Healthy Leek Recipes

Find healthy, delicious leek recipes including chicken and leeks, leek stew and leeks and vegetables. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Slow-Cooker Citrus Salmon with Melted Leeks

We've discovered the perfect pairing for this moist, lemony, slow-cooker salmon--slightly chewy leeks. Like other alliums, leeks become sweet and rich when roasted slowly for a long time. When cooked in the slow cooker they "melt," becoming jam-like but still retaining pleasant chewiness. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and thyme sprigs, if desired.
By Cooking Light

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Rating: Unrated
1
This simple and healthy cream of broccoli soup recipe gets its flavor from a mixture of aromatic vegetables, including leeks and celery. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender) gives it a smooth, creamy texture. Enjoy this easy homemade cream of broccoli soup as a comforting appetizer or pair it with a sandwich or salad for lunch or dinner.
By Marianne Williams

Crispy Gnocchi Pasta with Tomatoes & Leeks

Rating: Unrated
2
These gnocchi are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside because you sauté them in hot oil. Plus, they leave a little fond (crispy brown bits) in the pan that adds toasty flavor to the tomato and leek sauce, which is cooked in the same pan. Since this easy gnocchi recipe calls for store-bought shelf-stable gnocchi, it's quick to prepare--just 20 minutes, start to finish. Opt for whole-wheat gnocchi to get 2 extra grams of fiber per serving compared to white. This easy and healthy dinner is easy to customize too: see Tips for variations with shrimp, pesto instead of butter, and pork chops instead of gnocchi.
By Adam Dolge

Slow-Cooker Carrot-Leek Bisque

Rating: Unrated
1
Creamy and delicate slow-cooker carrot soup is a welcome appetizer. The addition of millet--a whole grain similar to quinoa--adds body to the soup as well as protein and fiber. Garnish with additional black pepper, if desired.
By Cooking Light

Cheesy Zucchini Quiche

Rating: Unrated
6
This cheesy crustless zucchini quiche has plenty of leeks and zucchini enveloped in a light custard. Feta and fontina cheeses add a rich depth of flavor. Serve it for brunch or anytime you have extra zucchini on hand.
By Karen Rankin

Leek, Potato & Spinach Stew

Rating: Unrated
6
For this light, brothy stew, use the vegetables of late spring and early summer from your CSA share: leeks, potatoes, garlic and spinach. Vary what's in the stew according to the weekly bounty. Serve with: Crusty whole-wheat baguette spread with goat cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Soup

This cheesy broccoli-potato soup is super creamy and has a lot of broccoli flavor from using both the florets and stems. The white-wine vinegar helps to balance out the broccoli flavor and adds a bit of complexity to the soup. Topping with cheese and chives gives it a loaded baked potato feel.
By Liv Dansky

Sautéed Leek Mashed Potatoes

In this healthy mashed potato recipe, we flavor the mashed potatoes with leeks lightly sautéed in butter and tangy buttermilk. These mashed potatoes are an amazing side to grilled steak or chicken.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms & Leeks

The leeks get silky when they cook down in this luscious, tangy mustard sauce. Serve over mashed potatoes.
By Adam Dolge

Leek & Lemon Linguine

Rating: Unrated
7
This simple pasta recipe has bold lemony flavor. It's nice with a salad for a light supper or serve it along with seared fish, shrimp or chicken. Vary it as you please--add a bit of crumbled goat cheese, chopped rinsed capers, shelled edamame or thin strips of yellow bell pepper.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta

This creamy chicken and asparagus pasta is a quick, warming meal all cooked in one pot. The cream cheese adds a silky texture to the sauce, while fresh asparagus and lemon brighten the dish.
By Julia Levy

Roasted Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Parsley-Chive Swirl

Rating: Unrated
1
Blitzed cauliflower gives this very easy vegan soup recipe its creamy taste without adding any dairy. To get the silkiest texture, puree the soup in a blender rather than using an immersion blender.
By Kathy Gunst

Inspiration and Ideas

Baked Chicken with Onions & Leeks

Baked Chicken with Onions & Leeks

Rating: Unrated
7
Baking pieces of chicken is one of the easiest ways to put a meal on the table for your family. This mustard-glazed chicken is roasted on a bed of sliced onions, leeks and garlic that you can serve alongside it.
Vegan Potato-Leek Soup

Vegan Potato-Leek Soup

This rustic vegan potato-leek soup proves you don't need cream to make a hearty soup. The recipe calls for two types of potato--red potatoes, which hold their shape and add color to the soup, and russet potatoes, which break down slightly when cooked, adding texture and body to the soup. And not only is this comforting soup vegan--it's also gluten-free. Serve with a salad and crusty bread for a healthy dinner.
Spring Green Soup with Chicken

Spring Green Soup with Chicken

Rating: Unrated
5
Chicken Ballotine with Creamy Leek & Chestnut Stuffing

Chicken Ballotine with Creamy Leek & Chestnut Stuffing

Bavarian Leek & Cabbage Soup

Bavarian Leek & Cabbage Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
Oven-Braised Leeks

Oven-Braised Leeks

Leek & Potato Soup

Rating: Unrated
4

Our lightened version of classic potato-leek soup uses just a touch of reduced-fat sour cream to make it rich and creamy.

All Healthy Leek Recipes

Potato-Leek Bisque

Rating: Unrated
1
It's hard to believe how rich and creamy this potato-leek soup is even though there's not a drop of cream in it. Croutons topped with anchovy, olives and leek are a crunchy, savory foil to the soup. But skip them if you like and incorporate all the cooked leeks into the soup instead.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Chicken with Creamy Braised Leeks

Rating: Unrated
7
A touch of heavy cream, a few garlic cloves and thyme sprigs round out the flavor of tender braised leeks with chicken in this recipe. The rich, silky sauce is wonderful over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Leeks grown in the garden and those that you find at the store can be vastly different in size. Garden leeks tend to be smaller, so if you're using leeks from the garden, make sure you pick enough to fill up the pan.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Seared Scallops with Crispy Leeks

Rating: Unrated
3
Herb-crusted scallops served with crispy baked leeks make an easy yet impressive dish to serve to friends. You may have seen “frizzled” or fried leeks on a restaurant menu before, but you might not guess how easy they are to make at home. Here we toss thinly sliced leeks with paprika- and garlic-seasoned flour and bake them until crispy. While the leeks bake you have time to sear the scallops. Serve with: Mashed potatoes and kale sautéed with garlic.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick French Onion Soup

Rating: Unrated
8
French onion soup is a favorite but it usually isn't substantial enough to make a complete meal. We've solved this problem by adding fiber-rich chickpeas to a broth flavored with sherry and three kinds of onions. Of course, we didn't forget the gooey topping, we've just made it a little lighter and a lot easier to prepare at home--simply top toasted whole-wheat bread with cheese and pour the soup on to melt it.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chipotle & Corn Chowder

Rating: Unrated
2
The smoky flavor of the chipotle peppers in this recipe combines with corn to make a bordertown chowder with substance and sizzle; the Southwest at its best!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Veal Scaloppine with Lemon, Capers & Leeks

Rating: Unrated
1
This dish is elegant enough for company, yet easy enough to serve on a weeknight. Chicken or turkey cutlets could easily substitute for the veal, if you like.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Delicata, Rosemary & Blue Cheese Pizza

Topping your pie with squash brings a big vitamin A boost to this pizza—it provides 120% of your Daily Value per serving. The delicata contributes extra fiber, too, thanks in part to its edible skin. We make the oven a multitasker to get this winter pizza on the table fast. The crust bakes on the bottom rack while the vegetables roast. Once the pizza is assembled, a blast from the broiler crisps the edges and melts the cheese.
By Breana Killeen

Curried Pork Chops with Roasted Apples & Leeks

Rating: Unrated
2
In this healthy oven-baked pork chop recipe, roasted apples and leeks lend a sweet-and-tart note. If you always chop the dark green tops off your leeks, don't discard them this time--they have a delicious flavor and become meltingly tender when roasted.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Soy-Caramel Sauce, Carrot Puree & Crispy Leeks

In this healthy salmon recipe, slow-roasting the fish at a lower heat creates a soft texture that's a nice contrast to the crispy leeks. Use the leftover oil from the leeks for salad dressing or to cook eggs.
By Becky Selengut

Pancetta Pangrattato & Leek Pasta

Pangrattato is simply fresh breadcrumbs with herbs, garlic and salt sautéed in hot olive oil until crunchy to top this quick-cooking pasta. We add pancetta and chopped walnuts for even more richness.
By Adam Dolge

Seared Scallops with Brandied Leeks & Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
2
Sautéed mushrooms and leeks have a robust flavor that marries nicely with a touch of brandy and sour cream in this quick scallop dish. Substitute vermouth for a more mellow flavor. The mushroom mixture is equally delicious served with steak or chicken. Make it a meal: Serve over barley.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Squash & Leek Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
9
Grated butternut squash, pine nuts and sautéed leeks in a creamy white sauce are layered with sheets of whole-wheat pasta for this wintery variation on a vegetable lasagna. Any Parmesan cheese can be used in this casserole, but we recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano for its superior flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Potatoes and Leeks

Savory, sweet and satisfying, these roasted potatoes and leeks make a perfect side dish. Make it a complete meal and serve with roasted asparagus and seared salmon (see associated recipes).
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Pot Pie

You'll reach for this recipe on early spring days for warmth and satisfaction. Even though this is a vegetarian pot pie, it's still hearty thanks to a whole-wheat crust and a filling made with potatoes, mushrooms, leeks and carrots.
By Cooking Light

Chicken Saute with Creamy Mushroom & Leek Sauce

Rating: Unrated
5
Here is one simple technique that guarantees juicy results every time. First, pound the chicken: making it thinner ensures quick and even cooking. Next, dredge the chicken lightly in seasoned flour, which helps it turn deep golden brown when sauteed. After the chicken is cooked, deglaze the skillet with broth, wine or a little water to make a pan sauce. The liquid loosens the flavor-boosting browned bits from the bottom of the pan, making a tastier sauce.
By Jim Romanoff

Seared Arctic Char with Bacon-Leek Chard

Rating: Unrated
1
A cousin of salmon and trout with a milder flavor, Arctic char-both farmed and wild--is recommended as a Best Choice by Seafood Watch. It's low in mercury and has almost the same amount of omega-3s per serving as salmon. Try it in this healthy fish recipe with dark leafy greens.
By Carolyn Casner

Coriander-Crusted Baked Cod with Leeks

Recipes usually tell you to discard the dark green leek tops. Show them some love with this healthy baked cod recipe! Cooking the leek tops a bit longer makes them meltingly delicious. They're also high in fructans, a type of prebiotic fiber that contributes to good gut health.
By Breana Killeen

Kohlrabi, Potato & Leek Soup

Rating: Unrated
1
Kohlrabi is a root vegetable related to cabbage that can be eaten raw or cooked. Here, we blend it with potatoes for a more nutritious take on the classic potato-leek soup.
By Lauren Grant

Mushroom & Leek Galette

Rating: Unrated
1
Patsy Jamieson totes this savory tart to potlucks and holiday gatherings. It makes perfect party food because it is easy to eat while you are balancing a glass and grazing at a buffet. Serve as an appetizer or as a vegetarian main dish.
By Patsy Jamieson

Chicken Thighs with Pear & Leek Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
Here, we combine currant jelly--a tasty “secret” ingredient in rich sauces for game birds or poultry--with a medley of fall flavors, such as pears, walnuts and leeks, to make a quick pan sauce. Serve with quinoa and broccolini.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Six-Onion Soup with Parmesan Croutes

Rating: Unrated
3
Sixteen cups of sweet onions may look like a huge amount, but they cook way down to create this very aromatic and warming recipe reminiscent of French onion soup. Parmesan croutes are a lighter topping than the traditional blanket of bread and cheese.
By Kathy Gunst

Chicken with Leek & Mushroom Sauce

Rating: Unrated
3
Brandy, mushrooms and leek add a sophisticated touch to ordinary chicken breasts.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken, Barley, and Leek Stew

Leeks and carrots add a fresh-from-the-garden note to chewy barley and tender chicken in this satisfying main dish stew recipe.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Leek, Asparagus & Herb Soup

Rating: Unrated
3
Like a bouquet of fresh vegetables, this light but soothing soup is just the thing on a cool spring evening. It is important to cut the green vegetables into small pieces so they cook quickly, while retaining their bright color.
By Marcy Goldman
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