Do you find yourself shying away from using leeks because you don’t know how to prep them? Fear not! Here is a step-by-step guide for How to Slice and Clean Leeks — from trimming, to halving, to washing — and my favorite ways to use them!

Glass bowl with sliced leeks in water on a white marble counter. Chef's knife set to the left side. Green leek leaves in the upper left corner of the image.

While we love leeks around here, I also know they are not always the most intuitive veggie to prep. What’s even more? Many people are not sure how to use them either. Leeks are a great pick to add variety in your veggie-loading journey. Think of leeks as an elevated onion. They instantly add a bit of elegance to a dish while still imparting that delicious onion-like flavor. This post breaks down How to Slice and Clean Leeks (easily!) while also giving you some unexpected ways to use them in your veggie-loaded meals. Let’s get cooking!

Contents

How to cut leeks

Step 1: Place your leek on your cutting board. With one hand, firmly hold the white portion of the leek in place. With the other hand, cut off the fibrous green top where it meets the white portion of the leek.

Step 2: Flip the leek around and cut off the root portion.

Step 3: Take your knife and run it lengthwise down the leek, splitting it in half.

Step 4: Place both leek halves cut side down on your cutting board. Slice into thin half-circles. As the layers of the leek come apart, you will notice sand or dirt between them.

Person holding onto a whole leek on a wooden cutting board with one hand and slicing the green leaves off the top of the leek with a chef's knife in the other hand.
Cut off the fibrous green top where it meets the white portion of the leek.
Person holding onto a leek on a wooden cutting board with one hand and slicing the leek in half lengthwise with a chef's knife in the other hand.
Take your knife and run it lengthwise down the leek, splitting it in half.
Leeks on a cutting board with a chef's knife in the upper right corner. The leeks are cut in half lengthwise as well as cut into half moon shapes.
Place both leek halves cut side down on your cutting board. Slice into thin half-circles.

How to clean leeks

Step 1: Place sliced leeks into a bowl of water. Agitate and separate layers of leeks with your fingers so dirt can be released.

Step 2: Once clean, use a slotted spoon or your hands to scoop leek slices from water. Or you can pour through a colander.

Step 3: Pat dry before cooking and/or adding to a recipe.

Leeks cut into half moon shapes sitting in a clear bowl of water. Bowl is sitting on a white marble surface. Knife is next to the bowl and a green leek stems are in the upper left of the photo.
Place sliced leeks in a bowl of water. Agitate and separate layers of leeks so dirt can be released.
Slotted spoon pulling out sliced leeks from a clear bowl filled with sliced leeks and water. Some sliced leeks are on a white tea towel on the counter and green leek leaves are in the upper left of the phtoo.
Once clean, use a slotted spoon or your hands to scoop leek slices from water.
Hands patting sliced leeks dry with a white tea towel on a white marble counter. Green leek leaves are in teh upper left of the phtoo.
Pat dry before cooking.

Frequently asked questions about cutting and cleaning leeks

Do you have to wash leeks before cooking?

Yes, yes, yes! As with most veggies, washing before eating is always recommended. However, washing leeks is particularly essential because they get LOTS of dirt and grit stuck in them during the growing process. Fortunately, a quick slice and swish in a bowl of water easily helps all that dirt fall out of your leeks and into the bottom of the bowl.

How to clean leeks easily?

I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up with leeks at the dinner table. They can feel a bit intimidating to know how to prep and where to use them if they are a new veg for you. Fortunately, even though leeks are not as common as onions, they are not as intimidating as they may seem! While leeks do harbor some dirt and sand between their layers, simply slicing, swirling around in some water, and then pulling them out is all it takes to clean leeks—and only takes a few minutes.

Is there an alternative way to clean leeks?

While I’m sure there may be other methods out there, I find thoroughly swishing sliced leeks in a bowl of water is the easiest and most effective way to remove all of the grit and dirt often found in leeks.

Purple and beige dutch oven filled with chopped celery, leeks, chopped garlic and dried spices. Wooden spoon stirring the vegetables in the dutch oven. Chopped potatoes on a cutting board in the upper left corner of the photo.

Can you eat the green part of leeks?

Yes. While the green leek leaves can be a tough and fibrous, you can—indeed—use the green leaves! That being said, you may not want to use them along with the white part, which is nice and tender. Don’t worry, you don’t have to let these vitamin-loaded tops go to waste! You can use them fresh or frozen to make a cooking stock or to add some flavor and depth to a soup. I suggest you pluck out these woody green leaves before serving—as some people may find them a bit too tough!

How to trim leeks?

Trimming leeks is quite easy once you know what to do! Simply slice off the dark green leaves (the top of the leek) and then slice off the root. From there, you can decide on cutting the leek into round or semi-circle slices. See instructions above as well as the recipe card below—which gives you a step-by-step tutorial on how to both cut and clean leeks.

How far in advance can you prep leeks?

While waiting to trim your leeks until your are ready to use extends their shelf life (whole leeks can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge!), you can prep leeks 2-3 days before you’re ready to use them without much fear of them getting mushy. Of course, if your whole or prepped leeks ever look iffy, it’s always best to toss them. Let’s not let those luscious leeks go to waste! Make sure to have a plan for these elegant veggies when you head to the store and then feast on them in the next few days!

Cast iron skillet filled with sliced leeks, chopped broccoli florets, sliced carrots and sliced mushrooms. Wooden spatula is in the pan. Scallions are in the bottom right of the photo on a white tea towel on the counter.

Recipes that use leeks

Not sure how to incorporate leeks into your veggie-loaded journey? These are some of my top leek recipes to get you started!

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Instructions on How to Slice and Clean Leeks
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

How to Cut and Clean Leeks

Do you find yourself shying away from using leeks because you don't know how to prep them? Fear not! Here is a step-by-step guide for How to Slice and Clean Leeks — from trimming, to halving, to washing — and my favorite ways to use them!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Calories:
Author: Taesha Butler

Ingredients

  • 1 fresh leek

Instructions

  • Place your leek on your cutting board. With one hand, firmly hold the white portion of the leek in place. With the other hand, cut off the fibrous green top where it meets the white portion of the leek.
    A leek on a cutting board. A person is using one hand to hold the leek still and using a knife to cut the dark green top off with a knife in the other hand.
  • Flip the leek around and cut off the root portion.
  • Take your knife and run it lengthwise down the leek, splitting it in half.
    A leek on a cutting board. A person is holding the leek steady with one hand and then using a knife to slice the leek in half lengthwise with the other hand.
  • Place both leek halves cut side down on your cutting board. Slice into thin half-circles. As the layers of the leek come apart, you will notice sand or dirt between them.
    Halved leeks on a cutting board. One leek is being cut into half circle slices
  • Place cut leeks in a bowl of water. Use your hands to agitate and separate the layers of leeks so that the dirt can easily wash away in the water.
  • Once the leeks are clean, use your hand or a slotted spoon to remove the leeks from the water. The dirt and sand from the leeks should sink to the bottom of the bowl of water.
    A metal spoon scooping clean sliced leeks from a bowl of water
  • Pat clean leeks dry before cooking.

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