Warm leeks and earthy white beans get tossed with a creamy homemade honey mustard dressing in this delicious Leek Salad! The ingredients are simple and the salad is easy to assemble. This is the perfect side dish for any meal or served as the main course.
This warm leek salad is the perfect addition to your side dish lineup. The warm leeks and earthy white beans are tossed with a creamy homemade honey mustard dressing to create a delicious and easy-to-assemble veg-packed salad!
What are leeks? Leeks are a member of the onion family and have a similar shape to green onions. They have a milder flavor than onions and are often used in soups and salads.
The ingredients in this leek salad are simple, but the flavors are complex and deliciously satisfying. The white beans add a hearty component to the salad, while the spinach provides a pop of color and freshness along with healthy nutrients.
This leek salad is perfect for any occasion. Serve it as a hearty side dish at your next barbecue or family gathering, or enjoy it as a main course for lunch or dinner. No matter how you enjoy it, this salad is sure to please!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
A great way to use fresh leeks!
The homemade honey mustard dressing is so easy to make and is the perfect compliment to the leeks and beans.
This leek salad can be served warm or cold, making it versatile for any season!
Leek Salad is hearty enough to be served as a main course, or light enough to be a side dish.
Ingredients
- Fresh Leeks - This vegetable is in the onion family and has a milder flavor than onions. They are usually white or light green in color and have a long, cylindrical shape.
- Spinach - Adds a dose of fresh green color and a punch of nutrients.
- Canned White Beans - Adds fiber, texture, and a hearty flavor to the salad.
- Oil - The leeks get cooked down in oil until tender and soft.
- Garnish - A mixture of tangy crumbled feta cheese (or goat's cheese) and crunchy pumpkin seeds are the perfect blend of flavor and texture to finish off the salad.
For the honey mustard dressing:
- Olive Oil - Makes up the oil base of the dressing and contains healthy fats.
- Honey - Adds a natural sweetness to the dressing that contrasts the savory flavors. Swap to maple syrup to make it a vegan dressing.
- Dijon Mustard - Gives the dressing a tangy mustard flavor that pairs well with honey.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Adds acidity to the dressing as well as a mild apple flavor.
- Salt & Pepper - Balances and enhances the flavor of the dressing.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Leek Salad recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Cook the leeks: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and saute, stirring often, until soft. This will take about 7 minutes. Add in the white beans.
Assemble the honey mustard dressing: Add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to fully combine and set aside.
Add the beans and greens: While the leeks are hot, add the raw spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted down.
Plate and add dressing: Pile the warm leek salad onto a serving plate and drizzle with the honey mustard dressing.
Garnish and serve: Top with the pumpkin seeds and feta cheese. Enjoy!
Top tips
How to properly clean leeks: Leeks come up out of the soil, so they can have lots of dirt trapped inside. To clean the leeks, cut off the root end and the dark green leaves. Cut the leek in half length-wise, then slice it into thin half-moons. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the leek slices. Swish them around to loosen any dirt, then let them sit for a few minutes so the dirt can settle to the bottom of the bowl. Carefully pour off the water, being sure to leave the dirt behind. Repeat if necessary. Alternatively, run them lengthways under water to flush out the dirt.
Make sure the white beans are fully rinsed and drained before adding them to the salad to prevent the salad from becoming too watery.
Add the spinach to the salad while it's hot to ensure that it wilts down properly into the salad.
Variations
Change up the greens: Instead of spinach, use arugula, kale, Swiss chard, or a combination of all of them.
Try different beans: Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, or black-eyed peas would all be delicious in this salad. You could even try Broad Beans (aks lima beans).
Add some protein: Grilled tofu would make a great addition to this salad to turn it into a high-protein meal.
Make it vegan: Omit the feta cheese or use a vegan cheese alternative. Try this Vegan Feta.
Add crunch: Garnish with pumpkin seeds or try other crunchy toppings including chopped nuts or croutons. You'll love my easy Air Fryer Croutons.
Storage
This warm leek and bean salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The dressing can be stored separately in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. For best results, store the salad without the pumpkin seeds and feta cheese and garnish before serving.
FAQs
Yes, leeks can be eaten raw in a salad. To do so, slice the leek thinly and add it to your salad. The flavor of raw leeks is milder than that of cooked leeks, so you may want to add more dressing or other flavors to your salad if using them raw.
To prepare leeks for salad, first, clean them thoroughly. Then, cut off the root end and the dark green leaves. Slice into thin half-moons and add to your salad.
More Recipes Using Leeks
- Sauteed Buttered Leeks
- Grilled Leeks with Lemon and Parmesan
- Cheesy Leeks
- Potato Leek Soup
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📖 Recipe
Leek Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 large leeks trimmed, washed and sliced (2 cups sliced)
- 15 ounce white beans (400g) butter beans or lima beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups handfuls spinach roughly chopped
For the honey mustard dressing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoons pepper
To serve
- 2 tablespoons feta cheese crumbled
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat.
- Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft - about 7 minutes.
- Make the dressing by whisking the ingredients together. Set aside.
- Stir the beans into the leeks and cook for a further 2 minutes, then stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt.
- Pile the warm leek salad onto a serving plate and drizzle with the dressing.
- Top with the pumpkin seeds and feta cheese.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Natalie
Just having the leftovers for lunch now, thanks, Kate!
Jacqueline Debono
I've never used leeks in salad before, not sure why! This salad was really good and the dressing is dreamy!
Amanda
This leek salad made for such a delicious spring side dish! The dressing was absolutely divine, and the white beans added a nice heartiness.
Helen
That was delicious! Perfect as part of a relaxed summer lunch with a friend. Yum! I used goat cheese and left out the pumpkin seeds - but still really good!
Gina
What a simple yet filling and completely delicious salad! The dressing is something I could use on SO many things!