Leeks are the vegetable equivalent of someone who’s quietly been the most talented person in the room the whole time and never once brought it up. I say this of course unless you read a lot of Jamie Oliver recipes, simply because he pretty much exclusively uses leeks since his wife hates onion (so adorable if you ask me). But anyways, Leeks just sit there in the produce section looking like oversized scallions, doing absolutely nothing to advertise themselves, while onions get all the attention. I used to walk past them constantly. Not anymore!!
This recipe is about as low effort as braising gets and it delivers something genuinely special, at least when speaking about veggie side dishes: leeks cut into thick rounds, braised cut-side up in white wine, garlic, and red pepper flakes until the layers go soft and jammy and the exposed tops start to caramelize into something a little sweet and a little charred. Then fresh parsley go on right out of the oven, which sounds like a small move but it changes the whole dish.
Here’s the part that matters most: rinse these things twice. Leeks grow packed in sandy soil and that grit works its way deep between every single layer, so if you skip the rinse you will absolutely find out later, mid-bite, at the worst possible moment. Cut your rounds first, then run them under water and gently fan the layers apart with your fingers. It takes two extra minutes and it’s the difference between “wow” and “EW. WHY is there sand in my MOUTH.”
Everything else is genuinely hands-off. Whisk your braising liquid, pour it over, cover, and let the oven do the work. The uncovered finish at the end is what gets you that slight caramelization on top, so don’t skip it even if the leeks already look done under the foil. That last stretch is where the texture actually happens. Serve these as a side next to pretty much anything, or honestly just eat them straight out of the dish with a piece of crusty bread to mop up the garlicky wine sauce at the bottom, no judgment here, I’ve done it standing at the counter more than once if I am being super honest!
If you make these, tag @herbyeater on TikTok and Instagram, because as always, I want to see them!
White Wine Braised Leeks with Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Oven-safe baking dish or braiser (large enough to fit leeks cut-side up in a single layer)
- Foil (if dish has no lid)
Ingredients
For Leeks:
- 4 large leeks dark green tops trimmed off (about 2 lbs / 900g trimmed)
- 3 tbsp 45ml olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 1/2 tsp 2g red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 3/4 cup 180ml dry white wine
- 1/2 cup 120ml vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp 3g salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
To Finish:
- 1/4 cup 10g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Trim the root ends off the leeks and cut each leek into rounds about 1.5–2 inches thick. Rinse the rounds well under running water, gently separating the layers with your fingers to get any grit out, since leeks hide dirt like it’s their job.
- Pat the rounds dry and arrange them cut-side up in your baking dish, packing them in fairly snugly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 3 cloves of the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine, vegetable broth, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the mixture evenly over the leeks, letting it pool into the bottom of the dish.
- Cover tightly with a lid or foil and braise for 25 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced with a knife.
- Remove the cover and roast for another 8–10 minutes, until the tops start to caramelize and the liquid reduces slightly.
- Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the remaining minced garlic and chopped parsley over the top. The residual heat will take the raw edge off the garlic without cooking it all the way down.
- Serve warm with lemon wedges on the side.