Don't Toss Your Leek Greens. Here's How To Cook With Them Instead
About 30% to 40% of the food supply in the United States is wasted. In most cases, this statistic refers to food being tossed out after it gets moldy or shrivels due to age and improper maintenance. However, measurements of food waste can also include parts of food that are often deemed inedible, such as banana peels, orange peels, and egg shells. Now, when it comes to leeks, many consider the leafy green ends inedible due to their tough and fibrous nature. But you should rethink your move before you toss half the leek in the trash can. While complaints about the texture may be true, leek leaves are entirely edible and can be cooked to complement many dishes. Ultimately, using leek ends in recipes reduces food waste and adds oomph to your meals.
When preparing leeks for cooking, people tend to remove the leak ends and only use the bulb. The bulb is then thoroughly cleaned, sliced, and used similarly to onions, although there are many uses for leek leaves in recipes to add nutrients and flavor. Leeks greens contain vitamin A, fiber, potassium, calcium, and iron. To make the leaves more appetizing, they can be boiled or fried until they reach a desirable texture. From there, the leek leaves can be incorporated into a variety of recipes, such as soups, sauces, and chicken dinners.
How to eat leek greens
Several leek recipes only require the stem, such as decadent mushroom and leek quiche or Julia Child's potato and leek soup. For most recipes, you want to stick to the given instructions to yield the best result. For instance, adding leek greens to a potato soup may disrupt its creamy texture and throw off the pale color. However, in those cases, you can save the leek greens to be used at another time.
Boiled leek leaves can be incorporated into sauces and stocks. The leaves are said to pack a stronger flavor than the bulb, therefore the aromatic taste will seep into the other ingredients. From there, the leaves can be blended as part of the recipe or removed. Once boiled, the leaves can be used as a cooking rack for meats, like chicken and beef, to add flavor. Additionally, boiled or fried leek leaves can serve as a substitute for cucumber slices when making vegetable-packed roll-ups. Another way to serve leek greens is to slice them into strips and fry them to make vegetable fries. The fries can be topped with different seasonings, such as rosemary, chili powder, or garlic powder. Lastly, given that leeks are part of the allium family, alongside onions, shallots, and chives, the leaves can be finely chopped and used as seasonings or mixed into a salad.