Miso Leeks With White Beans

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated April 22, 2024

Miso Leeks With White Beans
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(4,723)
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

    • 2large 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
    • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 2fresh thyme sprigs
    • 4eggs
    • 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

    • 4teaspoons white miso paste
    • 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1garlic clove, grated
    • 2teaspoons red-wine vinegar
    • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

488 calories; 19 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 925 milligrams sodium

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
4,723 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.

Singleton

Love this recipe, which is a frequent repeat for me. I heat the beans a little at the end, and serve the bean-leek mixture over roasted cubed sweet potatoes with an over easy egg on top. Delicious, filling, inexpensive to make, and makes a great impression on guests!

Brookie Cookie

These beans are heavenly smooshed on ghee-toasted bread, though doubling the dressing to marinate broiled salmon for a breadless version was equally as enjoyable! I like the beans warmed with 1.5 times the dressing and an arugula salad with EVOO and red wine vinegar to balance out the protein, as I also added a jammy egg. Deeply satiating but not heavy, this is one of my favorite comfort foods!

Melody E.

Flavor on this dish was great. The consistency of the leeks was a downer. “Jammy” is one way to describe it, MUSHY is the way I would. It made it necessary to have chewy rice AND toast with it to help off-set the mushiness of the dish. Unfortunately this will not be a repeat in our household. But yay on the flavors.

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