Leek Butter

This Leek Butter is an incredible way to elevate a slice of toast, veggies, meats, and more with just a few simple ingredients. This spreadable, subtly sweet yet rich and creamy leek butter is perfect for many uses, and is easy to prepare!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

food processor
Dutch oven or skillet

Ingredients

Leek butter

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large leeks, dark green tops only thinly sliced, and well-cleaned
½-1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only thinly sliced, and well-cleaned
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
juice of ½ a lemon to taste
zest of 1 lemon

Fried leeks (optional)

4 tablespoons oil
1 large leek white and light green parts only thinly sliced, and well cleaned

Instructions

Leek butter

Start by separating the white and dark green parts of the leeks, trim off the roots and any wilted or browned parts. Place the light green/white parts of the leeks in one bowl with water, and the dark green parts in a separate bowl with water. Use your hands to gently move the leeks around and loosen dirt from between the layers.
Allow the leeks to sit for about 10 minutes, then drain away the water. Place them on paper towel lined plates or a baking sheet and dry them off very well.
Heat a skillet over medium-heat, add olive oil, then add in the dark green parts of the leek with a pinch of salt, and saute for 5-7 minutes until they have softened considerably.
2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 large leeks, dark green tops only , ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt
Next, add in the white and light green parts with more salt, and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes until they have softened as well. Remove from the heat.
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only
Add the butter, the cooked leeks, lemon zest, and juice to a food processor, and food process until soft, smooth, and spreadable.
2 sticks unsalted butter, juice of ½ a lemon, zest of 1 lemon

Fried leeks (optional)

Start by heating oil in a small, deep saucepan. Once hot, add in cleaned and well-dried parts of the light green parts of the leeks only!
4 tablespoons oil, 1 large leek white and light green parts only
Cook, stirring often to prevent burning, until you notice small golden brown bits appearing in the leeks. Remove from the saucepan using a slotted spoon, then place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the excess grease. Sprinkle with salt, and let cool!

Assembly

Serve with toast, pasta, veggies, and more! Top with optional fried leeks. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. To keep for longer, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 year.

Video

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Notes

Use high-quality butter. This will make a lot of difference in flavor. Because butter is the main ingredient in this recipe aside from the leeks, use the best quality you can find. It will have a huge impact on the flavor, so we recommend spurlging a little!

Make sure your butter is really soft. Let the butter sit out at room temperature for 4 hours or more to ensure it's nice and soft. That way, it will easily become soft and spreadable when food processing.

Clean the leeks well. Leeks have tons of dirt between the layers, so you want to be sure to rinse them off really well before cooking! No one wants a bite of dirt!

Don't burn the leeks. Whatever you do, be careful that you don't walk away from the leeks cooking and let them burn, or else they will become bitter. Keep a close eye on them and stir them often.

Nutrition