You don't want to miss this secret family trick that will teach you how to cut leeks and clean them in record time!
Hello friends! Remember the Dallas artic blast from a few weeks ago when the kids played in a few inches of snow? During that time, I made one of my favorite soups of all time, a secret family minestrone recipe that calls for... you guessed it, leeks! I asked on the gram how many people knew how to select and cut these grown-up cousins of green onions, and over 75% did not know how to select, cut, or prep them! I ended up making a video, which you can see below. But today, I'll take you through the secret of cutting these for hassle-free prep, which my aunt taught me!
What is a Leek?
Essentially, it's in the onion family, and I really like to think of it as a mild, sweet, overgrown green onion. It's probable you've never used a leek before. To be honest, I rarely use them myself. But that's a shame because they are so delicious and, like many members of the onion family, have numerous health benefits. They can be added to soups and stalks, omelets, pasta, risotto, basically anywhere you would use an onion! But they won't make you cry when you cut into them, and they impart a much milder, almost sweet flavor. Like other onions, they will remain unwashed in the refrigerator for the longest time and should be refrigerated once cut or cooked.
How to Select Leeks
Cutting leeks properly really starts at the store by selecting the right leeks. I had a hunch most people didn't know how to select a leek when Instacart brought me the leek you see on the right.
The space between the roots and the tough dark green leaves is what you will use in your recipe. You want to grab a leek that maximizes that space, so the bigger that space is in depth and length, the better. That's what she said. I couldn't resist, Lord forgive me. I can't help it, must be all those smutty romantasy novels... anywho....
How to Cut Leeks
Time for the secret trick to cutting leeks! Leeks are VERY dirty; they grow in the ground and get lots of dirt between those onion layers. To clean them efficiently, you'll want to use my leek-cutting trick!
- Cut off the tough green leaves. Don't overthink this! Cut off the dark green, and leave the light. (Try to do this on a surface that will be different from what you will use when you cut them after they are cleaned; otherwise, you'll get dirt on your cutting board.)
- Stand up your leek, balancing it on the roots, and cut a horizontal cut all the way down without cutting through the roots; repeat with the knife verticle, this time forming an X down the center of the leak. (See number 3.)
- Now, you can wash the leek under running water to remove all dirt.
- Now, place your knife perpendicular to the onion, cut slices off it, and all the way down to the root. Discard the root.
- Now, use your leeks!
That's it! It's super easy! Now that you know how to select and prep leeks, I recommend trying these recipes with leeks:
How to Cut Leeks
Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 Leek
Instructions
- Cut off the tough green leaves. Don't overthink this! Cut off the dark green, and leave the light. (Try to do this on a surface that will be different from what you will use when you cut them after they are cleaned; otherwise, you'll get dirt on your cutting board.)
- Stand up your leek, balancing it on the roots, and cut a horizontal cut all the way down without cutting through the roots. Repeat this with the knife verticle, this time forming an X down the center of the leak. (See number 3.)
- Wash the leek under running water to remove all dirt.
- Place your knife perpendicular to the onion, cut slices off it, and all the way down to the root. Discard the root. Now, use your leeks!
Video
Nutrition
Leave a Reply