I’ve been pining for a springy way to combine leeks and lentils in an unfussy, one-pot, weeknight-friendly meal but would get stuck on one thing: how annoying leeks are — and I say this from a place of adoration! I think leeks are one of the most stunning vegetables, an ombre of chromatic ringlets from buttery yellow to pea green and back to a pale shade of lima. They look exactly like spring (even though it’s climatically July outside but will be March again next week), and taste even better: Oniony but not harsh and silky, wonderful, and a little sweet when braised. They should be everywhere, but first we need to address the fact that if you go to the store or market for a bundle of leeks right now, you have no idea how much leek you’re getting.
Here comes the side rant: A “bundle” could be two leeks, or it could be four. They could be the thickest, sandiest beast leeks with barely two to three inches of the white/pale green parts most recipes call for, or they could look like photos, with slimmer stalks full of usable parts. How can one write a recipe when the volume might end up being anywhere from 1 to 4 cups due to produce roulette? Weight, the most reliable way to buy almost any other ingredient, is also useless in providing guidance, as this is about the variable fraction of the vegetable that’s usable, and this cannot be weighed at the store.
[I just said “variable fraction of the vegetable that’s usable.” I, too, am amazed I have any friends.]
My solution here is to write a recipe that simply doesn’t care how much leek you have; it’s going to work regardless. You brown thick rings of however much leek your leeks yielded in olive oil in a pan* and then keep them there, adding garlic, a heap of scallions, lemon zest, broth, and dried lentils. Bring it to a simmer, transfer it to the oven to finish cooking (40 to 45 minutes) and in the meanwhile, make yourself a bowl of yogurt sauce with lemon juice and garlic, and an overdressed arugula salad, enough that there’s runoff below the greens. You can eat the finished dish right from the pot, dolloping it with the yogurt, piling the greens on top, and using the dressing run-off to give the lentils extra zip, or you can pile it on a plate. My plate starts with a piece of sourdough fried in olive oil; it’s great for pushing it all together and scooping it up. Together, this dish hits all of the notes for me — a warming pot of legumes but also a salad, all really simple with a short ingredient list, and perfect-when-reheated leftovers. I hope you get obsessed with it too.
* Am I using the new pink peony Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser in an effort to entice the pink-obsessed, lentil-resistant 10-year-old who lives with me? Of course I am. Did it work? Bwahaha…
Braised Leeks and Lentils with Arugula and Yogurt
- 1 bundle leeks (usually 3 to 4)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, two thinly sliced, one minced
- 1 cup dried lentils de puy (200 grams) (my go-to here), rinsed
- 1 bundle scallions (usually 4 to 6), thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 3 cups (710 ml) vegetable broth (my go-to here)
- 1 cup (230 grams) plain, unsweetened yogurt
- 2 to 3 ounces (55 to 85 grams) baby arugula leaves, or more to taste
Prepare your leeks: Leeks are notoriously sandy. First, lop off any parts of each leek that are darker than light green. Trim the root ends. Peel back layers of your leek until you no longer have visible dirt that cannot be rinsed. Thoroughly rinse off any remaining dirt or grit. Wipe down your counter and knife (lots of dirt and grit there), and then slice the white and pale green parts into 1-inch rings.
On the stove: In a large (3 to 4 quarts) ovenproof pan with a lid (I’m using this) — or, if you don’t have one, just use a wide, deep skillet for the stovetop part and transfer it to a baking dish for the braising part — heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add leek slices and season lightly with salt and pepper; cook until browned underneath, about 4 to 5 minutes, then flip each leek and cook until browned underneath on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle pan with sliced garlic, then dried lentils. Gently pour in broth, using it to “rinse” any lentils off the tops of leeks and into the pan so they cook evenly. Scatter with lemon zest and scallions, and season as needed with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cover pan with a lid. Transfer to the oven.
In the oven: Cook leeks and lentils together for 40 to 45 minutes, or until leeks are soft and lentils are tender. [Different lentil varieties might need more or less time.] There will be a little liquid broth in the pan.
While the leeks and lentils cook: In a small bowl, combine plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon of juice from the lemon, 1 minced or microplaned clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss arugula with dressing; it’s more than it needs and most will land at the bottom of the bowl. Don’t worry, we’ll use it too.
To finish: Take the braised leeks and lentils out of the oven. You can finish the dish right in your pan — dolloping it with the yogurt sauce and scattering the arugula on top. Pour the remaining dressing over the dish to give the leeks and lentils extra zip. Or, you can arrange this on a plate to your taste — shown here with the yogurt swooshed across the plate, a piece of toasted sourdough, and everything else piled on top.
More things you could add/zhuzh this up with: Toasted hazelnuts, thinly sliced fennel, and/or parmesan shaved with a vegetable peeler in the salad. I was tempted to add some cumin to the lentils and yogurt, perhaps some sumac on the salad, but resisted to keep it simple. You could definitely give the lentils some heat with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon mild or regular red pepper flakes with the broth. And this is fantastic with a poached egg on top; it’s been my lunch all week.
Note: This is tagged gluten-free, so of course, if you’re using toast, yours should be too.
Previously
6 months ago: Opera Cake and Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi
1 year ago: New York Crumb Cake, Spinach and Artichoke Pan Pizza, and Steamed Artichokes
2 years ago: Charred Salt and Vinegar Cabbage
3 years ago: Baby Wedge Salad with Avocado and Pickled Onions
4 years ago: Chicken Liver Pâté
5 years ago: Sheet Pan Chow Mein
6 years ago: Crispy Crumbled Potatoes
7 years ago: Essential French Onion Soup
8 years ago: Asparagus and Egg Salad with Walnuts and Mint
9 years ago: Cornbread Waffles and Mushroom Tartines
10 years ago: Sesame Soba and Ribboned Omelet Salad and Apricot Hazelnut Brown Butter Hamantaschen
11 years ago: The Consolation Prize (A Mocktail) and Baked Chickpeas with Pita Chips and Yogurt
12 years ago: Whole-Grain Cinnamon Swirl Bread
13 years ago: Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini
14 years ago: Soft Eggs with Buttery Herb-Gruyere Toast Soldiers
15 years ago: Spaetzle
16 years ago: Irish Soda Bread Scones and Spinach and Chickpeas
17 years ago: Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Sauce and Bialys
18 years ago: Caramel Walnut Banana Upside Down Cake and Swiss Easter Rice Tart
19 years ago: Mixed Berry Pavlova
Fabulous. Always up for more leeks.
Do you think this would work well with beluga lentils?
Yes, excellent. Check their cooking time; could take longer.
I love leeks, and would like to make this, but holy cow…leeks cost so darn much these days! And a lot of what you are paying for is the dark green that you can’t use. Someday!
You can use the green parts, not in this recipe of course, but I use them in broths. You can cook them down and use them for meals like a collard green.
I honestly don’t get it. Why can’t you use the dark parts? I… Would just add them here. Probably after /for the last ten mins of cooking the lentils. But what would be the problem with adding the dark green parts here, even at the start?
The darker part of the leek tends to be woody.
I slice leeks the thickness according to the recipe til I get to the dark green bit then I start slicing super thin, like chiffonade. I cook it all together and have never noticed any intrusive texture from the dark bits.
Can it be cooked entirely on the stovetop instead of transferring to the oven?
Yes, you’ll just want to monitor it a little, make sure it’s not cooking off the liquid before they’re done and/or scorching underneath.
I just bought ingredients to make the fabulous lentil recipe in Smitten Kitchen keepers. Now I’m having lentil leek FOMO! Lots to look forward to. Thank you Deb!
Deb: Agree leeks are sometimes iffy- but we love them! Trader Joe’s sells them 2 to a package and they are pretty reliable.
Deb, following your recommendation a few years ago, I’m devoted to Trader Joe’s packaged steamed lentils. If I used them here, when/how would I add them? Thanks!
They’re already cooked, so you’ll need much less broth and could add them near the end, but you do need the broth to braise the leeks, or they’ll end up undercooked.
I can’t wait to eat this but imho it will require the addition of cheese, some way somehow. Boursin on the toast perhaps? Whatever I decide, cheese wise, this looks amazing!
Yes Emma! Always add cheese!
Delicious-looking recipe! The greens of leeks can be used, thinly sliced and sautéed just as you would the whites. Discard the outermost one or two layers which could tough and maybe the top 1 inch of the dark green part, but the rest are all usable.
Made this recipe exactly as written and oh my goodness! Delicious!
Eat the green part of the leeks! I really don’t think they are that different from the white parts, other than color. They won’t stand in little cylinders like the white parts will, but they are much easier to clean than the pale green intersection part. In this recipe I would add the green parts of the leeks when I flipped the white leek cylinders to their second side. They are thinner so need a little less browning. Try it, you will like it!
To me, there are the light green part of the leeks (yes!) and then there’s the tough, fibrous dark green parts (No!). Looking forward to making this recipe
You are so right, I always make the whole when using leek for other recipes and I love every part of it.
This looks like a perfect choice for #meatlessmonday. Thank you!
Could I use quartered sweet onions instead of the leeks? That way it would be a true “pantry” meal.
what a great recipe!
Three cups of Better than Bouillon? There’s probably a half a cup in each container.
You’d be making 3 cups of broth using Better Than Bouillon (3 t or so of bouillon paste?), not putting 3 cups of the bouillon paste in your dish.
But also. Giant jars of that stuff do exist 😁
The recipe reads “3 cups vegetable *broth*”.
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it( I am a huge leek fan and understand your frustration). I’m in San Francisco, so completely spoiled as far as produce goes. There is a family at( has to be one of the largest most beautiful farmers markets in the country at The Marin County Civic Center) that grow the most gorgeous, mostly Asian vegetables and their leeks are wonderful. I know they aren’t grown the traditional way, because they are not sandy and mostly white. My local Family owned market has great produce and also has nice leeks ( more white than had green). Pricey, but worth it. Leeks are underrated!
Inspired me to cook. Was so easy and delicious. Main flavors: onion, salt, olive oil, lemon. Heaven! Thank you!!
Thank you for the inspiration. Been eating lots of veg and lentils or beans and leeks are underrated by most, I love them. This with the sourdough toast and the salad (not a fan of arugula so will use other greens) but it’s perfect and if I feel the need I can add a piece of fish on the side…..can’t wait.
Leek is one of the most underrated vegetables in my mind. Always looking for good ways of preparing it. Ottolenghi’s leek fritters are my uncontested favourite, but I am definitely up for some variation. Thanks for the recipe!
But…but… the green part is at least as good? The only parts that are not delicious are
1. a couple of inches on the larger leaves where white and green meet (the white is papery-tough, the ridge and groove collect sand)
2. Green on outer leaves that’s old enough to be spongy
3. Shrivelled tops
4. The actual roots at the bottom.
If the green “snaps” when you fold it, it’ll cook up reasonably tender. (You also get a lot more from fat leeks than the skinny leeks that seem currently prized in the US.)
If you’re still worried, you can always cut and cook the deeper green leaves in a separate small tray, or save them for a meatless lasagna (pre-cook with mushrooms) where a bit of extra body is welcome.
During the pandemic, when unnecessary grocery shopping seemed like playing Russian roulette, I started using as much of the leek as possible. And, sure enough, slivers of the dark green leaves were just fine in braised dishes and hearty soups, and I even started planting out the root ends and harvesting the tender little shoots that came up! The stuff I couldn’t use at all directly ended up in the baggie of veggie trimmings in the freezer for broths, then afterward composted. So…now that I know how to use most all of a leek, I don’t feel bad about buying them!
Incidentally, in the UK leeks were traditionally referred to as ‘poor man’s onions’! They are the national symbol of Wales, which is why you’ll find them pictured on the pound coins.
This was delicious, and easy to make; the leeks melted in your mouth. I’m excited to eat the leftovers for lunch!
First, I <3 “variable fraction of the vegetable that’s usable”! Second, base this tonight and it’s fantastic! Great as an easy spring dinner but also perfect for company – it has everything you need for a complete meal, it’s flexible, fits a lot of dietary preferences, easy to prepare, and gives you time to hang out with guests while it cooks. Will look forward to putting this on repeat!
Oh my goodness. So delicious! Loved this recipe! Added 1/2 tsp of Cumin and served w/ toast and boursin cheese (as someone suggested below).