Cooking Leeks
The Healthy Way

Cooking Leeks to Retain Maximum Nutritional Content

I've been cooking leeks and adding them to my diet for about seven years now.  Until I read Dr. Perricone's nutrition information on leeks, I had no interest in this odd-shaped tubular vegetable.  The first time I ate them, I was completely unimpressed.  To be perfectly honest, I didn't really care for them. 

But after eating them for a while, my skin dramatically improved.  Within a short period of time of eating leeks, I was experiencing weight loss.  Now, I can't imagine my life without this wonderful vegetable.

My daughter is holding two giant leeks.  They are gorgeous!  They almost look like palm trees.  These leeks are so big that one single stalk can feed an entire family of five.  Here's the best part.  Each leek cost $1 at the Farmer's Market.  And they say eating healthy is expensive?  I don't think so. 

I got my daughter to start eating leeks at five years old, and she'll finish off a bowl without batting an eye.  If you want your kids to eat and appreciate leeks, you have to introduce them early.  


I also highly recommend cooking leeks as basic part of our hair loss diet.  We also have leeks listed on our hair loss nutrition page.

Click here for our super foods page.  More leeks nutrition is listed on this page. 

Leeks are listed in every single super food book on the market.   Click here to learn a lot more about leeks nutrition content.

How to Buy & Prepare Leeks

When you're buying leeks, make sure you check the tips o make sure they're a healthy, dark green color.  Also, make sure that the ends are crisp and firm.  You can peel the outer part of the leek off if it begins to wilt in the refrigerator.

Leeks last for around 10 to 12 days in the refrigerator.  Some vegetables don't last very long, but leeks stay fresh for quite a while. 

When you're cooking leeks, there are a few things to remember.  The first thing you do is cut about a half an inch of the closed end off.  I'm talking about the white end.  Then you cut straight down the middle to fully open it up.

What this will do is create an opening to the inner workings of the leek. The inside of the leeks are layered like an accordion.  When you  cut the leek, you peel these layers open with your hands.

Once the layers are open, you're most likely going to see a lot of dirt.  There may even be bugs.   Fill your sink with water and soak the leeks in the sink water and rub the inside of each layer until all of the dirt comes off.  If the leeks are extremely dirty, you may have to wash them two or three times.

Once the leeks are completely clean, place them on a cutting board and slice them to your desired size.  A lot of leek recipes recommend throwing out the green part of the leek.  We do not do this.  The green tips of the leeks contain extremely important nutrition that you need for robust health.

Add onions or shallots to this leeks recipe.  I do this to bulk up this recipe, and to give it additional flavor. 

Some people boil their leeks for soup.  When a vegetable like leeks is heavily boiled, it reduces the nutrient content.  Heavy boiling and over cooking of leeks will cause very important nutrients to be lost.


Super Easy Leeks Recipe

Heat two or three tablespoons of olive oil in a pan or a wok.  Once the pan is hot, add 1/2 onion or two shallots and cook for approximately two minutes.  Then add the leeks and stir often.  Add desired salt and pepper or spices. 

Cook the leeks until they're barely cooked.  They take around two or three minutes.  The leeks will shrink slightly  and blend together with the onions. 

Serve with fish, quinoa, brown rice and/or black beans.

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