Leeks are one of my favorite vegetables. They go with just about anything. We used to make a leek and carrot dish with butter and white wine, then sweated the dish for a few hours to blend all the flavors together. It may have been scrumptous, but it sure put inches on the waistline!
My goal with this dish is to enjoy the fresh flavors of the carrots and leeks without gaining additional girth. What better way to revamp our old carrot and leek recipe with brigh lemony flavors and add some heat with Aleppo pepper?
Therfore as you read, the next section
1. I am not a trained chef or nutritionist.
2. I am not a medical professional.
3. I am not a professional photographer.
Ingredients
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced leeks
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup bone broth
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon groud pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Aleppo pepper
I had never heard of aleppo pepper before trying mediterranean recipies. Aleppo peppers are indigenous Syrian chilie peppers. They are on the medium side of the capsaisin scale.
If you like hot spices, feel free to add additional aleppo pepper. However, I’m not a fan of burning my mouth with capsaisin and always go lighter with the peppers.
Aleppo adds warmth and fruitness to dishes.
Preparation
- Wash the leeks, then slice and rinse the slices.
- Wash the carrots and slice.
- Wash the lemon and using a zester, grate the skin.
- Slice and juice the lemon.
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Measure the spices and mix in a small bowl.
If you have not cooked with leeks before, leeks can have dirt between the rings. Wash the leeks and peel off loose leaves then slice until a leaf becomes loose. I’ll peel that leaf and rinse, then continue slicing/peeling/rinsing until the leaves are no longer in a tight circle. All the circles go back to the strainer to be rinsed one more time!
Cooking
- Measure 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat until it is shimmering, but not smoking.
- Add the carrots and saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the leeks. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the heat to medium low and add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add lemon juice, bone broth, and spices. Mix and bring to a simmer.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 30 to 35 inutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest.
You can store in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Just a few notes …
Some recipies say to put all the veggies in at one time. You can. But I prefer to soften the carrots and not over cook the garlic.
I wish we had aroma internet! This dish simply gives me a smile with the sweet and spicy aroma throughout the house!
As far as the flavor goes — OMG I could eat the whole pot! Carrots and leeks together provide an earthy – sweet compliment. The lemon adds brightness and the aleppo pepper provides warmth. I could eat this as a meal with a piece of pita and feta on the side!
Inspiration
My inspiration for this recipe came from The Meditereanean Dish website. If you have not tried some of Suzy’s recipes, you are really missing out on a treat! She has the best I’ve tried. Plus, you can shop for some of the spices on her site too!
The reason I changed this recipe around a bit was to reduce the olive oil from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons. I didn’t care for the rice in the recipe and the parsely didn’t seem to compliment the flavors. Plus, as I said above, I reduce the pepper for warmth instead of heat.
Turkish-Style Leeks Recipe (Zeytinyağlı Pırasa)