whole leeks
Yet another thing I learned from the The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook: how to cut and clean leeks. Leeks have a very mild flavor compared to a regular onion and make a great soup or stock. A leek looks like a giant overgrown scallion.
The white portion is what’s commonly eaten. To encourage that portion of the stalk to stay white and tender, dirt is piled up around the stalk as it’s growing. The result is dirt between the layers of the leek where you can’t see it from the outside. To clean a leek, first cut off the white roots from the bottom end:
leek with root trimmed
Next, trim the dark green leaves from the top and cut the leek in half:
leek with dark green leaves trimmed from the top
Very likely, dirt will be hiding between the layers of the stalk:
where dirt can hide in between the layers of the leek
To remove the dirt, separate the layers a little without pulling the leek completely apart while running the leek under water in the sink. Now the leek is ready to be chopped:
leek with stalk partially chopped
Now you know how to get the leek clean and ready to use. Enjoy it in a soup or stock.
Related Posts:
leek showing layers where dirt can hide 
leek showing layers where dirt can hide 
Celery Root Soup Vegetable stock, celery root, and leek or onion combine to fill out the flavor of this celery root soup, while the cup of soy or other milk adds a bit of creaminess.
chopped leek
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