour, cook for 3-4 mins, stirring, then stir in the milk and cream. Once smooth, simmer for 15 mins to cook out the flour. Season well, then cool. If making ahead, cover the surface with cling film and chill for up to 2 days. Stir the eggs and egg yolks into the mix, along with the grated cheese and the mustard.

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 5mm/¼in thick, and gently lay it over a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Using a small ball of pastry to help, gently press the pastry into the sides of the tin. Trim, leaving a slight overhang. Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for 10 mins more or until golden and biscuity. Cool on a wire rack. Turn oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Spoon the leek mix into the case and smooth the top. Bake for 30 mins until set and golden. Rest the tart for 15-20 mins before you slice it, and serve warm. If making ahead, chill the tart. Once cooled, for up to 2 days, or freeze for a week. Defrost in fridge, then warm in the oven for 20 mins before serving.

Instant Pot Middle Eastern Lentils With Rice, Leeks, and Spinach recipe | Epicurious.com

extra-virgin olive oil,

leeks

Kosher salt

garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

cumin

allspice

cayenne pepper

brown or green lentils

cinnamon

3/4 cup long-grain white rice

baby spinach

yogurt

Rustic with deep flavor, this stew improves after a day in the fridge. Make the whole recipe, and eat it over several days — or freeze it for later. If you can’t get small Spanish Pardina lentils or French lentilles du Puy, use any size green or brown lentil. (Carnivores may want to add chorizo or jamón.) The stew is rather brothy at first, but thickens upon sitting. Thin with a little water when reheating, as necessary. For optimum results, be sure to use fruity, zesty-tasting extra virgin olive oil — it really makes a difference.

Smoky Lentil Stew With Leeks and Potatoes

halved,

garlic

thyme or rosemary sprig

pimentón dulce or smoked sweet paprika

cayenne,

saffron (about 12 strands), soaked in 1/4 cup cold water

tomato

sherry vinegar

parsley (optional)

Rinse lentils. Put them in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot and add 8 cups water. Pin a bay leaf to each onion half using a whole clove and add to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, add a large pinch of salt, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook with lid ajar for about 30 minutes, until soft. Turn off heat.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to boil, and cook the potato slices until just done, about 10 minutes, then drain and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.

Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is wavy, add leeks and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let leeks cook briskly, stirring frequently until soft but still bright green, about 5 to 8 minutes. Turn heat to medium, stir in chopped garlic, thyme, pimentón and cayenne.

Add saffron and soaking water, the chopped tomato and vinegar. Turn heat to high and let everything simmer for a few minutes. Pour contents of skillet into Dutch oven with lentils. Add the reserved potatoes.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered with lid ajar for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cook for 10 more minutes. The lentils will be quite soft and the potatoes will start to break. Discard onion and thyme sprig.

Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and chopped parsley, if you wish.

Meaty mushrooms simmered with pearl onions, wine and carrots make for a rich, wintry Bourguignon-style stew. The quality of the stock here makes a big difference, so if you’re not using homemade, buy a good brand. If you’re a meat eater, beef broth adds a familiar brawny character to this dish, but mushroom or vegetable broth work just well, especially because the whole dish is rounded out with a tamari for depth. For the best flavor, use as many kinds of mushrooms as you can get, and let them really brown when searing; that caramelization adds a lot of depth to the sauce. Maitake mushrooms give this a brisketlike texture, in a very good way.

Mushroom Bourguignon

butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

mushrooms,

carrots, thinly sliced

garlic (2 minced, 1 grated to a paste)

tomato paste

dry red wine

beef, mushroom or vegetable broth

tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste

thyme thyme

Smoked paprika,

Polenta, egg noodles

flat-leaf parsley,

Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a large Dutch oven or pot and set it over medium heat. When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn’t all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with another 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 1 tablespoon butter or oil to pan. Add leeks and carrot and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften, 5 minutes. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add wine, broth, 1 tablespoon tamari, thyme and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot.

Add reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed. Stir in the grated garlic clove.

Just before serving, heat a small skillet over high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon butter or oil. Add half of the sliced chanterelles or oyster mushrooms and let cook without moving until they are crisp and brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and smoked paprika. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms. Serve mushroom Bourguignon over polenta, noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with fried mushrooms and parsley.

Ale barley lamb shanks

lamb shanks

pearl barley

umami paste

500 ml of your favourite ale

Similar in texture to a risotto (without the constant stirring), this creamy, saucy farro is about half the work, with almost no technique required. While the porridgelike texture is a delight all on its own, the meaty, golden brown mushrooms and frizzled leeks are the real reason you are here. Using plenty of olive oil to make sure the mushrooms crisp and brown without sticking will be the secret to success in that department.

Creamy Farro With Crispy Mushrooms and Sour Cream

olive oil,

mix of mushrooms,

pearled or semi-pearled farro or barley

vegetable broth or chicken broth

chives (from about 1 bunch)

lemon

Sour cream,

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the leeks and half the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and crisped, 12 to 15 minutes. (They will start giving off moisture and steaming a little before this happens, so be patient.)

Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a medium bowl leaving any olive oil behind. (They will have absorbed the oil as they cook, and released it back as they crisp.) Add a bit more olive oil so there’s another 1/4 cup or so in the pot. Cook the remaining leeks and mushrooms, adding them to the bowl with the other mushrooms.

Without wiping the pot, add farro and season with salt and pepper. Cook over that same medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until farro is toasted on the outside (it will go from pale golden brown to a toastier golden brown), about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a strong simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until farro is fully cooked and most (but not all) of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. It should still look a bit loose, like risotto or a porridge. Remove from heat and add half the chives.

Toss dill, remaining chives and lemon zest together in a small bowl. To serve, season farro with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls. Top with sour cream, mushrooms and leeks, and dill mixture. Serve lemon wedges alongside for squeezing.

This savory wild rice dish with mushrooms, leeks, and chive is the ultimate gluten-free stuffing—basically a holiday-appropriate grain salad with lots of fresh herbs. Cook the grains in well-salted water for much longer than you'd think; until the rice is splitting open, it's not done.

Wild Rice Dressing

pecans

wild rice

red wine vinegar

orange juice

Tbsp. honey

garlic clove, crushed

extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

mushrooms

black pepper

thyme

This savory wild rice dish is the ultimate gluten-free stuffing and doubles as a holiday-appropriate grain salad with lots of fresh herbs. Cook the grains in well-salted water for much longer than you'd think; until the rice is splitting open, it's not done.

Bon Appétit

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Cook wild rice in a large pot of boiling salted water until most of the grains have split and all are tender, 40–50 minutes; drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake off as much water as possible and let cool.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, orange juice, and honey in a large bowl to combine. Add garlic and let sit 10 minutes to infuse. Fish out garlic; discard. Add rice and toss to coat.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook leeks, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to bowl with rice; toss to coat.

Wipe out skillet and heat another ¼ cup oil over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Arrange mushrooms in skillet in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, toss, and continue to cook, tossing often and reducing heat as needed to avoid scorching, until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes longer. Mix in thyme and immediately transfer to bowl with rice. Add pecans and chives and drizzle with more oil; toss once more.

Do Ahead: Rice can be cooked 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Dressing can be made 3 hours ahead; store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Chicken soup is one of the most painless and pleasing recipes a home cook can master. This soup has all the classic flavors (celery, carrot, parsley) but has been updated for today's cooks, who can't easily buy the stewing hen and packet of soup vegetables that old-fashioned recipes used to call for. A whole bird provides the right combination of fat, salt and flavor. Don't be tempted to use all white meat, as the flavor won't be as round. Because making soup involves the bones and deep tissues of the bird, it is particularly reassuring here to use the highest-quality poultry you can find. This method produces a fragrant, golden, savory soup you want to eat all winter long; it's a perfect backdrop for noodles, rice or matzo balls.

Top 40 leek recipes from across the web

The most viewed leek recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

Cheesy Kale and Mushroom Strata rec...

Coconut Cod Chowder With Seasoned O...

Potato, Leek, and Pea Pot Pie with ...

The Best Potato-Leek Soup Recipe

Creamed leek tart

Instant Pot Middle Eastern Lentils ...

Smoky Lentil Stew With Leeks and Po...

Mushroom Bourguignon

Ale barley lamb shanks

Creamy Farro With Crispy Mushrooms ...

Wild Rice Dressing

Chicken Soup From Scratch

Leeks in Vinaigrette

Creamy Middle Eastern pot pies reci...

Mushroom Bread Pudding

Roasted Mushroom and Butternut Squa...

Jools’ sausage &amp; smoky bean cas...

Cheesy leeks

Potato Leek Soup

Winter Vegetable Soup With Turnips,...

Consomme

Craig Claiborne's Consomme

Frizzled Leeks

Baked Rice With White Beans, Leeks ...

Buttered Stuffing With Celery and L...

Vichyssoise (Chilled Potato and Lee...

Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Asparagus, L...

Tuna Casserole with Dill and Potato...

Tuna Noodle Casserole with Leeks an...

One-Skillet Chicken With Buttery Or...

Veggie Sausage Rolls

Herbed Rice With Tahdig

Green Shakshuka Recipe

White Borscht

Easy Creamy Potato, Leek, And Sauer...

Slow-Roasted Salmon With Mushroom-L...

Spring Minestrone

Sheet-Pan Chicken With Potatoes, Ar...

Creamy Salmon, Leek & Potato Trayba...

The most viewed leek recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Jools’ sausage & smoky bean cas...