Miso Leeks With White Beans

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated April 21, 2024

  • A shallow gray bowl holds miso leeks with a jammy egg and slice of toast.
    Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(5,395)
Comments
Read comments

In this reinterpretation of the classic French dish leeks vinaigrette, tender braised leeks are bathed in a punchy miso vinaigrette, tossed with creamy white beans then served with an oozy soft egg for an easy, comforting midweek meal. Steady, gentle heat is the key to achieving the rich, jamlike leeks, coaxing out their sweetness while ensuring that they stay silky. The miso leeks can also be eaten in other ways — on a slice of toast, stirred through warm potatoes or pasta, or tossed with French lentils and peppery arugula for a simple salad. Make sure you use the whole leek. Many recipes recommend the white part only, but the green parts, while slightly tougher with a stronger flavor, can also be cooked and tenderized, especially in recipes where they are braised. The miso leeks improve over time and can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings (about 4 heaping cups)

FOR THE LEEKS

  • 2 large leeks (about 1 pound), roots and wrinkled tops trimmed, stalks halved lengthwise, white and green parts thinly sliced

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs

  • 4 eggs

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans, drained

  • Handful tarragon or parsley leaves, roughly chopped, to serve

  • Toasted bread (optional), for serving

FOR THE MISO VINAIGRETTE

  • 4 teaspoons white miso paste

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

68 grams carbs; 160 milligrams cholesterol; 527 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 13 grams fiber; 937 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the leeks: Place the sliced leeks into a colander and rinse them well, rubbing to loosen any dirt. Rinse them again and drain well. (There is no need to dry them, as the residual water is useful in cooking the leeks.)

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large Dutch oven or skillet on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the leeks. Season generously with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid cooks off and leeks start to stick to the pan, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high. Add the eggs and continue to cook over medium-high for 7 minutes. (Make sure you set a timer.) Set up an ice bath. Using a spider ladle or slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and immediately add them to the ice bath. Cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then peel and set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together the miso paste, Dijon mustard, garlic, vinegar and olive oil.

  5. Step 5

    Uncover the leeks — they will have reduced into a silky, jammy consistency. Discard the thyme, transfer the leeks to the bowl and stir to coat in the miso vinaigrette.

  6. Step 6

    Stir in the white beans and leave to cool for a few minutes. Add about ¾ of the tarragon or parsley leaves and toss gently to combine.

  7. Step 7

    Divide the leeks and beans among bowls and drizzle each with olive oil. Top with a halved jammy egg and finish with the remaining herbs. Serve with toast, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,395 user ratings
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Comments

Cold Beans

I heated the beans for 5 minutes with the leaks and it came out very nice. I would not leave the beans cold

Emmy

Jamie Oliver has a great recipe for leeks and white beans in his Cook with Jamie which I make with or without the beans. But I always add a little liquid (chicken stock or white wine) when I braise the leeks, and I use both olive oil and a bit of butter to start the leeks. It's a fantastic base for any number of variations. Recently I added small cubed Yukon gold potatoes to the leeks before adding white wine and thyme. I finished the whole thing off with a little cream. A winner!

Ediv

This dressing is delicious. Another fabulous Hetty recipe. A riff for pescatarians/tinned fish enthusiasts: Replace the egg with good quality tinned mackerel in oil. Use the oil from the can to cook the leeks. Put a little scoop of the leek/bean mixture, a hunk of mackerel, and some pickled onion on a saltine. Devour and repeat.

MoHi

I have made this several times as written, I prefer to increase the dressing by .25% and to add the beans and dressing to the hot pan of leeks and combine well and cover to hold off heat. Be mindful of salting of the leeks, as being too generous will result in a very salty final product. Leeks can be difficult to come by in Hawaii, so when they are unavailable I’ve substituted 1/2 large sweet onion chopped and a bunch of green onions (including the tops) sliced with perfectly acceptable results. This dish is in my weekly rotation, with the jammy eggs or whatever leftover protein is in the fridge as an accompaniment. Even guests rave about it and is a natural to bring to the beach for lunch with chunks of home or locally grown ripe tomatoes drizzled with good EVO and sprinkled with Maldon salt on the side. Yummy!

Deirdre

Added half a head of green cabbage at the beginning with the leeks. Great addition!

Amy

Delicious! I replaced the eggs with burrata, I doubled the leeks (because I love leeks) and olive oil, and I added extra thyme and garlic.

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