A large, mild allium built from tightly wrapped sheaths, cooked rather than eaten raw. Only the white and pale green parts are tender; the dark tops are for stock.
What it does in a recipe: A soft, sweet, high-moisture aromatic that becomes silky rather than browned and gives soups their body. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Poireau
3substitutes
Reliablebest available
Producecategory
Quick answer
Yellow onion
1 medium leek (about 1 cup sliced, white and light green) = 1 medium yellow onion, chopped, about 1 cup
All substitutes, best first
3 ways to replace leek
Yellow onion
Reliable
1 medium leek (about 1 cup sliced, white and light green) = 1 medium yellow onion, chopped, about 1 cup
Same family, same job in the pot, but far more pungent and lower in water, so it browns where a leek would simply melt.
MethodSweat it covered over low heat with a pinch of salt to draw out water and keep it pale, which mimics a leek's texture.
Trade-offA more forward, sharper base. In something delicate like a potato and leek soup, the onion takes over the flavour.
Leeks trap soil between their layers. Slice first, then swish the pieces in a bowl of cold water and lift them out, leaving the grit at the bottom - draining through a colander pours it straight back on.
At a glance
Leek in summary
Leek at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
1 medium leek (about 1 cup sliced, white and light green) = 1 medium yellow onion, chopped, about 1 cup. Same family, same job in the pot, but far more pungent and lower in water, so it browns where a leek would simply melt. A more forward, sharper base. In something delicate like a potato and leek soup, the onion takes over the flavour.
Can I use scallions, whites plus pale greens instead of leek?
1 medium leek (about 1 cup sliced) = 1 cup sliced scallions, about 1 large bunch. Scallions are botanically the closest match for a leek's gentleness, and they carry the same fresh, faintly grassy sweetness. They break down to almost nothing, so a soup loses the soft strands of leek that give it texture.
Can I use sweet onion instead of leek?
1 medium leek (about 1 cup sliced) = 1 medium sweet onion, chopped, about 1 cup. Sweet varieties such as Vidalia are lower in the sulphur compounds that make an ordinary onion sharp, which puts them nearer a leek's register. Sweeter than a leek and more prone to browning, which will tint a pale soup.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.