The Best Buttered Sauteed Leeks
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What’s better than buttery, yummy, easy sauteed leeks? In my mind, nothing! These yummy leeks only require four ingredients and are ready in fewer than 30 minutes. They’re a healthy alternative to dishes like mashed potatoes, yet still are packed with flavour.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Easy – These sauteed leeks can be made with only a few kitchen tools.
Simple – Using simple ingredients, you’ll have a tasty, healthy dish in no time.
Quick – You can have these butter leeks ready in fewer than 20 minutes!
Minimal ingredients – Keeping the ingredients simple helps keep the budget down per serving.
Flavourful – The butter, salt, and pepper help bring out the natural sweet, oniony taste of the leeks.
Versatile – These sauteed leeks work well with various spices and seasonings. Turn them into garlic leeks, herby leeks, etc.
Ingredients
Leeks
The leeks are the star of this sauteed leeks dish. However, you can use this sautéed leeks recipe to prepare other veggies like mushrooms, asparagus, and green beans.
Butter
I recommend using unsalted butter for this sauteed leeks recipe, as you can better adjust the seasoning. You can use salted butter, but you’ll need to taste the recipe before adding more salt. Or, use a combo of butter and olive oil.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
There are a few ways you can alter this yummy buttered leeks dish to fit your tastes. For one, you can adjust the seasoning of this recipe. I’ve kept the seasoning simple by adding salt and pepper. However, you can add other herbs like fresh thyme and chives. These leeks are also great with freshly shredded cheese like mozzarella and parmesan.
As mentioned, you can also swap out the sauteed leeks with other veggies. Or, add veggies into the mix for a more filling side dish such as Creamy Polenta with Parmesan, Sauteed Broccoli or Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
How to wash leeks
To wash the leeks before making this sauteed leeks dish, start by removing damaged outer leaves. Then, slice off the bottom end of each leek and the green tops. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise, then rinse the chopped leeks thoroughly under running water. After cleaning the leeks, they’re ready to chop for the buttered leeks recipe.
How to make sauteed leeks
- Start by trimming the ends of the leeks and then cut them in half lengthwise (Image 1).
- Rinse them thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt (Image 2).
3. Once washed, thinly slice the leeks (Image 3).
4. Meanwhile, heat ½ of the butter in the pan over a low heat and add the sliced leeks to the pan and increase the heat to medium (Image 4).
5. Sauté the leeks for around 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and golden brown. Add the garlic and remaining ½ of the butter to fry during the last 2 minutes (Image 5).
6. Once the leeks are tender and caramelised, remove them from the heat. Season with a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! (Image 6).
Tips for the best result
Clean the leeks well
Leeks are grown in sand-like dirt, so it’s essential to clean the leeks well to avoid a gritty texture when making sauteed leeks. To properly clean the leeks and get rid of debris, it’s best to slice the leeks in half lengthwise first before rinsing. If necessary, you can use a vegetable scrubber to get the dirt off the leeks.
Use low heat, not medium heat
Cook these leeks slow and low for the best results. The longer you cook the leeks, the better as the flavour develops more, the longer they cook.
Season generously at the start
Start the recipe with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Then, add more as you’re cooking and to taste. Salt and pepper will help bring out the delicious, mild flavor of the leeks.
FAQs
Yes, you can eat the green section of the leeks, but only the light green parts. The dark green tops at the end of the leeks should be discarded, as they have a tough texture from the fibres. When creating this sauteed leeks dish, remember to chop off the dark green leaves and the bottom ends of each leek.
A leek and an onion are two different plants. However, they are both from the allium family, so they share some similarities. Leeks have a mild onion flavor and look like larger/longer green onions. In a pinch, you can use leeks to replace onions in a recipe.
Yes, leeks are healthy. They are packed with nutrients like vitamins, which offer antioxidant properties.
Pair these sauteed leeks with a protein-rich main for a more satisfying meal. Here are a few ideas: The BEST Crispy Chicken Wrap, Tender Braising Steak with Gravy, or Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta.
If you tried this Buttered Sauteed Leeks recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
The Best Buttered Sauteed Leeks
Ingredients
- 500 g leeks, washed and sliced (£1.30)
- 50 g butter (£1.79/5)=(£0.35)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 1 lemon (£0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Start by trimming the ends of the leeks and then cut them in half lengthwise and rinse them thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt. Then thinly slice the washed leeks.
- Meanwhile, heat ½ of the butter in the pan over a low heat and add the sliced leeks to the pan and increase the heat to medium.
- Sauté the leeks for around 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and golden brown. Add the garlic and remaining ½ of the butter to fry during the last 2 minutes.
- Once the leeks are tender and caramelised, remove them from the heat. Season with a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Nutrition
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