This 25-minute recipe features golden sauteed leeks simmered with chickpeas in a garlicky lemon-dappled cream sauce. This is a low effort, protein-packed vegetarian dish!
For the second installment in my Craveable Vegetables series, we're making lemon-zested creamy chickpeas and leeks. Leeks are in the same family as garlic and onion, so expect a lot of aromatic flavor.
The creamy chickpeas are great as a side dish, served over toast, or tossed with orzo. I tested this recipe with regular cream and dairy-free cream (Silk brand) and can confirm that both work well!
The dish is a nice balance of rich, thanks to the cream and Parmesan, but lightened up a little with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
If you like my Stewed Great Northern Beans or Stewed Chickpeas in Red Pepper Sauce, you'll love this dish!
Ingredients
- Chickpeas: This recipe uses two cans of chickpeas, or roughly 3 cups of chickpeas. You can use canned chickpeas or use an Instant Pot to cook them from dry.
- Leeks: Leeks are usually sold in a bundle of two, which is what we need for this recipe.
- Garlic: Ample garlic, as it's a great complement to leeks!
- Cream: Use heavy cream (typically labeled heavy whipping cream) or dairy-free heavy cream, such as Silk. I tested with Silk's heavy cream and it is a fantastic swap with a very neutral flavor and thick consistency. Half & half also works and will be a touch lighter than heavy cream.
- Lemon: One large lemon for the juice and the zest. The zest is important, so don't do just bottled lemon juice.
- Parmesan: Traditional Parmesan isn't considered vegetarian, but some stores carry Parmesan made with vegetarian rennet. Vegan Parmesan is also a good option. Don't skip this, as it adds a ton of flavor to the dish.
- Miso: I first added miso to cream sauce in my Garlic Mushroom Pasta, and I haven't been able to stop since. If you don't have miso, it's okay to skip this ingredient, but note that it adds an abundance of savory salty flavor.
How to prep leeks
For this recipe, we're using the bottom half of the leek.
Trim off the bottom ¼ inch root and cut away the firm leafy green parts. You'll be left with a thick white stalk.
Leeks tend to be quite dirty. Remove any wilted outer layers, then rinse the remaining leek under cool running water to remove dirt.
Thinly slice the leek in half, then thinly slice each half into half-moons. If the leek is still dirty, you can transfer it to a bowl filled with cold water. Agitate it with your fingers to remove any stuck-on dirt, then drain and rinse.
And that's it!
Recipe steps
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced leeks, garlic, and salt. Cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, lemon zest, cream, thinned miso, and ample freshly ground black pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Continue simmering another 2-3 minutes to marry the flavors. Garnish with ample grated Parmesan and taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Enjoy!
Make it a complete meal
- My go-to serving method is over a baked potato. It's also great with garlic toast/bread or grits and a side of roasted broccoli.
- The creamy chickpeas and leeks are also great on pasta.
- Turn it into a meal by tossing the chickpeas with 2 cups of cooked orzo and 1 cup of cooked mixed vegetables. This turns it into a delicious one pot orzo situation that reminds me of pot pie. This is how I served leftovers.
Recipe
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Creamy Lemon Chickpeas and Leeks
Ingredients
- 2 large leeks
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- 2 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup cream see note #2
- 1 large lemon juiced & zested (3 tablespoons lemon juice)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 heaping tablespoon yellow miso white or red work too
- 1 tablespoon water
- Parmesan to taste
Instructions
- Cut off the root bottom and the top firm green leaves from the leek. Take the remaining white and light green section and slice that in half. Remove any wilted outer layers. Rinse under cool, running water to remove any dirt. Slice the leek into ¼-inch half moons.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced leeks, chopped garlic, and salt. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, cream, lemon zest, and ample freshly ground black pepper, to taste. In a small bowl, whisk the miso with 1 tablespoon of water to thin it before stirring it into the chickpeas.
- Gently simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, stir in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Continue simmering another 2-3 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Serve with ample finely shredded Parmesan, to taste. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chickpeas: This recipe should also work well with white beans or baked tofu.
- Heavy cream: This recipe works well with Silk dairy-free heavy cream as a direct swap. Half and half also works for a lighter option.
- Serving ideas: Serve over garlic toast, baked potatoes (my favorite!), as a side dish, over grits, or pasta. I made a delicious pasta delicious with this by stirring the chickpeas into 2 cups of orzo and 1 ½ cups of frozen mixed vegetables (cooked).
- Best within 3-4 days. Keep refrigerated and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water to thin the chickpeas, as needed.
- Want to up the veggies? Frozen peas go well with this dish! Add 1 cup of frozen peas at the same time as the cream. They will thaw as the sauce simmers.
Nutrition
Mr. Wilson
This recipe features Mr. Wilson helping out with puzzles. This is a puzzle that I picked up at a thrift store and I'm starting to regret it because it's very difficult. Mr. Wilson isn't necessarily helping things and likely has a puzzle piece hidden somewhere in the house.
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