Roasted Leeks with Ginger and Orange Juice #recipe by @LeslieKarst

 

To my mind, few vegetables are as marvelous as leeks, with their earthiness and slight oniony hit of umami. The perfect ingredient for a chilly autumn dinner.

And when they’re roasted, these attributes come out in spades. Add to that the Asian flavors of toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger, along with the sweet-and-tart hit of orange juice, and this side dish is one you'll want to make again and again. And it's so simple to prepare!

 

Many recipes tell you to cut off all of the dark green part of the leeks, but I always use that part, as it adds lots of flavor to the dish. And note that although I used blood orange juice here (because those were the type of oranges I had on hand), feel free to use any kind of orange juice—even a couple teaspoons of the frozen concentrate mixed with a bit of water will work fine.

Roasted Leeks with Ginger and Orange Juice

(serves 2-3)

Ingredients

2 large leeks

2” of ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper, depending on your taste

juice of one orange (about ½ cup)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut off the roots and the very ends of the dark green part of the leeks, slice down the middle lengthwise, and rinse out any dirt and grit inside. Chop into 1” pieces. Place the leeks in a large roasting pan and drizzle with the sesame oil. 

 

Add the ginger, pepper, and soy sauce.

 

Drizzle on 2/3 of the orange juice, and stir everything so that it’s all mixed evenly with the leeks.

 

Spread the leaks out in the pan and roast until the leaks are cooked through and starting to brown—about 15 minutes.

 

Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining orange juice.

 

Continue roasting until the leeks are starting to get crispy on the edges—another 5 minutes or so. (See photo at top.)

 

Yum!

🌱  🍋 🌿

 

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WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

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