Cleaning Sliced Leeks
We love leeks, but they are a dirty, gritty vegetable. They require thorough cleaning before use. When preparing sliced leeks for recipes, we put our salad spinner to work.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we'll earn a commission if you click through and a make a purchase.
Leeks sliced lengthwise, full of dirt and grit.
After going through a number of salad spinners over the years, we have to recommend the OXO brand as the one with the longest lifespan. If you’re looking for a new one, check out the OXO Steel Salad Spinner. The steel bowl offers maximum durability and can double as a serving bowl. Otherwise, you can opt for a more economical plastic salad spinner from OXO.
With a full leek in hand, slice off the very end near the root and the dark green top (right before the leek splits into dark green portions) to isolate the white and light green center section.
Slice the leek in half lengthwise. Cross cut the halves into 1/2” slices. Fill the bowl of your salad spinner with clean, cold water. Add the sliced leeks to the colander portion and dunk into the water. Dunk your hands into the leeks in the water and begin to break apart the slices. Swish the pieces in the water to release the dirt and grit.
Sliced leeks in salad spinner and water.
Lift the colander out of the water. Dump the dirty water (or use to water some plants) and refill with fresh, cold water. Dunk the colander back into the water and swish around again using your hands. Lift the colander out and dump the water. Place the colander into the empty salad spinner bowl and spin to dry. Repeat the spin drying until the leeks are fairly dry.
Cleaned, dried leeks in a salad spinner.
Use in a recipe or store in a zip-top bag for future use. If you’re going to freeze the cleaned, sliced leeks, lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once frozen, combine in a zip-top bag and place in the freezer for up to a few months.
How to Clean Leeks
