Freakin' Leeks!

Leeks, sliced and diced! Photo by: wikipedia.org

Leeks. What the heck is a leek...You may be wondering? Not to fear Vivacious Vegan is here!

Leeks are a strange bird of sorts...and not a bird at all actually. A leek is a vegetable that belongs to the family of onions, shallots, scallions and garlic. It is bulbous at the bottom (like an onion) and has long, firm, crunchy cylinder-like leaves that grow up from the bulb. Kind of looks like this:

The roots and cut end of a leek. Photo by: wikipedia.org

They have a surprisingly mellow, 'sweeter-than-onion' taste. They can be eaten raw, blanched quickly or sauted and even baked. (Back in my dairy-eating days I once had Leeks mac n' cheese - didn't leave much of an impression) They are the kind of vegetables that blend into the background in terms of taste, but really kick butt in terms of nutrients.



One of my favorite recipes (as I am still transitioning to raw foodism) is a Curried Coconut Milk Thai Leek Soup.  It doesn't take long to make and even less time to simmer. YUM! (Recipe upon request)

Now onto the nutritional value!

Single leek flower head. Cool right? Can you find the bee in the picture? Photo by: wikipedia.org

You wouldn't believe these large long vegetables start out as these TINY LITTLE seedlings!

50% of daily value Vitamin K
30% of daily value of Vitamin A
20% of daily value of Manganese

1 cup raw leeks only 54 calories!!!!

What's nice about leeks is because they belong to the same family as garlic and onions we see many similar benefits as their fellow vegetable-mates.

 Leeks, lemon juice, evoo, olives, grated carrot, salt, peppa, basil and tomatoes! Yummy easy mid-day salad! Photo by : www.livingandeatingwell.com

How I eat them: a little bit of lemon juice and thyme or basil...chop them up and add to a salad! Crunchy delight! If you like them cooked, saute them with some fennel or mustard seeds and a little water for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently, toss with a little evoo, pepper and thyme; season to taste and add to any ready made dish of your choosing. Great to add to soups or omlettes for a suttle deliciousness!

As a transitioning raw vegan eater I am estatic (!) to:
get massive doses of antioxidants (which help in protecting my blood vessels and cells from damage), lots of B vitamin Folate (which is key for supporting my cardiovascular system) and flavonoids (which protect my blood vessel linings too!).

Fresh leeks ready for the taking! What will you make with them? Photo by: jasons-bites.com

Because leeks are highest in Vitamin K and A - they help most with helping blood to clot properly, protect your bones from fracturing, AND protect against liver and prostate cancer!

So go out and get you some little known lovely leeks today! (Tip: You can probably find them at your local Asian grocer)

Live. Love. Well.

~h