Roasted leeks become beautifully caramelized and have a mellow, almost sweet flavor. They make a wonderful side dish to meats and fish.
I made roasted leeks for the first time a couple of months ago. We were all smitten with this dish, and I have made it several more times over the past few weeks.
What do roasted leeks taste like?
Leeks look like oversized green onions. When raw, their flavor resembles the flavor of shallots, although sweeter and more delicate. Roasting mellows their onion flavor, caramelizes them and brings out their natural sweetness.
How do you roast leeks?
It’s so easy. Scroll down to the recipe card. But basically, you simply coat the leeks with olive oil, spices and parmesan. Then roast them in a hot oven until browned.
Unless you can’t do dairy, I highly suggest that you do use parmesan in this roasted leeks recipe. It adds tons of flavor and goes really nicely with the shallot-like flavor of leeks.
Are roasted leeks healthy?
They are. Leeks are very healthy. Olive oil is healthy too, although some would argue that at 425°F it’s better to use an oil with a higher smoke point, such as avocado oil. As for the parmesan, current research says that cheese is pretty much harmless for most healthy people, and possibly even beneficial.
How to serve roasted leeks?
I often serve them with fish. They make a great side dish to baked catfish. And when you make these two dishes together, you can keep the oven at 425 degrees F for both, baking the fish just 5 minutes longer.
What about leftovers?
If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat in a 50% power microwave. They taste pretty good, but not as good as freshly roasted leeks.
Roasted Leeks
INGREDIENTS
- 6 leeks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Trim the hairy bottom of the white part of the leeks. Trim the dark greens, leaving the white and light green part only.
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then rinse them well (there’s often dirt trapped in the tops) and dry. Arrange in a glass baking dish, cut side down.
- Drizzle the leeks with the olive oil and use your hands to thoroughly coat them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast 20 minutes. Remove from oven, turn so that cut side is up, sprinkle with the Parmesan and pepper flakes, then continue roasting until fork-tender and golden brown, 10 more minutes.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
