• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Salads with Anastasia logo
  • SALAD RECIPES
  • COLLECTIONS
  • DRESSINGS
  • SALAD VEGGIES
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
Home » Vegan Salads

Leek Salad with Sticky Balsamic and Walnuts

Made by Anastasia Papapetros - Serves 4 Filed Under: Best Winter Salads, Paleo Salads, Salad Index, Salad Recipes By Ingredient, Salads by Diet, Salads by Season, Salads Recipes By Type, Vegan Salads, Vegetable Salad

Share
Pin10
Post
Share

This leek salad uses baby leeks which are sweeter and less stringy than their big brothers. Braising them in balsamic makes them so tasty you'll want to make a double batch to keep on hand.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
CLOSE UP OF LEEK SALAD WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE AND WALNTUS

In this leek salad, tender baby leeks are cooked in balsamic vinegar until caramelised. They are then added to some crisp salad greens and roasted walnuts for some added crunch.

This recipe is based on the classic Italian recipe, "Cippolini Agrodolce" or sweet and sour cippolini onions.

In This Post:
 [hide]
  1. Can I Use Regular Leeks?
  2. How to Make It
  3. Serving Suggestions  🍽
  4. People Also Ask
  5. Some More Leaf Salads to Try:
  6. Recipe Card

Can I Use Regular Leeks?

While they are not as sweet as baby leeks you can still use them for this salad, you will just need to cook them for longer.

You will also need to cut them in half before cutting them into 10cm batons or you could leave them whole and cut them into thick rounds, cooking the white parts first then adding the tender leaves.

COLLAGE OF GREEN ONION VARIETIES
TOP LEFT - SCALLIONS | TOP RIGHT GREEN/SPRING ONIONS
BOTTOM LEFT - BABY LEEKS | BOTTOM RIGHT - LEEKS

How to Make It

  1. Prepare the leeks
    As leeks are grown in the ground you have to take extra care to remove all the dirt.
    Trim the ends of the leeks, remove the tough outer layers and the dark green leaves, then discard.
    Cut the leeks in half and wash the leeks carefully to remove any dirt, allowing them to drain.
    Then chop into batons - 10 cm or approximately 4 inches.
  2. Braise the leeks
    Heat a large heavy-based, non-stick frypan until hot, add the oil and add the leeks in batches until golden and soft.
    Once all the leeks have been cooked, add them all back into the frypan, add the balsamic then cook until caramelised. Allow them to cool.
  3. Assemble your leek salad
    Place the salad leaves in a mixing bowl add the dressing ingredients, then season with salt and pepper.
    Arrange the salad leaves on a salad platter, add the leek mixture on top, scatter with the roasted walnuts and serve.
LEEK SALAD WITH BALSAMIC AND WALNUTS

Serving Suggestions  🍽

This salad pairs well with roast meats, chicken or game, barbecued pork chops or a juicy steak with baked potatoes.

Try it with Pot Roast Pheasant or with a Boneless Pork Roast.

You could also try the balsamic leeks on top of toasted sourdough or a fresh baguette topped with a softly poached egg for tasty brunch or weekend lunch.

People Also Ask

Are Leeks and Green Onions the Same?

  • Let me start by saying that scallions are NOT the same as green or spring onions. They are straight up and down while green/spring onions are bulbous. If green/spring onions are left alone to grow to full size, then dried, they will become regular onions.
  • Leeks are larger and have a milder, sweeter flavour and are also excellent for braising, sauteing, baking, etc. Baby leeks are leeks that are harvested before they are fully grown.

Can I Make it Ahead

You can make the balsamic leeks several days in advance, in fact, I will usually make several bunches at once and keep them in a sealed container in my fridge and use them for sandwich fillings, on top of a steak, to serve with a goats cheese tart or to add to a frittata.

What to Do With Leftover Leek Salad

The leek salad is still good the next day even though the mixed leaves will be wilted.

I will usually discard the leaves chop up the leeks and use n a frittata, in a tart with goat's cheese, in a risotto with some feta or to use for a toasted sandwich with some cheddar cheese and tomato.

Some More Leaf Salads to Try:

Close up of Brie salad with cherries in a white bowl with cherries in top left corner.
MIXED LEAF & BRIE SALAD
CURRY CHICKEN SALAD IN PORTRAIT
CURRY CHICKEN SALAD

Recipe Card

Leek salad with balsamic and walnuts with wooden servers. Walnuts on the side.

Leek Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts

In this Leek Salad, tender baby leeks are cooked in balsamic vinegar until caramelised. They are then added to some crisp salad greens and roasted walnuts for some added crunch. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
* Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Intermediate
Servings: 4 as a side
Calories: 504kcal
Author: Anastasia Papapetros
Toggle to prevent your screen from going dark
Equipment
  • Salad Spinner
Ingredients
For the balsamic leeks…
  • 250 grams baby leeks (approximatley 6-8 small)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
For the salad…
  • 150 grams mixed salad leaves
  • 1 cup roasted walnuts
For the vinaigrette…
  • 4 tbsps olive oil
  • 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Metric - Imperial
Instructions
  • Trim your leeks and wash them thoroughly then cut them into 10 cm batons (approximately 4 inches).
  • Heat a large heavy based, non-stick frypan until hot, add the oil and add the leeks in batches until golden and soft. Once all the leeks have been cooked then add all the leeks back into the frypan, add the balsamic then cook until caramelised. Allow to cool.
  • Wash the mixed salad leaves then either pat or spin dry.
  • Place the salad leaves in a mixing bowl add the dressing ingredients, then season with salt and pepper.
  • Arrange the salad leaves on a salad platter, add the leek mix on top, scatter with the roasted walnuts and serve.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1468IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @salads_with_anastasia or tag #salads_with_anastasia!

Share
Pin10
Post
Share

More Vegan Salads

  • Asian wombok salad with a chilli garnish on a black platter with bok choy leaves and chillies on the side.
    Asian Wombok Salad
  • Lentil sweet potato salad in a white bowl with sweet potato halves and coriander/cilantro sprigs on the side.
    Lentil Sweet Potato Salad
  • A close up of Fennel and Tomato Salad in a dark grey bowl with an orange linen napkin on the side.
    Fennel and Tomato Salad with Preserved Lemon
  • Summer berry salad on a white plate with basil sprigs and berries on the side.
    Summer Berry Salad with Balsamic & Basil

About Anastasia Papapetros

Anastasia has been passionate about cooking since she was eight years old, and hasn't left the kitchen since! With over a decade of experience running her own coffee shop and catering business, Anastasia has developed a true love for salads - especially for family get-togethers and friends' functions. She's the go-to for bringing the perfect salad to any occasion!

Reader Interactions

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Photo of Anastasia.

Hi, I'm Anastasia! Let me show you how to transform your salads from boring and limp to bright, fresh and exciting using in-season fresh produce.

More about me →

Our Latest Posts

  • Green and red cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts cooked, cut and raw on a wooden surface.
    What Goes Well With Cabbage
  • Three different types of cabbage halves with a shreds in front on a wooden board.
    How to Cut Cabbage for Slaw
  • A pile of different types of cabbages.
    Discover 10 Cabbage Varieties (NEW)
  • Kale Greek salad on a white plate with a blue napkin on the side.
    Kale Greek Salad

Welcome

ANASTASIA FROM SALADS WITH ANASTASIA

Hi, I’m Anastasia,
Let me show you how to transform your salads from boring and limp to bright, fresh and exciting using in-season produce.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Looking for a recipe?

Greek Salad Collection

NARROW PICS OF VARIOUS GREEK SALADS WITH A TEXT OVERLAY

Cheesy Salad Collection

Various salads with cheese and a text overlay.

Green Salad Collection

VARIETY OF GREEN SALADS WITH TEXT OVERLAY

Asian Salads

ASIAN SALAD COLLECTION WITH TEXT OVERLAY

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Site Credits
  • Contact Me

Get our guide for common salad fails and their fixes...

Recipes & Tools

  • Salads
  • Dressings
  • Spices & Condiments
  • Salad Tools
  • How to Guides
  • What's in Season

Copyright © 2024 · Salads with Anastasia · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsOKAY
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.