The edible parts of leeks include the whole plant from root to leaf tip if you know how to use each section. The white and light green sections taste the best and feel the most tender when cooked. Dark green tops work fine too if you prepare them the right way in your kitchen.
I use different leek parts for different dishes in my home cooking. The tender whites go into risotto where they melt into a sweet base flavor. Light green sections work great in soups and stir fries for quick weeknight meals. I freeze the tough dark tops for making stock on weekends when I have more time.
Most recipes tell you to throw away the dark greens as waste. I thought this was such a shame until I learned to save them for other uses. A gallon bag of frozen leek tops makes the richest veggie stock you can imagine for soups. This what part of leek to eat question comes down to how you plan to cook it.
The color of each section tells you how tender and mild it will taste in your dish. White parts got no sunlight while growing, which blocked the green color from forming in cells. This also stopped the tough fibers and strong flavors that develop in sun-exposed leaves above ground.
The leek white vs green choice shapes how long you need to cook each part for best results. White sections turn soft in just a few minutes of heat on the stove. Light greens need a bit more time to break down their fibers. Dark greens take 15-20 minutes of simmering to become tender enough to eat.
Using whole leeks means getting twice the food from each plant you grow or buy at the store. Slice the whites thin for raw salads where you want a mild onion bite. Cut the light greens into rounds for soup bases and sautees. Chop dark greens rough and freeze them for stock days.
Cleaning leeks takes some care since dirt hides between the layers where you cannot see it. Cut the leek in half from top to bottom first. Run cold water between each layer while fanning them apart with your fingers. The white section traps less soil than the greens do. Check every layer before you cook.
Get creative with parts you might have tossed before in your kitchen waste. Grill whole leeks until charred and serve them with olive oil as a side dish. Roast the light greens with other root veggies for a warm salad. Dry the dark tops in a low oven and grind them into leek powder for seasoning. No part of this plant needs to go to waste.
Read the full article: Growing Leeks: Beginner-Friendly Guide to Sweet Harvests
