Roasted Leek Bites in Sauce
Prep. Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings
2 plates
Difficulty
Challenging
Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, dairy-free, egg-free
Most people don’t think “leek” when they think finger food—but here’s the surprise. I started thinking what to do with these leeks because they were sitting in the fridge giving me guilt every time I opened the drawer. So I roasted them until golden, gave them a quick olive oil/balsamic gloss, and suddenly they’re bite-sized little stars. What really makes it pop is the sauce: chestnuts for creamy sweetness, roasted peppers for smoky depth, and a punch of garlic and sun-dried tomato to tie it all together. It looks way fancier than it is to make.
Ingredients
2 leek stalks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
For the Sauce
1 tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup chestnuts (peeled & cooked, store-bought bag)
1 bell pepper, roasted
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat an oven-safe pan, and lightly greese it with vegetable oil.
Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Prepare the leeks: Slice off the dark green tops and root ends, to keep mostly the light green and white parts. Rinse well (they hide dirt in the layers), and cut into 1-inch rounds.
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt.
Place the leek rounds on the hot pan to roast them on both sides. Fry on low-medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Roast in the oven: Drizzle the sauce on the leeks and place the pan in the oven, to roast for 10-15 minutes, until lightly caramelized.
If you do not have store-bought bell peppers, quickly roast it: cut the walls of a fresh pepper, and simply toss it on a hot pan for about 5-10 minutes total.
Make the sauce bed: while the leeks roast, in a food processor, blend together the sauce ingredients, until creamy and spoonable.
Assemble: spread the sauce on a serving plate. Nestle the roasted leek bites on top, and serve!
Notes
Chestnuts can be substituted with walnuts for a just-as-good result.
For a better result, make sure to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil, which really adds depth of flavor.
The Latest Bite
Wonderful Parsley Salad
I usually buy parsley with the idea that I’ll use “just a little” in a recipe, and then I’m left with a big bunch staring at me from the fridge. This salad is my solution. Instead of letting those greens wilt away, I chop the whole thing and make it the main event. It’s fresh, full of flavor, and takes almost no effort.
The best part is how forgiving it is. Walnuts give it crunch, but almonds or pecans work if that’s what’s in the pantry. Cheese adds creaminess and the dressing is quick to whip together with what we usually have on hand, and it makes the parsley feel less like “just herbs” and more like a real salad.
This isn’t a kid-friendly dish in our house (the parsley is just too “green” for them), but it works great for the adults. I’ll make it at home when dinner needs something light on the side, or pack it into a container when we’re traveling in an RV and want an easy salad to balance out heartier meals. Since it’s dairy-free and plant-based, it holds up well for hours on the road without the stress of refrigeration worries you get with mayo-based dressings.
It’s fast, flexible, and keeps parsley from going to waste—a little grown-up salad that travels well.