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british leek growers association

Dinner Recipe

Leek, Mushroom and Rice Creamy Soup

Posted on January 26, 2022
leek mushroom rice soup

Leek, Mushroom and Rice Creamy Soup

A delicious and creamy winter soup using leeks, mushrooms, a few more veggies and some rice. It’s vegan friendly and perfect for the winter months to warm you right up. Naturally gluten free, this recipe is easy to make, perfect for batch cooking and can easily be chopped and changed to fit with what you have in your fridge.

Made in partnership with the British Leek Grower’s Association

 

What’s in the recipe?

Leeks- Partnering up with the British Leek Growers’ Association, I’m creating a range of recipes that make the most of this humble vegetable. I’ve used two in this recipe, one finely chopped and one chopped into thick dice. This offers a range of texture within the soup.

Mushrooms- You can use whatever mushrooms you have at hand, for this recipe I used chestnut mushrooms.

Vegan Cream- This is pretty easy to find in the supermarkets now, which is really handy. I’ve opted for a single cream.

Rice and Quinoa- I’ve used a microwavable pouch of rice and quinoa to add a bit of bulk to this soup / stew. Choosing a microwavable pouch helps keep timing low, but you can use a precooked rice if you prefer.

 

leek mushroom rice soup

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leek mushroom rice soup

Leek, Mushroom and Rice Creamy Soup

A delicious and creamy winter soup using leeks, mushrooms, a few more veggies and some rice. It's vegan friendly and perfect for the winter months to warm you right up. Naturally gluten free too.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp plant based butter
  • 2 leeks one finely chopped, one diced
  • 3 shallots finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 250 g mushrooms roughly chopped
  • 1 red pepper bite size pieces
  • 2 stick celery finely chopped
  • 200 g pouch rice and quinoa mix
  • 250 ml plant based single cream
  • 700 ml boiling water mixed with stock cube
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp tamari optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start by prepping and chopping the vegetables
  • Heat the butter in a large pot, add in the celery, leeks and shallots and fry for around 5 minutes before adding in the garlic, pepper and mushrooms
  • Once they have been frying for a further 5-8 minutes add the tamari, smoked paprika and sage, pop the kettle onto boil and mix the boiling water with the stock cube
  • Pour in the stock, vegan cream and season generously with salt and pepper, pop the lid on and leave to simmer on a low heat for around 10 minutes
  • Taste test adding a little more seasoning or spices to the pot if needed, then microwave the pouch of rice and quinoa, add to the soup and stir together
  • Taste test one last time and serve up with a garnish of your favourite fresh herbs.

If you like this recipe, why not try my Curried Lentil and Leek Soup.

curried lentil and leek soup

curried lentil and leek soup vegan recipe lucy and lentils

Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Orzo, Leek and Dill Soup

Posted on January 6, 2022
leek orzo dill soup vegan

Orzo and Leek Soup Topped with Fresh Dill

Vegan orzo and leek soup topped with fresh dill. A light and delicious soup recipe to enjoy in the winter or summer. I’ve used orzo but you can can swap this for pulses or grains such as bulgarwheat or couscous. This is ready in less than half an hour so brilliant for an easy dinner recipe.

This recipe is created in partnership with the British Leek Growers’ Association.

What’s in the recipe?

Leeks- The base of this recipe is of course leeks, I’ve diced these into thick rings so it adds a bit of crunch when eating the soup

Dill- I find dill gives such a delicious fragrant flavour to soups so have used a fresh version to top this.

Orzo- A delicious pasta grain that puffs up just like risotto rice. I think it works perfectly with the sharp flavours from the leek and lemon.

vegan dill leek and orzo soup

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leek orzo dill soup vegan

Orzo Leek and Dill Soup

Vegan orzo and leek soup topped with fresh dill. A light and delicious soup recipe to enjoy in the winter or summer. I've used orzo but you can can swap this for pulses or grains.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 19 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 leek green ends included, diced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 120 g orzo pasta
  • 1.5 l vegetable stock stock cube and boiling water
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh dill
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 lemon squeezed
  • Extra virgin olive oil to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Start by finely chopping the garlic and onion, dice the carrot and leek and add to a large pot with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and sweat down for around 6 minutes
  • Boil the kettle and add the water to a bowl with the stock cube and whisk until dissolved
  • Add the orzo to the pot along with the stock, dried thyme and leave to bubble away for around 12 minutes
  • Add a little more seasoning of salt and pepper, the squeeze of lemon and fresh dill and taste test
  • Once cooked serve up with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on each bowl with a sprig of fresh dill

Want more leek recipes?

Why not try my Leek, Cheese and Herb Monkey Bread

leek and herb pull apart bread

Dinner Lunch & Light Bites Recipe

Gnocchi, Leek and Butternut Bake

Posted on January 6, 2022
Gnocchi, Leek and Butternut Bake

Gnocchi, Leek and Butternut Squash Baked Dish

A hearty creamy recipe made with gnocchi leek and butternut squash, perfect for winter cooking. No cream needed for this recipe, just a few key ingredients and you have a delicious recipe to enjoy.

This recipe is created in partnership with the British Leek Growers’ Association.

What’s in the recipe?

Leeks- I think leeks work brilliantly in this recipe as they work with the cream to give a delicious flavour.

Butternut- Due to the season, I’ve used butternut however any squash will work for this recipe.

Gnocchi- Dried gnocchi will work a little better for this recipe as it won’t overcook. When you use fresh, you can just add it straight to the baking dish. Just swap the starchy water for water in that step of the process.

Seeds- The key to this recipe is adding a delicious topping. Nutritional yeast will also work, vegan parmesan or any kind of toasted nuts.

gnochi leek and butternut bake

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Gnocchi, Leek and Butternut Bake

Gnocchi, Leek and Butternut Bake

A hearty creamy recipe made with gnocchi leek and butternut squash, perfect for winter cooking. No cream needed for this recipe, just a few key ingredients and you have a delicious recipe to enjoy.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 450 g gnocchi
  • ½ tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 heaped tbsp butter vegan
  • A pinch of parmesan vegan
  • For roasting
  • ½ butternut squash diced
  • 1 leek diced
  • 3 fresh sage leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to season
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp fried parsley

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  • Chop the butternut and leek into 3cm thick pieces, add to a roasting tray with the olive oil, chopped sage leaves, salt and pepper. Toss together then roast for 35 minutes.
  • Prep the gnocchi by adding to a pot of boiling salted water and boil for 2 minutes or until the gnocchi floats to the surface. Be sure not to overcook it.
  • Drain off the gnocchi leaving a ladleful of water in the pot (around 250ml) and put the cooked gnocchi in a bowl to the side.
  • Add the butter, dijon mustard, garlic powder and flour to the pot of gnocchi water and whisk together until smooth. Then add the gnocchi back in and stir in the sauce.
  • Once the leek and butternut is baked add the pot of gnocchi and sauce to the baking dish, stir together. Generously season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the sunflower seeds and dried parsley then return to the oven for around 10 minutes to finish baking.
  • Stir just before serving and garnish with more cracked black pepper. If you like, add a sprinkling of parmesan (dairy or vegan) to each bowl, to finish.

Notes

You can use dried gnocchi for this recipe. It will work slightly better as fresh gnocchi can go a little mushy when overcooked.

If you like this recipe why not try my Leek and Pumpkin Risotto

pumpkin and leek risotto vegan

Bread & Dough Recipe Sides & Savoury Snacks

Monkey Bread with Leek, Cheese and Herb

Posted on January 6, 2022
leek and herb pull apart bread

Savoury Monkey Bread with Leek Cheese and Herb (vegan)

Leek and cheese filled monkey bread. Savoury option to the usually sweet American Monkey Bread. Pull apart tear and share style with hidden leek and cheese filling. There’s four Different flavour seasonings to top the dough balls so you can enjoy with a bonus leek dip recipe.

Made in partnership with the British Leek Growers’ Association

What’s in the recipe?

Leek & Cheese- I’ve used a vegan mozzarella style cheese however you can use whatever you have at hand. I’ve diced the leeks into really small pieces so that they cook within the dough.

Dough- For this recipe I’ve used a really simple bread dough recipe that takes minutes to bring together and an hour to rise.

Toppings:

Smoked paprika and cheese 

‘Everything bagel’ style seasoning

Leek & Vegan Cheese

Garlic and Herb

 

savoury monkey bread with leek and cheese

Cooking tips:

Butter is your friend- For this recipe I’ve used Flora’s vegan butter to brush over the dough balls. I mixed the topping ingredients together (in separate bowls) then poured in some of the melted butter, whisked together then topped the dough balls. I repeated this process once it had just come out of the oven to give it that beautiful glazed look.

Leave the dough to rise- It will need a warm environment to prove, you want it to double in size. I pop the bowl in the oven with the light on which seems to do the trick!

monkey bread recipe

leek and herb pull apart bread

Monkey Bread with Leek, Cheese and Herb

Leek and cheese filled monkey bread. Savoury option to the usually sweet American Monkey Bread. Pull apart tear and share style with hidden leek and cheese filling. 4 Different flavour combinations to enjoy with a bonus leek dip recipe.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

For the dough:

  • 450 g plain flour
  • 1 sachet dried yeast 7g
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 370 ml warm water

Toppings:

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano and thyme with 2 tbsp melted plant based butter
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika 50g grated vegan cheese
  • 2 tbsp everything bagel seasoning 2 tbsp melted plant based butter
  • 1 finely chopped small leek & 50g grated vegan cheese
  • Handful fresh parsley to garnish at the end

Instructions
 

  • To make the dough simple mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, make sure the water is warm (to activate the yeast) around 60ºC and pour into the bowl
  • Bring the dough together and knead on a floured surface for around 5 minutes until a springy dough forms, drizzle olive oil in a clean bowl, pop the dough inside, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm spot for around 1-2 hours or until doubled in size
  • Prepare the filling by getting the ingredients in 4 small bowls
  • When the dough has doubled, quarter it, then quarter again so you have around 16 equal pieces (four dough balls per topping)
  • For the leek and cheese filling, I popped a handful of the mix into the centre of a ball then formed a dough ball so it encases the filling (perfect for melting and cooking the leeks)
  • I did the same technique for the paprika and cheese filling
  • For the butter and herb toppings simply melt the butter down, mix with the seasoning then brush over the dough balls
  • Place them inside a bundt tin to create the wreath, brush any dry looking dough balls with the remaining melted butter, cover in a tea towel and leave to prove for a further 30 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 200ºC, then once risen, add the bundt tin to the middle of the oven, bake for around 30 minutes before placing tin foil loosely over the top and popping back in the oven for a further 15 minutes to make sure the bottom will be cooked
  • Remove from the oven and leave to cool for around 5 minutes before tipping out onto a plate, then flip once more onto a cooling tray
  • Brush once more with vegan butter if it’s looking a little dry and garnish with fresh herbs (I used parsley) and enjoy!

Notes

Leek and Herb Dip:
If you still have 1/2 leek left, this dip will be great!
Roughly dice the leek and fry off with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper
Add to a food processor with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 70ml plant based cream and 3 tbsp olive oil, 15g fresh parsley and blitz together
Season with salt and pepper and serve as a dip

Want more Leek Recipes?

Why not try my curried lentil and leek soup?

curried leek and lentil soup